Shikha is a writer based in Uttarakhand, India. Specialising in stories woven around nature and the outdoors, sustainable living, and those with a cultural insight from the remote mountains of India, Nepal and Bhutan. Her travel stories appear in a wide variety of publications such as the National Geographic Traveller, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveller, Lonely Planet, and more. Her environmental and social interest stories have appeared in newspapers such as The Hindu, The New Indian Express, and on platforms such as Nature InFocus and RoundGlass Sustain. Born and brought up in the mountains, she is a qualified mountaineer who has participated in expeditions in the Himalayas. Her mountaineering stories have appeared in The Outdoor Journal and online on the Red Bull forum. Shikha is the recipient of a Commonwealth Writers fellowship for her stories on Himalayan ecology, and has also authored an award-winning children's book on Northeast India's first female Everester, Tine Mena, for a literacy NGO, Pratham. Most recently, she authored a series of Lonely Planet pocket guide books on Nepal. New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out. To support the tough girl mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media - visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. Show Notes Who is Shikha Growing up in the mountains in India Her love of exploration Deciding to become a professional writer Being curious about the world Quitting her job to backpack across the Indian Continent in 2008 Her love of writing and not wanting to be confined to an office cubicle Being drawn to the mountains and wanting to spend more time there Her year of self discovery Her childhood and early years Going into higher education Making the decision to quit her job and go on a gap year Planning her year out and travelling on a shoe string budget Wanting to get off the regular tourist circuit Heading to the North East of India Spending time in Nepal and Bhutan Building her career as a freelance writer Travelling solo in remote places Advice and tips for solo travel Why planning a little ahead can make things a lot easier Advice for travel writing Why you need to find your niche Finding your writing voice Telling the same story but in a different way Learning mountaineering skills Encouraging more women to gain skills in the outdoors Challenging times in the mountains Walking on unmarked trails Being underprepared on the mountains and the lessons learned Dealing with challenging situations and her process for handling it Staying positive and having a back up plan How to connect with Shikha Putting together her website Writing her award-winning children's book on Northeast India's first female Everester, Tine Mena. Wanting to inspire young girls Advice for women and girls to spend more time in the mountains Future dreams and goals Social Media Instagram: @shikha_trip
