Hello Renrenspeakers! Happy Saturday! You know what time it is – another mic drop on the Travelers Abroad Speak mini blog series! Today I present to yall the FOURTH interview in the line up! The iconic Keerthana will be sharing her travel experiences today on the blog. In true Renrenspeaks fashion, we gotta gas her up before delving into the interview!

Keerthana is my forever study abroad bestieeeeee! The numerous memories we have together are unmatched. We totally were a dynamic duo in Ghana for sure. I met my match during our study abroad experience. We were girlies obsessed with photography, aesthetics, fashion, reflection, and bougie living (on a budget, of course). We experienced Accra Fashion Week together where we thought we were soooo relevant with Mama Efua designing custom-made clothing for us. We’ve experienced Ghana, Mexico, and the U.S. together. Keerthana is hilariousssss and has such a bright, kind spirit. She embodies being a multifaceted creator and a health care girlie. One quality I so admire about her is that she never gives up on her dreams. Keerthana is a visionary and is an unstoppable force in this world. With that being said, let us get into the interview!

Irene: What is your name/pronouns?

Keerthana: My name is Keerthana and my pronouns are she/her.

Irene: Give us a quick synopsis of who YOU ARE! 

Keerthana: I’m a graduate student!! I’ve recently returned to school after a couple of gap years in between, so that is the most important identity that I currently hold. In addition, I identify as a hustler, an artist, a storyteller, an activist, a South Indian woman, and an aspiring doctor. An of-course, I can’t forget world-traveler. 😉  

Irene: What countries have you been to?

Keerthana: I’ve been to quite a number of countries and I’m going to try to name them off the top of my head. As an immigrant from India, the first country I came to was America! In America, it was easier to travel around this side of the world. I’ve been to Mexico (with Irene!), Panama, Costa Rica, Belize, and Canada. Recently, I actually moved out of the States to relocate and live in India for about a year. While I was back in the East, I also traveled to the UAE, Turkey, Thailand, Hong Kong. And last but not least, I had the privilege to study abroad in Ghana back in 2018 for a few months and it was my first time living somewhere unfamiliar and on my own.

Irene: What is your favorite country visited thus far, and why?

Keerthana: This is a hard question! It’s like asking for my favorite song and it changes with every song I listen to. As cliche as it sounds, every country has taught me beautiful things about its culture and people alongside what I learned about my own self. Traveling to numerous diverse places has truly helped me grow into myself and become the confident solo-traveler and go-getter that I am now. If I really had to pick, I would choose India and I think it may be biased because that’s where I’m from. Aside from my whole family being there, I’ll try to be more objective in my reasoning. India is one of those few countries that is SO diverse with people and dialects and even minuscule cultural habits that vary distinctively based on the geographical region that you may end up in. Although I’m Indian, I had to adapt to many variations in diet and lifestyle as I traveled through the many states (almost 10 states and territories). Most people wear “Indian” attire which is a very generic term for the variety of clothes worn throughout the country especially as Southern states tend to be incredibly hot and Northern states can fall to near zero temperatures in the winter time. Accordingly, the traditional garment for women known as “sari” is tied in so many different ways that someone deserves an award for creativity. I didn’t even know it was possible to tie a few yards of clothing into such beautiful end results.

Irene: Let’s throw it back down memory lane for a second! How did we meet?

Keerthana: I still remember my exact first meeting with Irene! We were studying abroad in Ghana at the time, but she was experiencing some delays and issues with her flight to Ghana so she didn’t arrive on the expected date. A few of the students were sitting in our classroom for mandatory orientation with one of the teachers and I remember Irene coming in late to the class (due to the aforementioned flight delays) but she had such a big smile on her face! We soon became friends because we shared similar interests in skincare, DIY projects, fashion, going to flea markets & farmers markets, and of course we were united by our love for photography and travel! At any point throughout our stay in Ghana, you may have caught us on the Legon campus with our cameras and stunning fits posing for a shoot!

Irene: What is a salient memory that you hold of me and you?

Keerthana: Although we bonded in Ghana and formed our amazing friendship, my favorite travel stories with Irene mostly take place in Cabo, Mexico because of the wild times we had! The trip was for 2020 New Years (little did we know what was about to commence that year…) and we were in Cabo for close to two weeks. Most people see it as a purely party town, but our friend group did non-traditional things as well such as going to the local grocery store and watching Charlie’s Angels at the mall in Español. My favorite memory in particular is when we ended up on some random trip to go see a waterfall and we had no idea we were seeing a waterfall so we were totally unprepared for the hike and the water. It was chaotic to say the least but so so so much fun nonetheless. Our next trip is in the works, fingers crossed!

Irene: Can you speak to one of your most memorable experiences for a particular country that you’ve visited?

Keerthana: One of my most memorable experiences in a country will definitely have to be Belize. It had quite a few memorable moments! Not only was the country so breathtaking, my friend and I did so many fun activities that I’ve never participated in before. For example, we went zip lining, snorkeling, and even went on an unforgettable cave tour. The cave tour is an experience I will quite literally never forget in my life and would encourage every able-bodied person to check it out for themselves.

