I want to be a creator so I can embrace the freedom of living as a digital nomad whenever I choose.
Thankfully, I’m already halfway there. As a remote freelancer, I can already go on budget adventures as my work is location-independent. This month, I’m taking the leap. I signed up for a one-month residential Kalari training program in a quiet village in Kerala- one of the biggest items on my Piqued Pilgrim bucket list!
The schedule is intense, with training twice daily at 5:30 AM and 5:30 PM. After two months of struggling to stay consistent with my work, I feel like this is my chance to turn things around. Here’s to making it count.
November 1–5: Packing, Preparations, and Goodbyes
These days were a blur of tying up loose ends. I left Chennai on the night of November 3rd and arrived at the Kalari village on the afternoon of the 4th. The first two days here were about settling in and getting a taste of Kalari practice.
Too early to tell, but I think I love it!
Freelance work is ticking along in the background, and I have a feeling some great stories are brewing.
November 6, Wednesday
Today felt like a win. I wrote my newsletter while soaking in a breathtaking view—one of those moments that makes you pause and smile. I’m also gearing up to post a reel tomorrow, which feels like progress.
November 7, Thursday
This morning at 10:30 AM, I shared my latest newsletter: – Should our choices be ‘justified’ or ‘just because’?
I also edited and posted a video on Instagram, talking about my struggle to start travelling solo—even after doing it multiple times. As always, I’m not expecting much traction, but honestly, just creating and posting something after a month feels like a huge win.
November 8, Friday
It’s been a while since I posted Notes on Substack. Time to get back into the habit of doing it daily.
I caught up with my accountability buddy today after ages. Turns out we’re both in the same boat—trying to climb back on track after falling off last month. I want to carve out some time this weekend to create a sustainable plan.
November 9, Saturday
Today was one of those brain-dead, body-dead days. So, I gave myself permission to sleep it off.
November 10, Sunday
Most of the day went into brainstorming and planning how to juggle three different platforms effectively. The funny thing? I always enjoy this phase—the actual sticking to the plan is where I struggle.
Still, progress was made! I created a post format that’s easy to prep in advance and completed three pieces for this month. I even finalized the content calendar for Instagram for the rest of November. Fingers crossed I stick to it!
(Spoiler alert – I didn’t stick to it)
I’m still figuring out where this blog fits into the bigger picture and how to use it best.
November 11, Monday
What a solid start to the week! I stuck to my Instagram plan, posted a new Substack note, and managed a productive day with my freelance work. Small wins, big energy!
I also posted a carousel talking about this new phase of life.
November 12, Tuesday
Big day! I started working on my new series and filmed the footage. I was surprised by how shy I felt—it’s been a while since I filmed anything, and even with no one watching, it was tough. But I pushed through and got it done.
New Roads, New Skills is officially kicking off, and I couldn’t be more excited. This isn’t just a series; it’s my dream project—my dream life in the making.
Also wrote the next Substack newsletter. Feeling productive!
November 13, Wednesday
Today was all about editing the reel, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out.
New Roads, New Skills is now live! Here’s to new beginnings and fresh adventures.
November 14, Thursday
Newsletter day! The scheduled piece – The “commitment” trap – went live, and I received some lovely responses. Grateful for every bit of encouragement—it makes the effort so worthwhile.
November 15, Friday
Felt completely out of it today, but somehow, I managed to edit the reel for tomorrow.
The highlight? I hit 100 subscribers on Substack! To celebrate, I danced in the rain and treated myself to a bowl of Maggi.
November 16, Saturday
Shared the reel from The Piko Shop collaboration, but the rest of the day was pretty relaxed.
I got initiated into learning stick lessons in Kalari today, followed by an intense evening training session. Later, we (me and some friends from Kalari training) went out for dinner and then visited a charming pond at midnight. We stared at the moon, sang songs, and soaked in the magic of the moment.
This is why I want to be a creator—to afford this life of freedom and beauty.
