You know how travel always seems to create these unexpected moments of connection? Well, this one’s a story about books, YouTube inspiration, and the strange ways our interests sometimes intertwine.
So there I was in the Silicon Valley of India, on a Friday afternoon, trying to soak in the sights and sounds of the city. I was having an amazing time with my friends, taking random short videos to eventually make a reel or two later. We made our way to Blossoms, a popular bookstore located on Church Street in Bangalore. It wasn’t one of those polished chain stores but rather a place with character, books stacked from floor to ceiling, narrow aisles that required sideways shuffling and interesting wall art.
I was browsing through their fiction section when a particular spine caught my eye, John Steinbeck’s ‘Tortilla Flat.’ I pulled it out, and immediately my mind connected to Beau Miles’s YouTube video that I’ve been absolutely obsessed with. Beau is an Australian YouTuber who creates these incredibly unique documentary-style videos. What makes the ‘Tortilla Flat’ inspired video so captivating is how Beau weaves storytelling throughout the entire journey. There’s this beautiful randomness to it all, but it somehow forms this cohesive narrative that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking.
Standing there in that Bangalore bookstore, book in hand, I felt this incredible sense of connection across continents and mediums. Here I was finding a book that connected to a YouTube video made by an Australian guy inspired by an American author!
As someone trying to improve my own YouTube content, I’ve rewatched Beau’s video countless times, studying how he paces his storytelling, how he uses those gorgeous tracking shots of the landscape, the way he incorporates humour alongside deeper reflections. His editing style has this wonderful rhythm to it, lingering just long enough on certain moments before moving on, creating this perfect balance between showing the struggle of his journey and celebrating the joy of it.
I’m particularly drawn to how he doesn’t over-script things. There’s an authenticity to his narration that feels like he’s just chatting with you, sharing his thoughts as they come. Maybe what I appreciate most about Beau’s content, and what I’m trying to incorporate into my own work, is how he finds extraordinary stories in seemingly ordinary activities. He makes you care about eating only beans for 40 days! That’s storytelling magic right there.
So yeah, what started as a casual browse through a Bangalore bookstore turned into this beautiful thread connecting literature, filmmaking, and my own creative aspirations. That’s the kind of travel experience that sticks with you long after you’ve returned home.