Irene: What are some cultural barriers and cultural highlights that you have experienced during your time abroad?

Keerthana: Surprisingly, a smile and a few hand gestures go a long way. An of course, I’m thankful for my Spanish skills from my three years of high school Spanish. But truthfully, it’s not as difficult to get by in foreign countries as it may seem, unless you’re an extremely picky person who likes everything a particular way, because there definitely needs to be room for adaptability. When you travel abroad, you have to remember that you left America (or wherever you’re traveling from), so your expectations have to match the destination. Personally, I feel like I’ve been able to get most of the things I’ve wanted when I’ve wanted it. There’s always some form of gas stations for any quick fix for munchies or restroom runs. After living in India, there’s very few forms of bathrooms that can really throw me off. I am a very chill person so I tend to face less barriers!

Irene: What have you learned about yourself through traveling abroad?

Keerthana: This is really the key question because all the journeys I’ve embarked on in my life have only led me back to a place I call home. I feel so much closer to myself and so much happier with my family and friends after experiencing a life outside of them. Travel is truly a humbling experience, but it’s also the best way to learn. If you can afford it, why would you read a book about the Great Wall of China when you can just go visit it in person and learn from the place itself. The experiences I’ve encountered in all of my travels have been transformative and have only reinforced my personal values and ambitions that I set out for myself in life.

Irene: Any advice, gems, or words of encouragement for someone who is new to traveling or is looking to broaden their travel experience?

Keerthana: Get out there! I know that most people who travel primarily post about the glamorous aspect of it. But it is not easy to travel by any means. You have to actually enjoy traveling, because some people tend to be “homebodies”. And that’s totally fine, but understand if this is actually right for you. Travel doesn’t match everyone’s personality and it’s important to acknowledge if it’s right for you before you book that flight. During one instance while traveling around in India, I couldn’t get my suitcase code to work all of a sudden. I quite literally couldn’t open my luggage and desperately wanted to get my PJ’s and toiletries. At times, I was traveling so much that I didn’t know where my comb or toothbrush was half of the time. I couldn’t remember where I was packing some things because I was constantly on the move with packing and unpacking. It became so exhausting that I needed to take a break from my travels to take a minute for myself. Don’t go somewhere because everyone else is going there! Search for places that align with you and listen for your calling.

Irene: Can folks connect with you to learn more about you/support you? If so, please drop your social media info down below!

Keerthana: Absolutely! Please feel free to connect with me to comment on anything whether it’s about a country I traveled to or a travel experience that I shared here. My Instagram is @keerathandu and I actually do have a blog myself! Click here for the link to my blog.

Irene: Anything else you want us to know about you or anything you want to share with the readers? Feel free to drop it down below!

Keerthana: For long-term traveling where you’re completely immersing yourself in another culture, I would advise learning about the following things: culture shock, reverse culture shock, post-travel blues. These are a few of the things I’ve experienced and I’m glad I had the resources I did when I needed them. Travel is really a full-time job that can pay if you’re lucky! Thank you to Irene and the readers of Renrenspeaks for allowing me to share my travel experiences!

TRAVEL SNAPSHOTS

Below are some travel highlights that Keerthana has captured during her time abroad!

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See yall, I told yall that Keerthana is so dope! A hustler, a doctor in the making, AND a world traveler? I can’t keep up! First, the fact that you said that you would try to remember all the countries off the top of your head is such a flex lol. Keerthana = travel queen. Gosh, you really threw it backkkk down memory lane! Our mems together are truly lit lol. I was stuck in Virginia for a DAY while everyone was starting to get acclimated to Ghana! Also shoutout to our friend Nii who orchestrated the best photoshoot we executed in Ghana using the natural beauty of UG, Legon. The random waterfallllll hahaha I think we ended up visiting it in sweats not prepared for the warm temperature at all. I wanted to quickly highlight something SO important that you mentioned above – “you left, so your expectations have to match the destination.” YES! I think this is such an important statement because in my experience being abroad, many people easily complain about being “inconvenienced” because the customs, rules, and norms are very different to what they are used to. It blows my mind when people complain abroad about not getting their way because they literally left to immerse themselves into a new culture! Cultural sensitivity and acceptance is critical for being a respectful traveler, yall! So read UP on the place that you decide to visit and make sure that your destination aligns with YOU and like Keerthana said, listen to your calling!

Again, thank yall so much for tuning into the blog today, Renrenspeakers! Continue to be on the lookout for an email notification regarding the next post release on Renrenspeaks next Saturday, October 28th for our final interview in Part 5 of the Travelers Abroad Speak mini blog series! I know, so sad that these travel stories are coming to an end! 😦 Meanwhile, stay inspired by travel and check out my girl’s personal blog!

Peace and love,

Irene