An odyssey in ink
A passage of purpose
One of my earliest hobbies in life was reading. I found a special connection to the world of fiction, reading my first novels while I was an elementary student. These stories of make-believe, magic, and wonder became a source of escapism as my happy place. Eventually, my interest in reading began to manifest into writing, in small ways at first. For example, contrary to popular opinion, I was the student who actually enjoyed long-answer questions on tests and essay assignments. I had begun to take stories with me even when I wasn’t reading, using my imagination as an outlet
“The things you are passionate about are not random; they are your calling.”
–Fabienne Fredickson.
A glimpse into my narrative…
Writing became a new hobby for me, inspired by reading. It was when I started considering career options as a pre-college student that I realized I had opened the door to the potential of a concept that I was terrified to tackle head-on: writing for money. Yikes. Spending years plagued by the cautionary tales of “starving artists,” I was skeptical to go down this career path.
So I turned the path down, following a more traditional, less risky trajectory. I studied business, worked in retail, management, marketing, and briefly tried my hand at photography. At some point, I found myself living in Colorado begrudgingly working in a call center.
Here’s the thing; I’ve always been an advocate for people to pursue their own best life. It is neither a straight-forward nor easy thing to do, of course. However, I recognized the hypocrisy of my position. We all hear about “work-life balance” and I had suddenly found myself working so much, there was hardly any time left for living. Over and above that, I didn’t even enjoy the work I was doing. I was contradicting one of my own greatest personal beliefs. Yet…without the work, I’d be under a full-on assault from most adults’ greatest adversary: bills. How was I supposed to break the cycle?
From Cubicle Life to Creating the Job of My Dreams
I took a risk. I said “goodbye” to cubicle life, and never looked back. I invested a chunk of my savings into travel, self discovery, and of course, much needed quality time with my favorite people.
The time came to get back on the path I had wanted all along. I knew I needed an avenue to give me credibility so I could take the next step in my career journey: to create the job of my dreams.
I will spare you the monotonous details of applying for jobs and crushing anxiety of being unemployed. While I had a decent resume, my experience and education fell under an industry I was trying to leave behind. The work I actually wanted to do, freelance writing, reading and editing, educating…well, I didn’t have much going for me.
There is nothing more discouraging than applying for positions that, despite being marketed as “entry level,” required 5+ years of experience (that I didn’t have at the time). After 6 months of searching, my motivation and aspiration were at a new low
“I took a risk. I said “goodbye” to cubicle life, and never looked back.”
It was on a rainy day in Oregon…
It was on a rainy day in Oregon while I was alone in a rental home while my boyfriend (now husband) was at work, when I took a different approach to my job application. I wanted to write, right? So…I did. I wrote a long cover for a job opening that had caught my eye. I threw the typical corporate tone of cover letters out the window and wrote from my heart, speaking directly to the employer and expressing myself with full transparency and a spark of something I had started to lose: hope.
“I threw the typical corporate tone of cover letters out the window and wrote from my heart,”
…That one little change made all the difference in the world…
I got an interview
I got an interview with the employer and received my very first contract as a content creator for a health and wellness magazine. It began with simple projects like creating email templates, newsletters, social media graphics and blurbs, and so on. I had a long way to go, but it was finally, finally coming together.
Turning rainy days into editorial triumphs, Anya is now Editor-in-Chief at Energy Magazine.
How’s it going now?
How’s it going now, you may ask? Well, I’m the Editor-in-Chief for that very magazine. I have worked with accomplished authors, well-known speakers, and experts in the world of wellness. I get to read, write, and edit almost every single day. How lucky am I!?
Connecting Worlds with Words
I had a knack for taking words and knowledge from professionals in their respective fields and creating a harmonious flow to go from article to article. I loved using my own experiences and insights to take someone’s ideas and turn it into a cohesive piece. I expanded my reach.
Today, I craft content on a range of topics, from health and wellness to feel-good stories, and practical tools and tips for business, entrepreneurship, and development. Pulling from the resources and experience I’ve gained over the years, this very website is a testament to the joy I have in connecting with new clients to expand their own career, share personal anecdotes, and offer insights within their own areas of profession.
In addition to all this, I am in the process of writing my first book. Yes, nerves, doubts, and insecurities flourish in spades; however, I feel like I’m finally ready. Who knows? Maybe you’ll see my name on a book at your local bookstore one day!
“Crafting content is my passion – from health and wellness to business insights, I love connecting with clients and sharing personal anecdotes.”
Embarking on Expeditions
My story is two-fold, as this website has a bit of a dual-personality thing going on. Shifting our attention from writing, there is a second major chapter of my life: travel. As is the case with most things, it all began from an interest that sparked into a passion, and now, into a profession.
I was not even a year old when I took my first international trip overseas. Of course, I don’t remember the trip, but I can’t help but feel that the tone was set from that very first adventure.
You see, my mother was born and raised in India. She grew up surrounded by one of the most culturally-rich lifestyles you can imagine. Meanwhile, just over 7,100 miles away (11,426km), my dad was born and raised in Canada. Talk about opposites!
Because my parents settled in the U.S, we (adding my younger brother to the mix a few years later), traveled between these three countries to connect with our families on both sides of the world. I have so many fond memories of road trips across both the U.S and Canada from my childhood, with the bright pop of color from our visits to India.
“One of the greatest honors of being mixed is the exposure of being a part of more than one way of life…from the moment you are brought into the world.”
