It's easy to say you love travelling, but what if you have to fund all your trips yourself? Would your wanderlust see you through it? Alekhya Reddy's certainly did. "I have lost track of the number of jobs I have had," says Alekhya, who did odd jobs, like giving out promotional pamphlets, as a student of St Francis College For Women in Hyderabad to backpack her way through India. "I actually never knew I would be this person today, with a non-traditional job. Everything just happened," says the 27-year-old.

With a disclaimer, she adds that she is able to lead the kind of life she wants only because she is not expected to financially contribute at home 

And by this person, she is referring to not just what she does for a living, but the way she lives now. Alekhya works on a freelance basis for a consultancy which requires her to travel across the state of Telangana and teach in schools. "I chose to teach in government schools because I get to travel to internal parts of the state," she explains. This experience has changed Alekhya in more ways than one. "Earlier, I used to struggle a lot to keep up with trends, whether it's the latest clothes or visiting the latest hangout spots, but now, I don't feel the need to," says Alekhya, sounding very Zen-like. Which doesn't mean she doesn't like shopping at H&M and going to happening places, the only difference is now, she doesn't feel compelled to do them. 

I am hardly home nowadays, I am either travelling or working in remote areas 

Alekhya Reddy, Freelancer | (Pic: Alekhya Reddy)

Talking about teaching underprivileged students, this youngster who holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, says, "The kids have immense respect for you and have a wonderful way of showing it." She shares how when she was teaching in Vijayawada, she wanted to visit the nearby Kondapalli known for its toys, but had no clue how to go about it. "The kids, who had never been there, found out exactly how I should travel, where I should go and everything else and I was so touched," says Alekhya, almost brimming with gratitude. And this is how she chooses to live her life, with gratitude for all the travelling she gets to do and for the opportunities that make it happen.  

Going places
The places that really changed Alekhya's life were:

Alekhya at Chalal, sitting by the Parvati river

After a particularly difficult personal time, this girl made her way to Chalal in Himachal Pradesh. Sitting by the Parvati river and looking at the huge mountains, she felt like her problems were rather insignificant   

What a view

According to Alekhya, this is the best view of Taj Mahal