November 17, Sunday
Productive day! I wrote two scripts, hoping to prep a few videos this week. That way, I can take it easy during my period or focus on other projects.
November 18, Monday
An idea struck for the next newsletter, and as I drafted it, another idea emerged—a carousel post for Instagram: A thank you note to travel
I’m amazed! I set a goal of two posts and two reels per week, not fully believing I’d manage it. But I did last week, and I’m on track this week. Feeling great!
November 19, Tuesday
Filmed clips for the next reel and posted a Note on Substack.
November 20, Wednesday
The brain fog is creeping in. This happens every month, and it’s frustrating.
November 21, Thursday
Edited and sent out the newsletter today – My beautiful bubble almost burst. Of everything I’m doing, the Substack newsletter feels the most natural and satisfying.
November 22, Friday
Finally edited the next reel in the series after days of struggling to focus. It’s shaping up well!
I showed it to Ashan (Athma Kalari’s guru and founder), and he liked it—just one small tweak needed. He suggested posting it next week, so fingers crossed.
November 23 to 25
Rested during those days of the month, though not without guilt.
Still, I managed to outline the documentary I’m working on and draft two upcoming newsletters. The documentary needs more research, but progress is progress.
November 26, Tuesday
Feeling major FOMO today. Solo travel usually means lots of conversations with new people, but with freelance work and personal projects piling up, I’ve been missing that connection.
Spent all day working on freelance tasks. I need to streamline my schedule and commit to my projects like a full-time job.
November 27, Wednesday
Today’s accomplishments:
- Finalised the December plan.
- Posted a Substack Note.
- Published the second reel in the New Roads, New Skills series, collaborating with Athma Kalari!
Nervous about how it’ll be received, but glad to have it out there.
November 28, Thursday
Newsletter day! Today’s piece, A Journey from Inner Conflict to Harmony went live, and I’m happy with how it turned out.
On the flip side, the second reel in the series didn’t perform well on Athma Kalari’s page. While it did decently on mine, it’s disheartening compared to the usual reach they get. Still, I gained a few followers, which is a win. Trying to stay positive.
November 29, Friday
The documentary outline is done!
I’m incredibly nervous about this project—a documentary series around New Roads, New Skills—but excited to explore this storytelling style. Next steps: gather footage from Athma Kalari and conduct interviews to bring it all together. This is going to be intense but rewarding.
November 30, Saturday
Spent the entire day going through footage from Athma Kalari’s hard disk. It was exhausting but awe-inspiring to see the incredible work they’ve captured.
Monthly Reflection
This month wasn’t as creatively productive as I’d hoped, but it was undoubtedly a month of growth. For that, I’m grateful.
| My Instagram Numbers | October | November |
| Total Pieces Shared | 4 | 6 |
| Overall Follower Gain | 2 | 36 |
| Monthly Views | 23,626 | 39,478 |
| Accounts Reached | 5,424 | 9,251 |
| Profile Activity | 606 | 858 |
| Interactions | 593 | 1247 |
Substack performed wonderfully this month! I gained 26 new subscribers in just 30 days, which feels incredible.
Building this community and seeing it grow is so rewarding. Each subscriber is a small but meaningful step forward, and it fills me with excitement to keep creating.
As much as I try not to focus on the numbers, seeing them grow steadily—even if slowly—gives me so much hope. However, the one area I completely fell short on was this blog. Not a single post in November! But December is going to change that.
November thoughts
November was about stepping into my dream life—the core of Piqued Pilgrim: following my curiosity.
Right now, I’m living the dream of exploring new skills and art forms from different parts of the world. And it has started with Kalaripayattu, an intense and fascinating martial art. This is a huge step toward the life I’ve always wanted.
I’m super grateful for this, but I also feel the pressure. This is such an important time for me to make it as a creator because this is the kind of life I want to document and share.
Looking back, I think I did okay this month. I really like the reels I made for New Roads New Skills, and the work on the documentary has begun.
December feels exciting already. Can’t wait!
