. . .

Aug 5th. The day I joined work.

I have been wanting to blog all about the excitement of my first day, first article, first month, first pay-cheque. Somehow I haven't been able to decide what my mind makes of my heart.

So here's the deal I have gotten myself into. Content Executive is the fancy designation they have given me. I write full-time for NativePlanet - Oneindia's travel website. Travel writing was my secret dream. Travel, meet people, discover lands, discover yourself and write. But it turns out that I only get to imagine travel and write. So the journey isn't as incredible as I'd dreamt but it's close enough.

nothing too grand, nothing too plain...

I write with a passion to travel. The many histories and narratives of a land or even just a pillar is almost transcendental. Everytime I write, I want to be able to read it myself and appreciate the story I've conveyed. I'm not sure whether I'm reaching the reader with the same depth at which a particular story affects me. The grandeur of the Hoysalas or the Chalukyas and their great fall; the beauty of their architecture – it resounds in deep corners of my being. But in words, they are not quite what I want them to be.

Sometimes my words steal the thunder of the story itself. And some other times I don't really have a story to tell and I trick the reader (or rather myself) with words. A metaphor here, a rhyme there, and I have created an article out of nothing. I'm asked to write a couple of articles everyday and it's not easy to tell a story each time that connects to everyone.

Once, when I wrote a very dear piece on something rather abstract, I was bluntly asked to write about top 5 hotels in Maharashtra! Can you imagine! Top 5 hotels??! Who cannot write that! I took it so personally, like I do with most things, that I made a huge fuss of it at home. My articles sometimes go too far in trying to reflect my opinions on several things. My subtle hints at the politics of ecotourism and postcolonialism and deconstruction-ism have hardly ever been noticed.

A few days back I wrote an article with all my heart. I wanted close readers to enjoy it. The slide headings were arranged in alphabetical order and I was, say, proud of it. But the result? Not a single reader in my close circles noticed it. Another fail attempt. Such experiences and work pressure force me to write half-hearted travel reports. But my constant fight with myself gets me to write something that I can be proud of. It doesn't matter who reads or who doesn't. To master the task while I'm at it is my motto. I do not want to sit in the future and change anything from my past.

It's Oct 15^th. I don't know if better things await me. Yet. But for now, I want to be able to make the best of things in hand today.

[This approach – the teenage-ish sense of rightfulness of action (sorts) - suits me, doesn't it?!]

Also, here's where you can catch my latest articles...
http://www.nativeplanet.com/authors/shruthi.html