Suitcase Stories is about my family that loves travelling. We are a family of three and at home all we talk about is travel. We are popularly referred to as ‘The Lalas’ by our friends and folks. The youngest Lala, Sakshi is currently pursuing her graduation in English Literature. My husband, Jai is a media professional and I, Pallavi quit my job to become a full time travel blogger.
Growing up in India in the seventies, travel was all about going with some travel agent with a fixed itinerary and the most famous one was Europe in 20 days! or any other country or continent as a matter of fact was in and out. The essence of travel was totally a miss. It was an oh no Lalaa! moment when we think of it now. Of course, all that changed. The best part is, the three of us love every aspect of travel. We love river rafting, going on treks, road trips, art, museums, exploring the country side, travel for sports, food and culture. So, we have tried to share our stories with a personal touch.
We would love to connect with travel enthusiasts anywhere in the world and we live in Mumbai so if you are visiting the city we will be happy to connect and exchange stories and show you around!
Travelling has been in my genes since I was 10 years old. My dad is a travel fanatic. So every school vacation, we would go see an archaeological or historical place. Hence, I inherited my interest in history, architecture and Indian culture. Apart from travel, I am also very passionate about sports. I am into swimming, tennis, running and cycling. I love to travel to watch sports, Roland Garros being one of my favourites. Needless to say, I am a big fan of Rafal Nadal. A long cycling trip in Europe is on my bucket list. Trekking does not come very naturally to me but the Himalayas fascinate me so I make an effort to go on one trek every year. I believe it is important to get out of your comfort zone every now and then. Travel is life as it teaches you to push your boundaries and accept the ethics of nature.
My biggest regret is I should have been in the profession of travel from day one. But I took up a career in Digital marketing. I quit my work in 2019 after a good 15 years of work experience. No regrets there though. My love for travel has increased exponentially and I thought, why not keep travelling and share my travel stories with the world. That, my dear friends, led to ‘Suitcase Stories’ On a lighter note, I am the planner and organiser of all our trips. My family just hops on!
As an avid reader, my childhood was spent reading stories of adventures in lands far away. Combine that with travel-crazy parents and what you end up with is a writer with an over active imagination. So what should a writer who travels a lot do? Well, the answer is easy: start a travel blog! Unfortunately, I do not have the skills (or time, ha!) to create and maintain a travel blog so my dear mother – who’s an amazing writer herself – has taken up the mantle. I add my two cents by editing the blog and writing whenever I can. As a family, most of our dinner conversations involve sitting around the dining table, planning our next vacation. Together, we’re Super Travellers! – a family whose mission is to travel the length and breadth of the earth (um, over active imagination much?).
When I’m not thinking of our next holiday, I’m pursuing my Bachelors in Literature and spending time consuming vast amounts of content either through books or movies. I also love baking and try to recreate the amazing food that we’ve eaten from places all over the world. I truly enjoy all kinds of travel expeditions, be it trekking or relaxing, but I have to say that my favourite kind is when we switch off Google Maps and just aimlessly explore the region we’re in. So, give the blog a read to join the Super Travellers on our next adventure.
When I was young, my dad used to work in a bank. His posting would keep changing to different parts of India and we would visit him during the school holidays. Travelling by train and exploring the countryside gave me immense pleasure. I would cycle around and be out all day playing cricket with the other boys. Sports and travelling came very naturally to me.
Over the years I have done a few cycling routes in Europe. My most enjoyable ride was in the Netherlands. The Volendam-Edam route is on top my list followed by Tuscany. I am a big fan of Roger Federer and it has always been my dream to watch him play. I love the mountains and enjoy trekking, Har Ki Dhun being one of my favourite treks.
As CEO at Zenith, Publicis, I am an advertising and media professional . For the last 30 years I have had a great career but sometimes I dream about being on a tennis court and playing the game all day!
We just love travelling as a family. Besides financing our trips I am the official carrier of my wife and daughter’s shopping bags. Writing does not come naturally to me so its on my bucket list to write a blog and who knows it may become one of the most favourite blogs’ on Suitcase Stories!