Solo My Year of Backpacking and Unpacking

Barely a year into college, nineteen-year-old Indrajeet More is offered to host a travel show on budget backpacking across India.

As he undertakes a year-long journey across thirteen cities in India, what unfolds is a string of surreal life experiences—from getting lost in the forests of coastal Karnataka to camping amidst the snowy peaks of the Himalayas, from hunting for the best toddy shop in rural Kerala to dancing to the beats of Naga folk songs.

Through this journey, he discovers novelty and relatability in diverse cultures by reflecting on his upbringing in a Maharashtrian household. He navigates the inevitable boredom of solo travel and the anxiety of uncertainty, ultimately seeking belongingness in the most unfamiliar of places.

From Pinecones to Podi is a raw, unfiltered backpacker’s gaze at contemporary India, about learning to read people beyond language, understanding food beyond ingredients, hearing stories beyond regions and, most importantly, finding a sense of home away from home.

Indrajeet More is a Mumbai-based film-maker and illustrator who loves documenting people, languages, food and cultures. In 2021, he completed his BA in philosophy from Ramnarain Ruia College. After four years of directing food shows, travel series and sketch comedies for a Marathi content platform, he transitioned to independently creating content. His works range from films, comics and writing.

From working as a bartender at a hostel in South Goa to filming the daily life of a seventy-year-old Himachali weaver, learning tango in Auroville, painting walls in Varanasi, sharing food with fellow passengers on train journeys, pretending to work in cafes and following camel herders of the Thar desert—backpacking fuels Indrajeet’s curiosity and helps him understand people with more empathy.

Solo is his debut book. You can reach him at indrajeetm22@gmail.com. He also shares his journey stories on Instagram @my_blue_backpack and showcases his work on www.indrajeetmore.com