It’s that time of the year again, when the couples are busy expressing their love for each other with strikingly packaged, over-priced red roses, heart shaped boxes of chocolates, tucking gooey Valentine notes in their better half’s lockers or deciding what sized teddy bear would make their better half happy! And the second half of the world, comprising of singles are either cribbing or scowling over “how useless and annoying these couples are!” while secretly walling away in their beds over romantic mushy comedies.

For me, personally it is an awkward day, because I am not single, but I don’t buy the Valentine hype either. As an introvert, it makes me cringe and I wonder if it is too sentimental or just a big fat scam for the commercial world to profit from! While I have nothing against the couples who prep months in advance for the V-day, with a romantic candle light dinner or meticulous showering of gifts on their partners, for me, it’s just not my-thing, especially, when I found my partner-in-crime on the road, amidst the UNESCO heritage ruins of Hampi, far- away from all the fine dining, sparkling Champagne and international day of couple bliss!

This got me thinking and so, I reached out to my friends and co-travelers to see, if they too feel the way I do and if they have any reasons, I can convince you too to ditch this Valentine’s Day for travel instead! To my surprise, I found these reasons could hold true, irrespective of whether you are single or playing doubles 🙂

1. A broadcast journalist turned solo wanderer, a drifter forever, on the lookout to escape the mundane, co-traveller Ragini Puri can be found playing peekaboo at @Solitaryreapers @frommywindowseat and sometimes making an appearance at From My Window Seat too.

2. A Mumbai born, Brimingham based foodie, Vrushali Bane travels with her soul-mate, dreaming and globalized Indian Palate. Driving through the magnificent landscapes- all while and experiencing the beauty of Iceland along with the Black Sand Beach, natural hot water pools, stunning Waterfalls and hunting for the Northern lights under the dark skies. Join her virtually on her travels at insta and Facebook.

3. A dear friend and chirpy traveller, Sindhu Murthy keeps her presence at Interlude Journey. Interlude Journey is a blog by a family of software professionals with a passion for travel, food and photography. You can connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

4. Tia Johnson, my strong woman, is a Georgia native working in Charlotte, NC as a Business Development Manager for a non-profit and the owner and editor of Just Her Carryon. Most of her wanderlust centers around food, beaches and architecture, but you’ll find a lot of reflections in her “Diary” too. Follow her travels on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

5. Chandni Aggarwal, is a travel entrepreneur who founded a start-up named Rural Odyssey. She can ditch an exotic foreign destination and a five star resort just to stay in an Indian village with native communities to experience their culture, food, festivals, lifestyle, etc. Follow her musings on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and her blog.

6. Sonya Lai, one of my favourite story-tellers, calls herself, a global citizen with a preference for off-the-radar destinations when not found in the world’s international cities. She can be found on Instagram, Facebook and her not-officially launched City Guide site, The Globalite.

7. Shraddha Gupta, a freelance Journalist, with a MS in Journalism, from- Boston University is the Founder of travel, culture and lifestyle blog StreetTrotter and can be found Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. She echoes, Vrushali’s views, when it comes to Travel over Valentines.

8. Abha Agrawal, a go-getter, is a corporate banker, enthusiast photographer & writer an itinerant traveller, who believes- “If something good happens, travel to celebrate, if something bad happens, travel to forget, if nothing happens, travel to make something happen.” She shares her musings on Facebook.

9. Divya Shetty is an avid traveller ticking off one destination at a time from her bucket list. She Instagrams all her travels and you can also follow her visual journey on Facebook at D’sWindowseat.

10. Suman Doogar is an avid traveller, backpacking on shoestring budget. When not traveling, you’ll find her teaching Psychology at a school in Delhi. She can be found with her Nomadic Shoes on Facebook, Instagram, and her blog.

11. A wanderess by passion, wordsmith by profession, and a home-chef by choice – exploring newer terrains, books, tea and adda (in the order) with a pinch of insanity is pretty much how you can sum up Ayandrali Dutta. From sunset to sunrise everything tickles that butterfly her my tummy. She truly believe in the words “Count my years by the number of sunsets that I have seen rather just days that I lived.” She is my favourite wildflower and still blooming at Wanderlustcraving, Scattered Expressions and Instagram, capturing moments and freezing them in a frame.

12. Bhavna Anup, a free-spirit, is a multi-tasking and an interesting combination of a wife, amateur photographer and a traveller all packaged in one! She loves to share her thoughts and travels on Instagram.

13. Kunjal Karaniya, a free bird, a travel nut and a passionate photographer is fascinated about crafting unplugged moments. She travels the world and is always up for exploring new places in search of exciting experiences. A new destination, unforgettable journey and an unusual experience, coupled with Google maps, DSLR and walking shoes are perfect match for her! She captures her stories on Instagram, blog- Unplugged Moments and Facebook.

So what say? Are you ready to join us on the road-tripping, diving or hiking through the mountains of love this Valentine’s Day? Do share your comments or your thoughts on how can we celebrate our love today in unconventional ways, below in comments! 🙂