Bali Based Travel Influencer Nanki Revisits Her Delhi Days

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#WhyWeLoveIndia: Bali Based Travel Influencer Nanki Revisits Her Delhi Days

T+L India: Tell us about your Indian connection.

Nanki: My parents migrated from Punjab to the Bay Area (California) in the ’80s with USD 5 (approximately INR 370) in their pockets. With them came our entire extended family; we’ve always been a very big Indian family. I grew up with a childhood full of basketball tournaments, camping trips, and playing in the neighbourhood park. I was a typical first-generation kid that grew up in the suburbs. I didn’t have a major connection with India until I was about 14. Now I’m prouder to be an Indian than I could ever be an American. India is everything to me.

T+L India: You spent most of your childhood in California before moving to India for a few years as a teenager. Can you recall what the transition felt like?

Nanki: I was born and raised in Fremont, California. I would go back to India every two years for the summer, spending time in Delhi and Chandigarh. In my toddler years, I spent about two years living with my nani (maternal grandmother) in Delhi as my parents had to work in the States. Other than that, I’ve been an American kid through and through.

Moving to South India [near Ooty, Tamil Nadu] as a whitewashed preteen who barely spoke any Hindi and no Tamil at all was the biggest culture shock of my life. At first, I went to a local school in the Nilgiris because my parents didn’t think I was ready to be put into boarding school. I definitely stuck out and had to grow really thick skin. Itchy uniforms, getting hit with a ruler by your teacher, boys and girls being separated at all times—it was all so new to me. I honestly think I was in a state of haze for the first year because there were just so many new experiences. From language barriers and skin colour differences to the fact that I played sports caused a lot of problems. It’s okay though because so many amazing things came along after.

T+L India: How was your experience of studying at a boarding school in India?

Nanki: I feel anyone who goes to boarding school would probably say they hated it while being in school, but as soon as you leave, you really do miss it. It is the one place you are 24 hours, seven days a week, with the same group of people; for me—about 30 different girls in my class. At Hebron School [in Ooty], we were all so different—kids of missionaries in Africa, of politicians in Meghalaya, and of some of South India’s famous actors. None of that mattered when you were in school though; this was your family; just don’t be the last one to the dining hall! I was the girl with braces and big chashmas (spectacles), eating Maggi noodles, and dancing to Katy Perry every night. I hated 06:00 am kitchen duty and early morning march-past practice.

T+L India: When you look back at it, what do you miss the most about living in India?

Nanki: India has so much life and the energy is so good. I would wobble through M Block Market in GK 1 [in New Delhi] as a toddler with bright green shoes. A McDonald had just opened and the older kids would have their birthday parties there—it was a big deal.

Twenty years later, it’s still one of the best places to go for an evening walk. Don’t forget to eat the momos by the Prince Paan stall. Even as a 25-year-old, I still get sent to get documents photocopied at the local Xerox shop. It’s literally a hole in the wall, but the Uncle ji who runs it has served generations of our family. The sense of neighbourhood is one thing I really love about living in India.

Lastly, while South Delhi is famous for its hoity-toity residents and kitty parties, my favourite part is to watch them transition while handling the heat of golgappas. To see ‘real’ India, standing in line at a golgappa stand will be required!

T+L India: What’s your favourite place in India?

Nanki: To be honest, I’m yet to discover my favourite place. These are the years we’re supposed to be creating those memories, so for now, it’s all on hold. I know a lot of people at home feel like that, that this summer is just passing us by, but I think the real beauty of India will really show off once restrictions open up. We’ve been sleeping on domestic travel around India, and I think this is finally going to be its time to shine.

T+L India: Things you look forward to when you’re visiting India?

Nanki: When I was in college, I’d come home for the big Delhi parties and being out all night. Now, I don’t even want people to know I’m back. The best part of being in India is how easy it is to disconnect from the crazy world and focus on slow living. If you need something, just go to Lajpat Nagar. If you need to go somewhere, just take a rickshaw. Yes, India is developing with the rest of the world and it has a charm that you can’t find anywhere else. You just have to overlook all the chaos and simply flow with it. Everything in India just works, and I love that. There’s a method to the madness.

T+L India: An Indian quality you’re most proud of?

Nanki: I think the fact that we all have big families and everyone is somehow related has really built a lot of my character. At first, I really loved seeing South Asian women thrive anywhere in the world. So, I set up a business to help South Asian women travel, starting off with Bali. I want to see them be adventurous, brave, and independent. I frequently see newly-wed couples on their honeymoon, and they’d often look lost. I feel like it’s almost my responsibility to turn around, stop my scooter, and help them out. I basically love that we’re all a big extended family, especially abroad.

T+L India: Do you have anything planned for your next visit to India?

Nanki: I do have some big plans for India that I’m excited to bring to life when the time is right. While my travel business, Dreamy Trips, is focused on helping South Asians travel the world and primarily to Bali right now, I also want it to be a gateway for Indians, both domestic and abroad; and foreigners wanting to experience more of real India.

T+L India: Your most memorable travel memory from India?

Nanki: Every winter, about 20-25 members of our extended family get together for a road trip. Some of us fly in from different parts of the world, primarily because we know that these dates have to be with family each year. We fill a few cars up and leave Delhi early morning to skip traffic with our uncles driving through the fog. It’s an experience on its own with the reward of eating garam aloo ke paranthe (hot potato-stuffed Indian flatbread) on the side of the road. We usually book a few nice tents and go camping for a few days.

Other than that, my trip to Kerala in 12th standard where I fell in love with travelling by trains [was memorable]. We had two compartments filled with just our class members; the school didn’t book anything fancy. Some of us were hanging by the doors, others squeezing into bunks; chatting for hours, playing games.

T+L India: Indian experiences you love to brag about?

Nanki: To be honest, I brag about the entire Indian lifestyle. But if it had to be an experience they could fit into their schedule, it would probably be staying at the fort or havelis in Jaisalmer. Slow living is something the world needs to experience more, and India is the best at it.