Sona Charaipotra is a New York City-based journalist, who works from home and on the road, while wearing her pajamas. She has written for Cosmopolitan, the New York Times, People, TeenPeople, American Way, Modern Bride, and loads of other print publications. She has blogged for CafeMom, Mom.me, and MSN. She graduated with a Masters degree in screenwriting from N.Y.U., went on to earn an MFA in Writing for Children from the New School, and is currently completing a novel. She was born in Iran, and raised in New Jersey. Before meeting Navdeep, she had only traveled in air-conditioned trains with family in various parts of Delhi. She still goes into hysterics at the sight of a cockroach (or the mere mention of any creepy crawlie within a 20 foot radius of her vicinity), but feels like her packing skills have improved (exaggerated roll of Navdeep’s eyes and a not so subtle, “Pfffff”). Check out her media clips at SonaCharaipotra.com/portfolio
Navdeep Singh Dhillon is in the lucrative field of adjunct teaching, where he teaches university courses like English composition, Film and literature, and Creative Writing. When he writes freelance articles or non-fiction essays, he makes it a point to wear pajamas. He holds an MFA in fiction and is also working on a novel. Navdeep was born in England, raised in East and West Africa, the Middle East, and the United States. He was a linguist in the U.S. Navy, where he served for eight years, has taught ESL in China for two years, traveled extensively throughout SouthEast Asia, and speaks several languages well enough not to accidentally order tongue, hoof, or buttocks. But not well enough, apparently, not to remember that Tartare means “raw” in French. Navdeep has traveled by donkey, camel, rickshaw, truck, elephant, a really bumpy yak, 4th class train, moped, scooter, motorbike, and in recent years, a limo, and a helicopter. But he still enjoys the thrill of riding in the back of a freezing cold cattle truck in Tibet, with five men who insisted he was from a region in China called Xinjiang on account of his ability to grow facial hair. Check out Navdeep’s media clips at NavdeepSinghDhillon.com/portfolio
Don’t let Kavya’s small frame and friendly smile disarm you. Stay vigilant. She is the newest member of our family and definitely the most energetic. Learn expert tips on haggling techniques, the right hat to wear when you’re cooking, and her staunch positions on things you would think nobody took positions on. Got a position on water? On blue verses pink sippy cups? Clean verses “dirty” soup? Not to worry, Kavya will give you a no holds barred account. Her favorite food is hands down chicken and rice, but that doesn’t mean she won’t eat and thoroughly enjoy crepes, burgers, jiaozi, noodles, grilled sandwiches, a crisp summer or winter Vietnemese salad. Kavya doesn’t have a portfolio yet, but when she does, watch out!
Shaiyar may be on the wobbly side, but . . . okay that’s all I got for now. Once he does something other than sleep, and make faces at me once he realizes I have nothing for him, I’ll update his bio. I will say this though: a conspiracy is definitely afoot. He was born on Superbowl Sunday; Kavya was born on Superbowl weekend; the day we left the hospital, there was a major snow storm. Coincidence? I think not.
What We Blog About
IshqInABackpack is for anyone who appreciates the written word, the spirit of wanderlust, and is interested in the most important part of travel: THE FOOD. We devour street food like maniacs and when we’re at home pining for the tastes and aromas of past adventures, we attempt to replicate those dishes. We provide a sense of cultural immersion and place through our writing, peppered with videos, and photography. We want to get you excited about experiential travel, whether you’re a couple, a family of well seasoned travelers, on the road, or sitting at home thinking about going on an adventure. We write about:
- Traveling as a couple and with a baby (Kavya is now 3)
- Food: we attempt to replicate dishes with our version of recipes for things you know you’re craving
- Photos and Videos. We create slideshows, galleries, a weekly photo, and videos that highlight the travel experience
- Reviews. We review everything a traveler would review: tech gear, restaurants, tours, and books
- Mission Ishq: This year (2013), we made travel resolutions and this is our way of making sure we stick to them!
