From Iran to Robinson Crusoe Island: Shivya Nath on travel for connection, not checklists
In a conversation on Booked, Shivya Nath discussed her book Rootless and Restless and her journeys across several countries. She framed travel as an exercise in presence, empathy and climate-conscious connection.
What does travel truly mean in an age dominated by Instagram reels, trending destinations and hurried itineraries?
For author and travel storyteller Shivya Nath, travel is less about collecting stamps on a passport and more about building meaningful human connections.
Speaking to India Today's Suyesha Savant on the latest episode of Booked, Shivya opened up about her latest book, Rootless and Restless — a deeply personal exploration of travel, identity, climate consciousness and belonging.
The book documents Shivya’s journeys across countries such as Iran, Uzbekistan, Myanmar, Japan and Chile, while also reflecting on the emotional and philosophical impact of travel itself.
Explaining the title of the book, Shivya described “rootlessness” not as instability, but freedom.
“With roots nowhere, I can grow them everywhere,” she said, adding that travel has helped her see home not as a physical place, but as a feeling.
One of the most compelling moments in the conversation came when Shivya spoke about travelling through Iran — a country she says left a lasting emotional imprint on her. She recounted witnessing the warmth, poetry and kindness of ordinary Iranians despite the country’s political tensions and restrictions.
“Behind all the headlines of war and missiles are real people with incredibly big hearts,” she said.
Shivya also reflected on how painful it feels today to watch regions she once travelled through peacefully now appear in news reports because of conflict and violence.
The conversation also delved into the idea of “slow travel” — something Shivya strongly advocates. Rather than rushing through destinations with a fear of missing out, she spoke about embracing “JOMO” or the joy of missing out.
“You cannot do everything in one lifetime. But whatever you do, do it with full presence,” she said.
Watch the video here:
Another fascinating aspect of the discussion was her account of travelling by land from Thailand to India through Myanmar to reduce her flying footprint — a journey that eventually became one of the most enriching travel experiences of her life.
From conversations around climate change and sustainable tourism to veganism while travelling across the globe, the interview moved beyond conventional travel storytelling and explored the larger questions of how we live, consume and connect with the world around us.
The episode offers viewers not just travel anecdotes, but a deeply introspective conversation on curiosity, empathy and shared humanity in a rapidly changing world.
What does travel truly mean in an age dominated by Instagram reels, trending destinations and hurried itineraries?
For author and travel storyteller Shivya Nath, travel is less about collecting stamps on a passport and more about building meaningful human connections.
Speaking to India Today's Suyesha Savant on the latest episode of Booked, Shivya opened up about her latest book, Rootless and Restless — a deeply personal exploration of travel, identity, climate consciousness and belonging.
The book documents Shivya’s journeys across countries such as Iran, Uzbekistan, Myanmar, Japan and Chile, while also reflecting on the emotional and philosophical impact of travel itself.
Explaining the title of the book, Shivya described “rootlessness” not as instability, but freedom.
“With roots nowhere, I can grow them everywhere,” she said, adding that travel has helped her see home not as a physical place, but as a feeling.
One of the most compelling moments in the conversation came when Shivya spoke about travelling through Iran — a country she says left a lasting emotional imprint on her. She recounted witnessing the warmth, poetry and kindness of ordinary Iranians despite the country’s political tensions and restrictions.
“Behind all the headlines of war and missiles are real people with incredibly big hearts,” she said.
Shivya also reflected on how painful it feels today to watch regions she once travelled through peacefully now appear in news reports because of conflict and violence.
The conversation also delved into the idea of “slow travel” — something Shivya strongly advocates. Rather than rushing through destinations with a fear of missing out, she spoke about embracing “JOMO” or the joy of missing out.
“You cannot do everything in one lifetime. But whatever you do, do it with full presence,” she said.
Watch the video here:
Another fascinating aspect of the discussion was her account of travelling by land from Thailand to India through Myanmar to reduce her flying footprint — a journey that eventually became one of the most enriching travel experiences of her life.
From conversations around climate change and sustainable tourism to veganism while travelling across the globe, the interview moved beyond conventional travel storytelling and explored the larger questions of how we live, consume and connect with the world around us.
The episode offers viewers not just travel anecdotes, but a deeply introspective conversation on curiosity, empathy and shared humanity in a rapidly changing world.