Navigating the Intersection of Cultures and Travel
There are challenges to growing up in America in a household more dominated by Eastern culture. While I hope to one day publish a book (mentioned above) about the line you walk when you’re born into a mixed race family, I will summarize one of the concepts here: one of the greatest honors of being mixed is the exposure of being a part of more than one way of life…from the moment you are brought into the world.
Needless to say, I fell in love with travel. While my friends saved up money to buy their first cars, I saved up to take trips. I was 23 when I took my first solo trip to Europe. Rather than racking up a large country-count (which I still hope to do, don’t get me wrong), I like to feel as if I’ve really been somewhere, and invest time in that place, witness both the extraordinary and the mundane of a culture without the pressure of rushing through. I think of myself as a guest in someone else’s home country. As a tourist, I can’t deny that I do like hitting the major tourist destinations – but there’s more to it than just that. It’s exciting to learn about where I am, the differences and similarities, and enjoy the moments that can be captured when you’re away from the stress of daily to-do’s and free to absorb something new.
A Type A Adventurer
Thanks to my Type A personality, I found myself offering to help organize trips for friends and family here and there. (Whether they asked for it or not; I couldn’t help myself.) I slowly became more savvy in the basic skills of a travel advisor: finding ways to make the traveling part of travel (e.g, tedious plane rides) more comfortable, researching a balance of tourist destinations with local gems, working around budgeting needs, pulling from my own trips for tips and ideas, and so on.
Unlike writing, I hadn’t thought of pursuing work in the travel industry. It just never occurred to me as an option. It was when I started planning my honeymoon (oops, I mean, our honeymoon), that an opportunity arose. I had decided to hire a travel agency to help put the trip together. Again…with that Type A personality, I created a PowerPoint presentation with links, images, prices, etc – and shared it with a travel agent. I remember her email to me following our meeting: “I’m not sure you actually need to hire me to help you!”
One thing led to another…and she ended up hiring me as a travel researcher for her team!
Navigating the Intersection of Cultures and Travel
There are challenges to growing up in America in a household more dominated by Eastern culture. While I hope to one day publish a book (mentioned above) about the line you walk when you’re born into a mixed race family, I will summarize one of the concepts here: one of the greatest honors of being mixed is the exposure of being a part of more than one way of life…from the moment you are brought into the world.
Needless to say, I fell in love with travel. While my friends saved up money to buy their first cars, I saved up to take trips. I was 23 when I took my first solo trip to Europe. Rather than racking up a large country-count (which I still hope to do, don’t get me wrong), I like to feel as if I’ve really been somewhere, and invest time in that place, witness both the extraordinary and the mundane of a culture without the pressure of rushing through. I think of myself as a guest in someone else’s home country. As a tourist, I can’t deny that I do like hitting the major tourist destinations – but there’s more to it than just that. It’s exciting to learn about where I am, the differences and similarities, and enjoy the moments that can be captured when you’re away from the stress of daily to-do’s and free to absorb something new.
A Type A Adventurer
Thanks to my Type A personality, I found myself offering to help organize trips for friends and family here and there. (Whether they asked for it or not; I couldn’t help myself.) I slowly became more savvy in the basic skills of a travel advisor: finding ways to make the traveling part of travel (e.g, tedious plane rides) more comfortable, researching a balance of tourist destinations with local gems, working around budgeting needs, pulling from my own trips for tips and ideas, and so on.
Unlike writing, I hadn’t thought of pursuing work in the travel industry. It just never occurred to me as an option. It was when I started planning my honeymoon (oops, I mean, our honeymoon), that an opportunity arose. I had decided to hire a travel agency to help put the trip together. Again…with that Type A personality, I created a PowerPoint presentation with links, images, prices, etc – and shared it with a travel agent. I remember her email to me following our meeting: “I’m not sure you actually need to hire me to help you!”
One thing led to another…and she ended up hiring me as a travel researcher for her team!
“The world is all the more stunning for its rich diversity in food, music, dance, art, landscape, and most of all, people.”
I received this position essentially by accident, born out of love for something I enjoyed doing. Today, as a travel advisor, I get to put the passion into practice and craft extraordinary experiences for my clients – everything from group celebrations, or much-need unwinding in a laid-back scene, to endless adventure, and everything in between. The only downside? My own bucket list just keeps getting longer.
I genuinely think traveling makes for an open mind and a lighter heart. The world is all the more stunning for its rich diversity in food, music, dance, art, landscape, and most of all, people.
Salt is one of many flavors
I’ve proverbially talked your ear off about my musings in ink and expeditions, but believe it or not, I actually do more than write, edit, and travel…although these two components do compose a majority.
You can bet I still read fiction novels like there’s no tomorrow. While I struggle to keep plants alive (I killed succulents; who does that!?), I enjoy gardening and must have flowers in the house year-round.
“Hiking is probably my favorite method of physicality. When the weather is nice, I’d prefer to be outside rather than in, and often set up my office somewhere under the sky.”
I spent a significant amount of evenings playing board games with my family. I consider myself an ambivert and have a great time going out with friends, as long as I make it to bed at a reasonable hour. My husband and I enjoy renovating our house (he is a talented carpenter) and decorating with our worldly artifacts and photos from around the globe.
I am a decent cook and fully embrace my bias by stating Indian cuisine is my favorite. I make it a point to exercise, though the athletic gene skipped right over me and went to my brother. Hiking is probably my favorite method of physicality. When the weather is nice, I’d prefer to be outside rather than in, and often set up my office somewhere under the sky.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know me, both professionally and personally! I look forward to getting to know you, too.