Tanisha Guin

A 17 kg rucksack, a 60 kg suitcase and a heart full of passion was all it took to follow my dream of working in the education sector. 🌻 Little did I know, how it would help me evolve. 🌻 As days went by, seasons changed, barren fields transformed to full of life pastures, I realised how accepting this challenge of living out of two bags in a village far away from the urban cacophony would lead me to a direction which I'd not quite dreamt of! 🌻 Today, as I sit in the tiny corner of my room, locking myself in...I let my mind loose and take a dive deep into the (mis)adventures of an untold past - soaking it all in and letting my words flow for the first time in months! 🌻 #quarantinethoughts #selflove #adventures #stories #rajasthan #india #tilonia #barefootcollege #misadventuremay #lockdown #indiangirls

Azure waters and a thin line where the sky met the sea was one of those magnificent places where I'd spent my final days of 2019 with @swadesee. This was also where we'd gotten to spot the most intelligent species of this planet; diving down the high seas of the Konkan coast. (Swipe to see what we saw!) . . In the comments, tag a friend with whom you'd want to visit this pretty paradise✨ . . PC - @mohitbugs . . #stepsandstreets #SNS_Maharashtra #incredibleindia #konkandiaries #konkan #konkan_ig #maharashtra_ig #maharashtra_igers #sidewalkerdaily #citizenfemme #sheisnotlost #girlswhotravel #girlslovetravel #womenwhoexplore #womenwhohike #natgeotravelindia #passionpassport

The last week of the last month of the last year of the last decade got me a new address, and a new work life! 😁✌️ . . I've been all over the place since then. It has been all sorts of good and haphazard, exciting yet exhausting! But am happy for how my life has changed for good.🎈 . . My tryst with Bombay has always been random. But this was the height of how random it could've been! . . About a month back a family concern brought me to Bombay with a one-way ticket and in a matter of a few days I randomly happened to go check a place my friend had been living. In no time, I found an accommodation for myself and decided to move (coz it's hard to let go off an affordable place in Mumbai), my parents agreed and in the next 2 days I packed my luggage, borrowed my sister's clothes (Remember? Random? No intentions of moving in this city) and called Bombay my home, once again after good 2 years! 💜 . . While I was only settling in, I was also on the lookout for a better freelance gig in the area of responsible & sustainable tourism, in no time; I got in touch with @swadesee, and joined their core team! . . So for now, I live in Bombay, work with @swadesee full-time and also work on my blog (link in bio) part-time. 🤓 . . 2019 has been all kinds of random for me. Right from all my impromptu travels, to all the (mis)adventures and now a new address, it taught the peachy planner in me to give up on short & long-term goals and just go with the flow! Although, I still have my mid-term goals set, I promise, I'm going to focus more on the flow of the Universe than my stubbornness to stick to plans! 🤠 . . To sum up, 'go with the flow' has been one of my major takeaways from the last month of the last year of the last decade! 😉 . . And you? What's been your major learning from 2019? Comment below. 🙂 . . PC - @arsh_i ✨ . . #travelblogger #travelwriter #responsibletravel #sustainabletravel #SNS_Mumbai #stepsandstreets #mumbaiblogger #mumbaistagram #bandra #bandraworlisealink #worlikoliwada #lifeisajourney #gowiththeflow #lifeisbeautiful #lifeisnow

I'm already 10 days late 😶 . . Also, what should we be really happy for when the country is witnessing one of it's major threats to democracy❗and there is explicit violence going on in different parts of the world. Over the past 09+01 days of 2020, I've asked myself time and again...'if it really is a Happy New Year?'🙁 While am still struggling to come up with an answer 🙁 I choose to keep aside the negativity for once, and wish you, my Instagram family, A Happy New Year 🎊✨🎉 for sticking through and supporting me all this while.🎈 Let us welcome this new year with good hope 💜 for this whole wide world🌎, our country, and it's men & women.👫 . . Just recently, my life has changed drastically for good. Shall reveal all of it in the next post. . . Till then, stay tuned! See you on the other side! 🙂 . . #stepsandstreets #happynewyear #welcome2020 #latergram #throwback #friyay #maharashtra_clickers #maharashtra #maharashtra_ig #india #incredibleindia #sahyadri #mountains #lake #travelling #travelblogger #rejectcaa

