I Have Been Travelling Avidly From Quite Some Time - Suraj Bajaj


Just a food for thought "it takes every movement to become an action and every single drop to become an ocean"

1. Tell us about your background and journey.

My name is Suraj Bajaj and I am a full time Finance professional (MBA) working with a global bank. I decided to pursue a career in Finance after I graduated as an Engineer as most of the folks in my field do. I originally hail from Rajasthan but my family have settled in Mumbai since past four decades so it's apt to say that i am hardcore Mumbaikar. 

Another irony about me is although i earn my bread by means of science and statistics but i am equally inclined towards fine arts like photography, poetry and painting. As Robin Williams rightly said "Medicine, law, business, engineering – these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love – these are what we stay alive for"

2. What led you to start this journey and your page on Instagram and what is it about?

I have been travelling avidly from quite some time and it has sort of become a ritual over these past few years to get out of my monotonous professional schedule and live freely once in a while to rejuvenate myself. For a long time I kept my travel adventures to myself. 

All those stories, photographs and poems tucked away into some random corner of my laptop until the lockdown when every travel plan suddenly went for a toss and all that was left now was to live those old cherished memories from the past again. That's when i started sharing my Photographs, experiences and write ups on instagram and to my surprises it was engaging, invigorating and at the same time motivating. I have received a lot of love so far and I am thankful for that.

3. How would you distinguish the term blogger from an influencer?

I think it's one thing to write and share and completely different ball game to influence. A blogger turns into a influencer when he/she can influence the decision of the masses. If you can inspire, motivate and influence people to take up your idea of travelling, exploring and experiencing what you have shared, it's when the gap between a blogger and an influencer gets bridged.

4. What are the hurdles of this journey ?

The biggest demotivating factor is the subdued response. There may numerous reasons behind that including small follower base, irrelevant hashtags, non optimal time of posting or even the impartial algorithm might be in play. You feel you are not getting noticed enough for you work and all of the sudden it feels like giving up. But that period is the building block of the entire journey ahead. 

The most important thing here is consistency and continuous engagement. I am still learning and i still gets disheartened sometimes but that is a part of this journey and you have to bear it. All would say is "Rome was not built in a day"

5. Is it financially sustainable to be an travel blogger today ?  How can someone make money out of it?

If you starting something with an sole intention of earning then i think its a mistake. As i said it takes real time and efforts to get yourself noticed among the brands, advertising agencies and other influencers. Only when you have a substantial base of followers, you can be influential until then keep building your reach.

But yes after a while there are ample earnings opportunities as and when you get noticed among the brands. In a nutshell start this as a hobby keeping your primary source of income intact and eventually when your hobby start to pay off it would only be a added bonus.

6. What is your idea of success or your mantra in life?

Its unwaveringly consistency. Nothing can be substituted for perseverance. Small steps in the right direction every day will make you reach your goal effortlessly. Just a food for thought "it takes every movement to become an action and every single drop to become an ocean"

7. How can someone become a successful travel blogger ?

I would put everything into three buckets

1) Story telling- nothing influences more than the art of putting appropriate words together 
2) Original content- always use the pictures and write ups produced by you. This may help you create your own identity and speciality in your space of interest
3) consistency (cannot emphasize enough on this)- don't let the engagement go down even if its not motivating. Stick to it for sometime and be consistent in your interaction.

8. Which is your favorite book and why?

Hands down Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini because it weaves almost all the human emotions and idiosyncrasies into a breathtaking taking tale of friendship, betrayal and redemption. Indeed a true masterpiece that stays with you forever.

- Suraj Bajaj

Interviewed by - Rupali Rawat