Introduction – A Professional Traveller
In this episode of Expertales, we are joined by Anil Rana, an IT professional with over two decades of experience. Known for his deep industry insights and passion for technology, Anil shares his journey, challenges, and the role of travel in shaping his perspectives on IT solutions, innovation, and in life. Tune in for a wealth of knowledge!
Inspiration for Traveling
1. What comes to mind when I say the word ‘travel’?
“Recharge! Peace, and exploring—filling myself with some more knowledge, some more topics to talk about, stories to tell my kids, and meeting new people.”
Anil Rana beautifully encapsulates what travel means to him. It’s not just about relaxation; it’s about recharging the mind and soul, exploring unknown terrains, and collecting memories that enrich his life. For Anil, travel is a way to step back from the daily grind and approach life with renewed energy.
2. Why do you like to travel?
“Some people see travel as a break. I define it more as recharging myself and taking a step back from regular life so I can see things from a different perspective, from a fresh point of view.”
For Anil, travel is not an escape but a way to gain clarity. He sees it as a chance to recalibrate, offering him the opportunity to view life through a different lens. He highlights that treating travel as a ‘break’ might lead to stress once you’re back. Instead, it’s a time to refresh and gain a new perspective.
Travellers vs. Tourists
3. The psychology of a traveler vs. a tourist: What’s the difference?
“There’s a huge difference! Tourists might want to cover everything, but a traveler or explorer absorbs the most from one place, even if they aren’t covering everything.”
Anil distinguishes between being a traveler and a tourist. He says he’s a tourist when traveling with his family but a true explorer when traveling solo. For him, a traveler seeks depth, absorbing the culture and essence of a place rather than merely ticking off boxes on a checklist.
Reflecting on this distinction, Anil draws parallels to a scene from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, where characters pause to absorb a breathtaking view, instead of rushing to visit every landmark. This scene resonated with him, as it emphasizes the idea of truly experiencing a place. Anil notes that this movie, like many, inspired him to travel, but his journey began long before—starting as a simple way to hang out with friends, and evolving into something deeper that now recharges his spirit and broadens his perspective.
How Travel Shapes Perspectives?
4. Does travel shape your personality?
“Yes, it has affected my personality. I often say to people that a human mind is like a fresh AI model. The more data you feed it, the smarter and more diverse it becomes.”
Anil believes travel has a profound impact on how he views the world. Like an AI model trained with diverse data, the more one experiences different places, people, and cultures, the more perspective they gain. This diversity of experiences enriches his thought process, allowing him to grow both personally and professionally.
Shopping While Traveling: Yay or Nay?
5. Do you shop while traveling or just focus on exploration?
“I like shopping while traveling, and why not? Buying something during your travels, like a T-shirt, brings back memories every time you wear it.”
Despite his love for exploration, Anil also enjoys shopping during his travels. To him, purchasing a souvenir or a simple item of clothing from a trip is a way to bring memories back home. It’s a reminder of the experiences and stories collected during his journey.
6. Too much information?
“One thing that’s a problem these days is too much information. We’re constantly feeding our minds, and travel helps in unlearning, in focusing on what’s truly important.”
Anil believes that in today’s world, we’re often bombarded with information. He sees travel as a way to declutter the mind, to unlearn the unnecessary while holding onto the important memories and experiences that shape us.
Embracing Local Cultures
7. Why Is Acceptance of Local Culture Essential?
“If I go to Vietnam and ask for Delhi food, then, there is no point. That acceptance and belonging to the place is essential for travel.”
Anil stresses the importance of embracing local culture when traveling. He explains that travel should transform you—open you up to new ways of thinking and living. If you insist on doing things the way you do at home, you miss out on the essence of the place. For him, accepting the local culture is the only way to truly learn from the experience. Whether it’s tasting local food or observing rituals, travel is about expanding your own understanding of life by immersing yourself in different cultures.
8. Travel for Peace or for Perspective?
“Some people travel not to get new perspectives; they travel for themselves. They are content with whatever they are.”
While many travelers seek new perspectives or become more understanding, Anil acknowledges that some people travel purely for peace. They aren’t necessarily looking to challenge their worldviews or broaden their horizons. Instead, they are content with themselves and travel to recharge or enjoy the quiet solitude that being in a new environment brings. For them, travel is a personal retreat rather than an opportunity for growth.
Journey vs. Destination
9. Journey or Destination: What’s More Important?
“There’s an ongoing debate… about what is more important, the journey or the destination. I think both are important.”
Referencing a scene from the movie Dhak Dhak, Anil contemplates the classic debate about the significance of the journey versus the destination. For him, both hold value. The journey teaches, brings surprises, and fills you with stories and memories, while the destination provides a sense of accomplishment. But he also adds a third element—planning. The anticipation and preparation for a trip can be just as fulfilling as the actual travel experience. Researching, creating itineraries, and imagining the journey build excitement and lay the foundation for a more enriching trip.
