“Journeys” by The Shooting Star
Welcome to Journeys – stories at the intersection of meaningful travel, conscious living and self-discovery.
This storytelling project is 100% reader-funded. No ads, no collabs, no SEO. Only honest, meaningful stories, delivered to your inbox once a week.
Every month, I send 4 (maybe more) exclusive, subscriber-only stories to your inbox. Secret finds from around the world that I’ve so far been sworn to secrecy about. Personal confessions from a path less trodden. Words of inspiration and practical advice that’ll empower you, I hope, to challenge societal conventions too.
With a subscription, you also get access to an archive of 20+ exclusive stories.
Popular stories
A bit about me
I grew up in Dehradun, a valley at the base of the Indian Himalayas. A massive student loan took me to Singapore to pursue a degree in Economics. During a financial recession, I was lucky to land a job at the Singapore Tourism Board. That’s where I first learnt that some people travel the world for a living. Was destiny nudging me along? Maybe.
Two years later, I quit, relocated to Delhi, worked with a social enterprise, dipped my feet into freelancing, started exploring India and began taking my travel blog seriously. Soon, I gave up my rented apartment, sold or gave away most of my belongings and hit the road indefinitely.
I’ve been living out of two bags for the past 7 years, making a living as a travel blogger, freelance writer and bestselling author. I’ve been humbled to see my journey featured on BBC Travel, National Geographic Traveller and many other publications. The Washington Post recently featured me among travellers changing the way we think of the world.
Why “Journeys”?
When I began travel blogging nearly a decade ago, I knew exactly why I wanted to pursue it. I dreamt of bringing stories from the road that had rarely been told before. Stories that inspired unconventional ways of thinking. Stories that offered a glimpse of unfamiliar worlds.
Slowly though, things began to change. Words like “SEO” and “algorithms” broke the rhythm of my words. Long story short, I lost my way…
The past few months of self-isolation and introspection filled me with a deep desire to write about places, people and finds that deeply impact me, without fighting social media algorithms, stuffing my posts with keywords or worrying that they will be overrun by Instagram-style tourism.
Thus was born the idea of “Journeys” - premium, subscription-only stories, for a niche set of readers who genuinely want to embark on deeper journeys, geographically and within.
How much does a subscription cost?
I’ve tried to keep subscription rates low, with early bird and annual discounts. Monthly subscriptions are equivalent to the cost of a fancy coffee or nice meal. Annual subscriptions give you two months free!
First 100 subscribers: ₹250 / ~3$ per month [Sorry, all gone!]
101 - 1000 subscribers: ₹350 / ~5$ per month
1000+ subscribers: ₹500 / 7$ per month
Annual subscription: Save 2 months cost!
All card billing is done through Razorpay or Substack and Stripe.
Feedback and suggestions
If there’s something you’d really like to read about my travels or personal journey, or have any feedback or suggestions, drop me a line at shivyanath@gmail.com.
Find me elsewhere
Blog: The Shooting Star
Book: The Shooting Star
Instagram: @shivya
Twitter: @shivya
Facebook: The Shooting Star
Subscription FAQs
What mode of payment can be used: You are welcome to pay using Indian cards, UPI, Netbanking and other modes of payment accepted by Razorpay. If using an international card, please subscribe directly on Substack via Stripe.
How to cancel a subscription: If you’ve paid via Razorpay, email theshootingstarblog@gmail.com with the subject ‘Cancel Subscription’ to receive a pro-rated refund. If you’ve subscribed directly on Substack, go to https://theshootingstar.substack.com/account to cancel your paid / free subscription. Your subscription will be cancelled at the end of the month, or you can cancel it immediately if you prefer. For more questions, please refer to Substack’s FAQs.
Other alternatives: If you genuinely can’t afford the subscription, email me and I’m sure we can work something out.