Our day hike to #rajeshwarihomestay was not just a walk through the woods rather it was more of being welcomed in the heart, home & yes! the farm of the locals. . . Rajeshwari Homestay was our window to learn just a wee bit of the farm life in Mirik. During the hours we spent here, we walked through tea estates plucking those bitter tea leaves yet liking the experience, wandered beneath squash tunnels, gazed at the gigantic hills across, and surrounded ourselves with hearty conversations and dozens of colorful flowers & last but not the least savoured our tastebuds with yummy Nepali food which makes me miss Mirik the most!🧡😋 . . So, what are you waiting for? When do you plan to visit Mirik? The summers are the best time! Do you want to plan an outing there?❓🤔 . . Thank you @haamroghar for this lovely stay 🏞️ . . #SNS_Mirik #stepsandstreets #india #slowtravel #slowtraveler #westbengal #westbengaltourism #westbengaltravel #natgeotravelindia #yourclicks_india #mypixeldiaries #westbengalphotography #nikon #nikonphotography #mirik #voyageuse #offbeattravel #writersofig #passionpassport #guardiantravelsnaps #lonelyplanet #lifeisajourney #keepitreal #indiatravel #discoverbengal #northbengal #tripotocommunity #incredibleindia #lonelyplanetindia

The moist spaces from within the pine forests took us down trodden paths. Underneath squash tunnels and dense canopies we slipped and hiked in the backdrop of Kurseong the town that laid its eyes on us as we hiked, rocked & rolled in the beautiful panoramas of rolling tea gardens, hillside homes, not-so-busy bazaars, solitary paths that eventually took us to the blue haven of the Rajeshwari Homestay where the local folk of @haamroghar introduced us to this lovely village paradise by the hills overlooking the ravines. . . Our hosts at @haamroghar were not just our hiking trail experts but were also our local knowledgebase who introduced us to the diversed flora & fauna of Mirik as we chatted & hiked together! . . Also..thanks to @sabyeats_n_othertreats for being kind enough to help me with my multitudes of baggage and sharing the #ifeelyou moment as a freelancer 🤑 . . #SNS_Mirik #stepsandstreets #india #slowtravel #slowtraveler #westbengal #westbengaltourism #westbengaltravel #natgeotravelindia #yourclicks_india #westbengalphotography #nikon #nikond3500 #nikonphotography #mirik #voyageuse #offbeattravel #writersofig #passionpassport #guardiantravelsnaps #lonelyplanet #lifeisajourney #keepitreal #indiatravel #discoverbengal #northbengal #tripotocommunity #incredibleindia #lonelyplanetindia

Across tiny rural settlements, paddy fields and serene countrysides sat the picturesque town of Mirik on the northern part of Bengal (aka North Bengal) which spoke a language different from the rest of Bengal, looked different from the rest of Bengal, ate differently from the rest of Bengal but had a heart just as beautiful as the best of Bengal. ☺️🧡 . . The lovely people of @haamroghar introduced us to the Nepali cuisine which travelled just from the grandma's organic garden to our breakfast table. Yes! Farm-fresh food I mean! The long breakfast table soon become our joint to have long conversations and yummy rendezvous with Nepali food! Right from the beans cooked in Nepali style to the Sel Roti (which looks just like Jalebis) our tastebuds had had a taste of paradise! 🏡 . . Long story short... The people of Haamro Ghar brought out the rarest of my inner human - The Foodie! From locally sourced veggies to yummy maa-ka-haath-ka-khana in a home away from home...what more could a guest ask for?😌😋 💜🙏 . . If this is not it...then I really don't know what it would be! Do you?🤔 . . #SNS_Mirik #stepsandstreets #india #slowtravel #slowtraveler #westbengal #westbengaltourism #westbengaltravel #natgeotravelindia #yourclicks_india #mypixeldiaries #westbengalphotography #nikon #nikond3500 #nikonphotography #mirik #voyageuse #offbeattravel #writersofig #passionpassport #guardiantravelsnaps #lonelyplanet #lifeisajourney #keepitreal #indiatravel #discoverbengal #northbengal #tripotocommunity #incredibleindia #lonelyplanetindia