10. The Joy of Planning a Trip
“The planning part for me is as exciting as the actual journey and the destination.”
Anil highlights the often-overlooked thrill of planning a trip. For him, the excitement begins long before he sets foot on a plane. The process of researching a place, crafting itineraries, and discovering new spots to explore is a vital part of the travel experience. It’s a way to immerse yourself in the trip before it even begins, and it can significantly enhance the actual journey. Planning becomes a journey of its own, filled with anticipation and learning.
11. The Learning Happens During the Journey
“More than 80% of any trip is the journey—that has to be enjoyed too. The major learnings come while on the journey, not just at the destination.”
Anil emphasizes that most of the growth and learning from travel come from the journey itself, not just the destination. The people you meet, the experiences you gather, and the challenges you overcome on the road contribute to your perspective and understanding. While the destination is often the goal, it’s the journey that shapes you and adds value to the overall experience. For Anil, focusing too much on the endpoint can lead to missing out on the beautiful moments that happen along the way.
12. The Balance Between Comfort and Adventure
“We cannot always demand that people who travel be more understanding or have a lot of knowledge about various things.”
In discussing the different motivations behind travel, Anil recognizes that not everyone travels with the intention of broadening their horizons. Some people prefer comfort and may be particular about cleanliness or amenities. While there’s value in being an explorer who immerses themselves in the local culture, Anil understands that people have different travel styles, and not everyone needs to seek adventure or growth. Some travel simply to relax, and that’s perfectly fine.
Meeting People Along the Way
13. The People You Meet Along the Way
“The most important element of any travel is the people you meet.”
Anil strongly believes that people are the heart of any journey. In one of his favorite travel stories, he recalls a 21-day road trip to Sikkim in 2021. One evening in Darjeeling, he visited a local restaurant and bar, Glenary’s, and crossed paths with a stranger he’d seen on the mall road earlier. The brief encounters created a sense of familiarity, and soon, the man offered Anil his bike to explore Tiger Hill, illustrating the welcoming and warm spirit he often finds in people, especially in the Northeast. For Anil, these moments of connection make travel truly enriching and unforgettable.
14. Responsible Tourism: A Key to Respecting Local Communities
“They get irritated too—that’s not their fault; it’s because we go there, spread litter, and that’s where responsible tourism should be taken care of.”
Anil touches on the importance of responsible tourism, emphasizing that while locals can be incredibly welcoming, they also bear the brunt of irresponsible travelers. He encourages everyone to be mindful of their actions, especially in regions like North India, where the impact of tourism is visible. Whether it’s respecting the environment or the local culture, responsible tourism ensures that these beautiful places remain pristine for future travelers.
15. Unexpected Kindness: A Story from Amarnath
“He said, ‘Take my car, and my driver will take you to Pahalgam.’ We friends looked at each other—this is Kashmir, anything can happen!”
In another unforgettable story, Anil and his friends faced a dilemma while trying to reach Pahalgam during their Amarnath Yatra. Having forgotten their registration printouts, they were stuck outside the base camp until a kind stranger, who turned out to be a police officer, offered them his car and driver to complete their journey. Despite initial hesitation, the man’s generosity won them over, and they experienced firsthand the warmth and kindness of strangers, even in the most unexpected places. These encounters have left a lasting impression on Anil, shaping his view that the world is full of good people, and we often just need to trust.
16. Building Rapport with Clients Through Travel and Movies
“Your perspective from traveling helps you build that rapport with clients—you have things to talk about.”
Anil highlights how the experiences and perspectives gained from travel help him foster stronger relationships with clients. Building rapport goes beyond just a professional relationship; it’s about connecting on a personal level, which travel allows you to do. Whether it’s talking about a shared destination or a favorite movie, these conversations help create a bond of trust. Anil shares that his exposure to different cultures and people makes it easier for him to understand clients’ needs and cater to them in a more personalized manner.
17. Empathy in Leadership: Putting Yourself in Others’ Shoes
“As you travel, it helps you be considerate and put yourself in others’ shoes.”
As a people manager, Anil finds that his travels have made him more empathetic. Travel teaches you to consider different perspectives and step into someone else’s shoes—a valuable trait when managing teams. He explains that when someone on his team struggles, his instinct is to understand their situation and think about how they would feel. This empathy, cultivated through his journeys, enables him to handle difficult situations with grace and care, making him a more effective leader.
18. Too Much Information: Finding Focus Amidst the Noise
“We should not feed our minds with too much data—that’s a problem these days.”
