I grew up in a small place where my world was limited. Home to school was just a 500-meter walk, and college was 6 km away. That was my routine. Once a year, we would visit Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh or my grandma’s place near the state border. Travel was not a big part of my life.
Internships took me to Chennai, Tamil Nadu, that was my first real exposure outside. Even then, it was mostly work and back.
In 2025, things started to change. I went on a one-week college trip to Kerala. It was a simple trip,beaches, houseboats, and time with friends. In the middle of it, I got a call for the SWAR Fellowship first-round interview.
After returning, I completed my exams and travelled to Bangalore, Karnataka for the interview. It was my first time there, new city, new experience, but I managed it.
Around 20 days later, I got selected.
I travelled to Pune, Maharashtra to join the fellowship. This time, I went alone. No family, no familiar faces, just figuring things out on my own. From there, I was placed in Sukma, Chhattisgarh for my work.
Travel slowly became part of my routine. Once, I went to Odisha to help a sick friend return home. While travelling back, I spent time in Hyderabad, Telangana and Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, waiting for buses and managing everything by myself.
For my midpoint training, I travelled to Delhi.
During this journey, I stayed with people from different backgrounds. Food habits changed, languages were different, and not everything was easy to understand. Some days were uncomfortable, some confusing, but I adjusted.
Over time, places stopped feeling unfamiliar.
Looking back, my world moved from a few kilometers to multiple states, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Telangana, all within one year. Not because I planned it that way, but because I said yes to opportunities and handled things as they came.
You don’t always know what you’re capable of until you step into something new.
For me, it started with small steps, and somehow turned into this journey.
Me, I, I am, myself.
iVolunteer Blog - everything about volunteering 