Traveler Spotlight: Akshay Agarwal

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What’s your name and tell us a little bit about you.

“My name is Akshay Agarwal aka GallivantingSoul. I was born in India and have been living in India ever since. I am a 24-year-old IT professional working in Oracle. I currently reside in the garden city of India- Bengaluru. I am a hardcore sports enthusiast who loves to travel to have new experiences and break the monotonous routine of an IT professional life. “

How many countries have you traveled too?

“I have been to 4 countries so far- UK, UAE, Singapore & Indonesia.”

“If you don’t feel nervous or anxious about something then maybe it’s not worth it”

-Akshay Agarwal

What’s your favorite mode of travel? (Plane train cruise car walking etc.)

“I have special memories with each mode of travel I have used. Travelling abroad requires us to chose a plane as a mode of transport so the plane is obviously one of them. When I travel domestically I would definitely prefer a car.”

What’s your dream travel destination?

“I have always wondered how amazing a trip to Antarctica would be! That’s definitely something I am looking forward to.”

How has traveling helped you manage a healthy mentality?

“Travelling for me is therapeutic. I honestly can’t find a more suitable word to describe what travel means to my soul. I constantly feel the need to change my surroundings every once in a while. I cannot go on with the same routine for more than a month or two. My mind starts getting clogged up and I start feeling claustrophobic. So travelling not only to a quiet place like the mountains or an island but also to some different city gives me a lot of peace mentally. It helps me recharge my batteries.”

What are some ways you use travel as a coping mechanism?

“I wouldn’t say that I use travel as a coping mechanism per say because I don’t travel to cope with something I am dealing with. As I said previously its more for the mental peace and the new experiences.”

How do you choose who you travel with? Does it impact your trip?

When travelling domestically it’s usually either with my family or friends. I wouldn’t go to a place where there is a lot of travelling involved within the place with my family because they prefer relaxing. So if I want a trip to relax, I would choose to go with my family. A trip to a hill station or a beach usually is more fun with friends or my girlfriend. When I travel abroad, so far I have always travelled with my cousin because I feel he has the same energy and vibe as myself. I don’t even have to think about anyone else in that case. 

Who you chose to travel with definitely impacts the trip because different people travel for different reasons. I would not travel with someone just for the sake of travelling.”

Do you have a favorite destination?

“So far the best and the most beautiful place I have been to is the Gilli Trawangan islands in Indonesia.”

When you travel do you make more friends than when you are at home?

“Not sure that is true for every trip. But usually yes. That’s what travel is about, isn’t it? Meeting new people, embracing their culture and making memories!”

How has anxiety or depression affected your travels negatively?

“So up until last year, every time before I was about to travel somewhere I used to get a feeling of missing out. In today’s vernacular, I may call it FOMO. The fear of missing out on other places I haven’t been to. Carrying that negative energy on a trip definitely had a bit of negative effect on my mind and trip.”

How has anxiety or depression affected your travels positively?

“I feel anxiety is a very important aspect of everything we do in life. If you don’t feel nervous or anxious about something then maybe it’s not worth it. You get that feeling of anxiety when you are doing something new or difficult, either way, it helps us grow as a person.”

Do you feel that traveling is a coping mechanism for a lot of people? Does your family or friends use traveling as an escape from reality the same way you do? Or do you feel that they travel for other reasons?

“I wouldn’t say that either of us use travel to escape from reality, to be honest. Aren’t our travels real? It’s just different perspectives of different people. Some chose to see as an escape from reality, I chose it to see as an opportunity to grow. When we visit a place and return back we don’t remain the same person as we were before. I don’t mean that our personality changes, but there is something new we always learn.”

What’s one thing you can not travel without.

“I guess it would have to be my cell phone or a camera! I love capturing stuff.”

What’s your number one travel tip for our fellow travelers out there?

“Having overcome that last year,  I would just advise my fellow travelers not to think about all the places you haven’t been to or would not be able to travel ever because that just creates negative energy in your mind. It takes out all the fun from traveling. Stay in the present and enjoy it!

If you want to see more of Akshay Agarwal and his awesome content feel free to follow him on Instagram!

Instagram @gallivantingsoul05