She started traveling around 3-4 years back and now she has completely dedicated herself to traveling content creation. She has also started a hostel chain ATS (All terrain Stay) and simultaneously runs a travel company ‘Riding Solo’
Tell us more about your background and journey.
I was born in Haryana & raised in different parts of India as my father was in Indian Army.
I graduated from Delhi & did MBA in Marketing from Mumbai. After that I worked in L&T for 2 years & in Reliance for 2.5 years in Mumbai as Investor Relations. I quit my job in 2020. I Was lucky enough to always have had a family that loved little getaways and local travel enabling me to visit some really beautiful places. My hunger for wanting to explore more grew as I got older and since then I have been exploring places non-stop. You can check my travel updates on Instagram https://instagram.com/iampoojasingh_?utm_medium=copy_link
What is your source of motivation?
My parents and their journey, I see what a rollercoaster it has been for them, yet they have raised us so beautifully.
The way my life has turned in these 28 years I am absolutely loving my journey. I started traveling when I was a kid. This travel journey of my life is always giving me lots of surprises to my excitement and teaching me new lessons with all experiences. I travelled to almost 26 states. I worked for 4 years in Mumbai and then also I managed to travel while working full time. There was a point where I even travelled as much as 4 – 5 times a month while working full-time. As we get limited holidays in a year, I used to utilise all my weekends. But after working for 4 years in corporates in Mumbai, I finally decided to follow my dreams of travelling full time.
I have been traveling continuously for the past 8 months. It’s been an adventurous journey which started with Uttarakhand in Jan. I have traveled to Andhra, Telangana & Andaman & Nicobar Island in feb. Himachal & Kashmir in march, Full April in Goa, Kashmir & now based out in Manali.
Tell us something about your Travel Company and hostel ATS?
RidingSolo is an adrenaline driven adventure company. Riding Solo was founded in 2015 by B S Rajpurohit and incorporated as a private ltd company In 2017. I officially joined the company as co-founder in 2020. It is registered with IMF, Uttarakhand Govt And Himachal Gov in Adventure Tourism category. We are into Trekking, bike expeditions and leisure trips.
Recently I have opened up a hostel chain in the name of All Terrain Stay (ATS). Currently ATS is operational in Manali & Rishikesh.
How & when did you realise your passion for traveling?
Traveling has not only been something that I do, but it has been something that has become a part of me. I have this passion to travel. I haven’t been across the globe or to every continent; but, I’ve had my share of travel and it’s only the beginning. I can’t believe the incredible adventures across the world that I’ve been lucky enough to document.
I believe in the ‘You only live once’ mantra. The older we get the faster time will fly until a day will come when you regret everything you did not do.
What are your tips for first time and aspiring entrepreneurs?
Surround yourself with successful people
Do not compare yourself to anyone
Do not care what people think regarding your business (if they don’t like it, if they don’t believe in it.. as long as you do!)
A good idea is a new idea.
How did you end up in Manali?
The idea of moving to the mountains knocked me out a couple of years ago, when I was working with a Corporate company in Mumbai. Travelling two hours in the Mumbai local, battling the city traffic to reach office was what life looked like for me four years back.
Living in the hills is a fantastic experience if you accept all its obstacles. Some days I wake up to village life and realise how amazing it is.
Right now, I am putting all my energy into running a hostel in the name of All Terrain Stay (ATS) in Old Manali.
What is that one most beautiful thing about being a full time traveler?
I’ve been travelling by myself full-time for the last seven months. When your main occupation is “traveler”, there’s no Wednesday hump, no Monday blues and certainly no lack of motivation to jump out of bed in the morning. Everyday is an adventure. I like to travel slowly, spend at least a month at one place, which gives me enough time to explore it as well as I can easily work. But also, if you are a full time traveler, it’s important to be clear about your priorities and how much time you need to do things.
Is there anything that I miss about my old life before travelling?
I think nothing much. I am enjoying this life. However, I miss having steady friends. On the road, I always have to start from scratch when I meet new people and some of these interactions bloom into great friendships. I am enjoying this phase.
What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring travel content creators?
Don’t compare yourself to others, and try to be as authentic as possible.
Most important thing is slow traveling. This is what I learned myself in the last one year. You’ll learn more, enjoy it more, and have a much more memorable experience. I would also advise young travelers to go with the flow. And lastly, start with budget traveling.