Reach for the Skye

I set a life goal when I was a child: By 26, I would own a palatial house, a jeep and be polished like the girls in high heels I’d see everyday. As my parents constantly joke, life hasn’t gone to plan. But they should have known all along that taking me to India’s rolling hills or beaches any chance they got, I was never going to grow into a conventional city girl.
I studied journalism and worked with a big newspaper but what lay outside the office was far too seductive. While I wrote about environmental issues, I always felt I wanted to play a bigger role in influencing people to love nature the way I did. I worked with wildlife conservation organisations for the next 18 months, travelling to remote villages, swimming with whale sharks and diving in emerald waters my dreams were made of. I was sold.
I am on the verge of completing a year-long Masters degree in Wildlife Filmmaking – into which I’ve squeezed visits to 11 countries. While I haven’t become what my 8-year-old self envisioned, I’ve learned to accept my weaknesses and be grateful for my opportunities. I want to keep travelling, and inspiring people to travel through my stories and films.
Fresh out of college, this experience will mould me as a traveler and a filmmaker who is adventurous and sensitive to the lives and idiosyncrasies of different peoples. The idea of immersing myself into a brand new community gives me butterflies and I believe it will make me more curious about cultures, more aware and more humble.