THE SOLITARY REAPER : LUZINA KHAN
Sheetal Mann sheetal @ chiiz . com
Luzina Khan is living an ideal life of a solo traveller and also her photographs tell the tales of her journeys . Originally from Raipur in Chattisgarh and even staying in Kashmir for days on her own , she has it all worked out .
A silent tigress working up her way against the societal norms . One hell of an interior designer for your beautiful homes and thoughts , she is quite an introvert and serenity drips from her face .
Sheetal : Tell us something a b o u t yourself ? Luzina : I was a product designer first , because of which I had to travel a lot to remote areas mainly because of the handicrafts . And when I used to upload my photos from the trip on social media , people really liked them and it encouraged me to travel and click more . That ’ s how my love for travelling and photography took form . Now , I travel to many places , whenever I feel like .
Sheetal : Why solo ? Was there any special reason for it ? Luzina : The constant backing out of my friends from travel plans turned me into a solo traveller . Also , when I am travelling , I prefer home stays , and home meals , rather than hotels and you can only get that when you are travelling alone .
Sheetal : India is not really a favourable country for a female solo traveller . What do you think about it ? Luzina : I don ’ t really agree with it . Wherever I have been to , people were very nice to me and it all depends on how you adapt to the surroundings . Obviously , you can ’ t be wearing shorts or western dresses if you ’ re staying in or travelling through a local village . So , it all comes down to how well you can adapt to a place .
Sheetal : Have you ever faced any challenges while travelling ? Anything that turned out to be lesson for life ? Luzina : No , none at all . And it is true . I have actually never faced anything like that and I hope nothing ever comes my way . I inspire everyone to travel wherever I go . It is the most beautiful thing . Moreover , girls
should travel more and at every chance they get . I think travelling solo gives them a brilliant opportunity to introspect and a better understanding of things .
Sheetal : How was your first solo trip ? Luzina : It was in college when we had to choose projects and I always took unrelated projects so that I could travel alone . Also I find solace when I travel alone .
Sheetal : Any other memorable thing related to your trips ? Luzina : Well , interestingly , I went to Kashmir 6 or 7 times last year . And believe me , it ’ s totally different from what is shown in the media these days . Kashmiri people are nicest of all people I have ever met . They welcome you with open arms and made me feel very safe during my time over there . There have been times when I stayed for months in a stretch .
Sheetal : Since you have travelled almost whole of India , what is your favourite place ?
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