Moving to a new city can mean leaving behind familiar surroundings, routines and people. But for Thejaswini Reddy, moving across cities at different stages of her life became a journey of learning, independence and personal growth. From Bengaluru, where she was introduced to new languages and cultures as a child, to Hyderabad, where she experienced independent living for the first time, and later Dubai, where she discovered the value of professional networking, each city left her with a different lesson. Reddy recently shared her experience in a video posted on Instagram through her account @journeyswithvisandtej, explaining how these three places shaped the way she sees the world and approaches life.
Bengaluru opened up a world beyond her village
Reddy’s journey began in Andhra Pradesh, where she was born and studied in a Telugu-medium school. Her life changed when her family moved to Bengaluru when she was 10. Describing the move, she said, “I did not learn how to be an adult until I moved to a new city and had to do my own laundry. Here are three cities that I lived in which shaped who I am. First, Bengaluru. I was born in a small village in Andhra, and I was studying in a Telugu-medium school. At the age of 10, my family shifted to Bengaluru, and I was suddenly introduced to so many languages, cultures and people.” For Reddy, Bengaluru was more than just a change of address. It exposed her to a much wider world at an age when her experiences had largely been shaped by life in her village.“Bengaluru literally showed me the world when my world was literally my village,” she said. The experience also highlights how moving to a different environment during childhood can introduce people to new communities, languages and ways of life, sometimes influencing how they view the world as they grow older.
Hyderabad taught her everyday independence
Her next major move came when she took up a job in Hyderabad. Reddy said she had always wanted to experience living away from home, particularly because she had not lived in a hostel during college. “I never had a hostel experience during my college days, so I always wanted to live in a different city. So, I took the first opportunity when I got a job,” she said. Hyderabad became the place where she began handling many everyday responsibilities on her own. From buying groceries and joining a gym to doing her own laundry, seemingly ordinary tasks became milestones in her journey towards independence.“This is also the city where I first joined a gym, bought my own groceries and also did my own laundry,” Reddy added. What may appear to be simple household routines became important markers of adulthood for her. Living independently meant making decisions, managing daily responsibilities and learning to take care of herself without relying on the routines she had grown up with.
Dubai changed how she viewed career opportunities
At 31, Reddy made another major move, this time leaving a stable job in India and relocating to Dubai with her husband. The transition was not easy professionally. She said she applied for numerous jobs through online portals but repeatedly received no response. “At the age of 31, I left my stable job back in India and followed my husband to Dubai. I literally applied to every job there was on the job portal, and I was only ghosted,” she said. Her breakthrough eventually came through a professional connection she had made years earlier. That experience changed her understanding of how career opportunities can emerge. “Eventually, I found a job through a connection whom I had made several years ago. This is where I first understood the power of networking,” she said.Reflecting on her journey, Reddy summed up what each city meant to her in the caption accompanying the video. “Bengaluru showed me the world beyond my small village in Andhra. Hyderabad taught me adulting through groceries, laundry and the gym. And Dubai taught me how networking actually works after getting ghosted on job applications. Three cities that shaped how I think.” Her story resonated with social media users, many of whom shared similar experiences of moving away from home and learning through new environments. One user wrote, “Every city teaches you something new.” Another commented, “It’s amazing how places shape who we become.” For Reddy, however, the three cities represent more than different chapters in her life. Together, they reflect how changing surroundings can shape a person’s confidence, independence and understanding of opportunities.