🏞️ Mirik welcomed us with a pleasant nip in the air. The rolling tea estates and the lofty mountains across the India border widening through the spaces towards Nepal spoke of nothing but fantasy and wonder. In a spree, our first glimpse of Mirik was just that of awe. It wasn't because we'd never been to such a place before, rather, it was for the sole love & simplicity of the tiny town of Mirik. . . 🏡 But that was not all. There was more. After a gleeful rendezvous with Mirik we were happy to be welcomed & sponsored by the kind souls of @haamroghar . . ❓Our intial thought of this very locally-run homestay @haamroghar was just of warmth, local living and supporting a local family. But! Guess what? Who knew we had troves to unveil and stories to unravel. . . 😌 Over the 3 days of sharing space together @haamroghar in our Blue Room and the chatty breakfast table, we didn't only stop at sharing food but went on till our hearts poured out with great content sometimes through lame jokes, while on the other through conversations around sustainable-responsible tourism, the Gorkhali culture and local living in Mirik . . 🛌No. @haamroghar was not just about a comfortable bed, lip-smacking breakfast and beautiful views. Rather it was about living like a local, experiencing the rolling hills like a local, and kindling life the slower way..at the Mirik'an pace. . . Thank you to the entire team of @haamroghar for making our stay a mind-blowing one!💜💯 . . Nope it's not the end of the @haamroghar experience rather just the beginning! From local hikes, to lavish breakfast scenes! I'd say just wait for more to come!☺️👣 . . #SNS_Mirik #stepsandstreets #india #slowtravel #slowtraveler #westbengal #westbengaltourism #westbengaltravel #natgeotravelindia #yourclicks_india #mypixeldiaries #westbengalphotography #nikon #nikond3500 #nikonphotography #mirik #voyageuse #offbeattravel #writersofig #passionpassport #guardiantravelsnaps #lonelyplanet #lifeisajourney #keepitreal #indiatravel #discoverbengal #northbengal #tripotocommunity #incredibleindia #lonelyplanetindia

•MIRIK• North Bengal, 2019• . . 🌄Skirted on all the fringes with rolling hills & lush tea gardens sits the tiny town of Mirik on the northern edge of West Bengal also known as North Bengal. . . 🛤️Mostly referred to as a transit town enroute Darjeeling, most tourists halt here only to visit the Mirik lake and rush towards the mountains of Darjeeling, however, our plan was to do Mirik differently! Rather than rushing we chose to slow down and explore this pecky little town inside-out as a tourist as well as an explorer and at times also as a wanderer! . . 🏡We planned a short stay at a local homestay & a budgeted backpacker inn🏤 to yearn stories of Mirik & beyond the India border, to learn about local produce & the life in a tea estate/farm in the lower Himalayas on this part of India and many more stories (wait for more posts to come!) . . 👣In Mirik, our major point was to slow down, relax and breathe-in the Mirik air at its own pace! . . 🔺Practical Information ❓How to reach Mirik 🚇By rail - New Jalpaiguri is the nearest station, 2-3 hours away from Mirik. . . ✈️By air - Bagdogra Airport at Siliguri, 2-3 hours away from Mirik . . 🚖Local transport - From New Jalpaiguri/Siliguri local taxis ply regularly at INR 250-300 per seat. . . 🚘Private cabs are also available from New Jalpaiguri/Siliguri to Mirik. The prices range anywhere between 1800-2500. . . #SNS_Mirik #stepsandstreets #india #slowtravel #slowtraveller