In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded with information, and Anil believes travel helps filter out the noise. By stepping away from everyday life and immersing yourself in new environments, you gain clarity and focus on what truly matters. It’s in these moments, when you strip away distractions, that you can reflect, learn, and grow. For Anil, travel is a way to reset and approach life with a renewed sense of purpose.
Applying Travel Lessons in Corporate Life
19. Leveraging Travel Experience for Project Success
“My cumulative learnings from travel help me handle clients and the team in a better way.”
Anil reflects on how his extensive travel experiences have indirectly benefited his professional projects. While he can’t pinpoint a specific instance where travel directly influenced a project outcome, he acknowledges that the perspectives and insights gained from traveling have helped him manage stress and interact more effectively with clients and teams. His ability to adapt and stay calm under pressure can be traced back to his experiences navigating diverse cultures and situations during his travels.
20. Adapting to Client Needs: Lessons from Traveling
“Understanding client requirements felt like adapting to a new culture when traveling.”
Anil discusses a challenging project involving a real estate ERP system where client approvals were difficult to secure. He likens the experience of navigating client expectations to adapting to new cultures during his travels. By applying his travel-acquired skills in understanding and adapting to different perspectives, Anil successfully managed to address the client’s needs and streamline their operations. This approach allowed him to frame questions effectively and gain the necessary approvals.
Real Estate ERP System
21. Real Estate ERP Success: Integrating Diverse Learnings
“We developed a real estate ERP that managed hundreds of properties using one system.”
Anil details a successful project where his travel insights contributed to developing a comprehensive real estate ERP system. This system integrated various modules, including finance, facility management, vendor management, and ticketing, allowing the client to efficiently manage their properties and finances. The project benefited from Anil’s ability to draw on his travel experiences to understand and address complex client requirements, demonstrating the practical application of his diverse learnings.
22. Travel-Inspired Problem Solving in Project Management
“My travel experiences taught me to frame things differently to get the answers I wanted.”
Anil illustrates how his experiences with different cultures during travel helped him in problem-solving scenarios in project management. By approaching client interactions with a mindset similar to navigating new cultural settings, he was able to find effective solutions and ensure project success. This method of framing issues and understanding varying perspectives was crucial in overcoming obstacles and achieving project goals.
Balancing Work & Travel
23. Balancing Work and Travel: Anil’s Insight
“I don’t take travel as a break from my life. Instead, I treat it as recharging myself.”
Anil, a Chief Revenue Officer at a leading IT company, explains how he balances work and travel. He views travel not as a hiatus from work but as an integral part of his life that recharges him for his professional responsibilities. By planning around long weekends and client opportunities, he ensures that his travel complements his work rather than complicating it.
24. Embracing Travel as a Lifestyle
“I have to work to travel and I have to travel to work better.”
Anil shares his philosophy on integrating travel into his professional life. For him, travel is not something to be balanced against work but a natural extension of his career. His approach involves meticulous planning and utilizing travel opportunities to enhance his work performance, demonstrating how he seamlessly blends these two aspects of his life.
300 Days of Travel
25. Anil’s Travel Journey: A Decade of Exploration
“In the past decade, I’ve traveled for around 300 days and covered more than 80% of India’s states.”
Anil reflects on his extensive travel experience, highlighting that he has traveled nearly 300 days over the past decade and driven around 70,000 km. His travels span across 10 countries and numerous states in India, showcasing his passion for exploration and his commitment to experiencing diverse cultures and landscapes.
26. The Stories Behind Destinations
“Each destination has a story that will make you fall in love with that place.”
Simran reminisces about her childhood travels and the fascinating stories associated with different destinations. Anil is asked if he has any memorable stories from his travels. This segment delves into how travel is enriched by the stories and histories of places, making each journey unique and captivating.
27. Responsible Travel: A Lesson from Anil
“If you’re buying water bottles and throwing them in dustbins in mountains, you’re not doing your job.”
Anil emphasizes the importance of responsible travel. He recounts a recent trip where he and his companions minimized plastic use by carrying refillable bottles, saving approximately 150 water bottles. His story highlights the environmental impact of travel and the need for sustainable practices to preserve natural beauty.
Every City Has a Story
28. The Mystical Gurma Lake Story
“Gurma Lake’s unique feature is that a portion never freezes, and local legends attribute this to historical figures like Guru Nanak Dev Ji.”
Anil shares an intriguing story about Gurma Lake in Sikkim, India’s highest lake. Despite the freezing temperatures, a part of the lake remains unfrozen. This anomaly is attributed to local legends involving spiritual leaders, adding a layer of cultural and historical significance to the natural wonder.
29. The Power of Stories in Human Experience
“Human beings cannot live without stories. What will we narrate to people? How will we have interesting conversations?”
Anil reflects on the essential role stories play in human life. He argues that stories are crucial for meaningful conversations and connections, suggesting that our narratives and experiences are what make life rich and engaging.