Book Review: The Shooting Star by Shivya Nath
Have you ever dreamed of something but never had the courage to pursue it, and then one day, you meet someone online and see that this person is living the life you had dreamed about?
This is exactly how I felt after discovering Shivya’s blog, The Shooting Star, almost a decade ago. She was in her twenties then, doing exactly what I had always wanted to do but never had the courage to pursue. I had always believed that only Caucasian hippie women could do it—that it wasn’t possible for a bheto middle-class Bengali woman like me.
When she published her book, I knew I had to read it, but somehow, I kept procrastinating. Now that I am in semi-retirement stage and planning a life away from the hustle culture, I could no longer resist the urge to read her book.
Shivya leads a minimalist life. She left her home, sold almost everything she ever possessed, and carries only 20 kg—that is her entire possession. This book, and Shivya herself, represent my dream life. Everything I aspire to, she is already living. She is traveling, working as a digital nomad, embracing minimalism, spending time with locals, and making friends with strangers. Is this not exactly what I have always dreamed of?
This book is not merely a travelogue; it is full of life lessons. It is a social commentary. It talks about eco-friendly tourism, veganism, and the many flaws in our society. There is a particular paragraph that I loved. She wrote about how she used to compare her life with others and felt inadequate about herself. Isn’t this something that even I do? So many times, I have scrolled through social media and felt that my life was not good enough. I am sure many others feel the same. Shivya advises us to compare ourselves only to our own growth and no one else.
The book takes you to remote, non-touristy places. Reading it had a strangely calming effect on my mind. Shivya mostly stays with local people and supports their culture and economy. This has led her to live with Buddhist nuns in Spiti, the Mayan community in Guatemala, the Bonda people in Odisha, and the Quechua tribe in the Andes. Her experiences are unique. They are unlike those of touristy YouTube vloggers. In many ways, these vloggers have ruined travel and tourism in recent times.
I don’t want to give too many spoilers. However, I must share a few to pique your interest. For instance, she met the Polish son of a Gujarati Maharaj in Australia. She also encountered a shamanic ritual in the Amazonian rainforest. Additionally, she swam across a border without a passport or visa. One of the scariest incidents happened when she experienced a bus Crash in Guatemala. She reached her homestay past midnight. The other was when she got mugged in Costa Rica.
Shivya calls herself a digital nomad and is a strong advocate of veganism, eco-sustainability, and minimalism. I absolutely love her minimalist and nomadic lifestyle. I have incorporated minimalism into my own life, but I am yet to become a vegan digital nomad. Still, I am ambitious. One day, I, too, hope to live a more meaningful life.
When I commented on Shivya’s blog that I am reading her book and considering to start my own journey, she wrote:
“Maybe there’s a reason why the book found you now, at this point in your life. It’s never too late to reinvent ourselves. I hope you’ll give it a shot, in whatever ways possible!”
After this pep talk from her, I feel energized to follow my dreams.
Joining Vinitha‘s two hundredth and thirty-seventh edition of Fiction Monday with the word prompt Crash.