The summer time in Uttarakhand is mostly dedicated to the wheat harvest and the slash & burn agriculture across the regions of Garhwal & Kumaon, which despite of being banned is practiced very openly. Even the forest officials don't really take any action. It's a depressing reality. So much so that roads criss-crossing forests are mostly covered with smog and chances of a petroleum combustion are high! Infact, we'd just had a close escape from one of such incidents! It's the most annoying thing I've experienced in the Uttarakhand, well, ofcourse, after my failed attempts at work with the caretaker! . . However, this is the last post of the Uttarakhand series, and I don't want to rant... . . So my entire point of bringing this conversation up here is...the smog was majorly depressing to look at... because we'd not been able to see the face of the snow peaks for like weeks and for some reason it just felt like ages! . . And towards the end of my last night at Guniyala Khal, I was just hoping to be able to see the last sunrise ... . . And sharp at 5am..as I peeped out of the long glass window, I could see a beam of golden light rise from behind the peak of Tungnath and that very moment I couldn't feel anything but blessed to see the sign of Universe shine in the most glorious way!🧡 . . All my regrets of having to leave this place earlier than planned settled down. . . After all good omens mean something. Don't they? . . And you! Thank you so much for sticking throughout the Uttarakhand stories & the post series! I can't be grateful enough 😍 . . #SNS_Uttarakhand

This was my first ever experience as a 'Voluntourist'. And after having a kind that wasn't very meaningful I have a few takeaways that could be helpful to you:⠀ .⠀ .⠀ 1. Decision - Choose an organisation which 'actually' works on the grassroots. See if the owner/founder is equally involved in the work or not. That brings about a huge difference. That is also one way you can keep a check if your contribution would indeed be valuable or not! ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ 2. Community - See if it's a community or is it just a few people doing seasonal work! If it's a community work then that pumps up great levels of commitment & motivation. Rather, if you are looking forward to more learning then being a part of a community that actually works & make things work would be worth it!⠀ .⠀ .⠀ 3. Values - Do a good research if your values match to the values of the organisation. It's hard to get it right away but sometimes following the organisation on their Social media profiles might come handy, other than that, keep a track of what, where, how they've been working over time. ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ If all these 3 are in place, the chances of having a valuable VOLUNTEER TRAVEL experience can be achieved! ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ However, there are certain phases in every opportunity where you actually have to get your hands dirty to learn something valuable! But all am saying is, the decision should be worth the risk & it's always important to take calculated risks! Something I've learnt the hard way. ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ That makes for all my takeaways from a month's volunteer travel in Guniyala Khal, Uttarakhand. May 2019. ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #SNS_Uttarakhand

Our next group of guests arrived. A couple and their friend from West Bengal. ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ I was elated to be in a good company once again. Right from our very first conversation, I knew we'd get along really well. Fate had it such that they were very well experienced in running a homestay and since they were slow travelers and had come there for good 8 days, they could see the loopholes in the functioning of this place! ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ They exactly could spot it from the other side, what I'd been through in terms of making projects, ideas and plans work! ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ With their generosity and ambition to help me, we discussed all possibilities to make things work, even executed different things to work with the caretaker, but difficult incidents kept leading us one after the other...& In about a span of a week...I was certain of investing my time in something fruitful and worthy of a good learning.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ Over the next few hours, I'd come to a decision.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ A firm decision of devoting my next step to be wise and meaningful.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ And so, I'd decided..despite all the good people I'd met, and the wonderful experiences I'd had, there's nothing better than being among a productive community that gives back to the society in a meaningful way! ⠀ After all, wasn't i here to contribute, to do some volunteer work for the benefit of a community! ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ Well, if that's not happening, then I'd better be off..to something that's meaningful to both me & Birdsong.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ So, I thought of quitting!⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #SNS_Uttarakhand