11 States in 9 Months & Not A Single Penny

In today's times, we all long for some wanderlust in our lives, and there is just something magical about visiting a new place and exploring its charm and beauty for the very first time. But, so many things keep holding us back like work pressures and the most important one is - budget for the trip.

While money may have held most of us back away from making those travel memories, this man broke all shackles and travelled to 11 Indian states in just nine months, without a single rupee in his pocket! He literally did it all- from boarding trucks, minivans, motorcycles, cars, buses and even taking a flight once.

He wonderfully managed to cover all the six states of South India, including Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland and West Bengal.

So, Who Is This Man Who Made All Of This Possible?

Vimal, an engineering dropout, a poet, composer and a hitchhiker who can converse in almost five different languages is truly a symbol of inspiration. He followed his path right through his college days when he also used to have many motivational talks with people to follow their dreams and to always continue to live life to the fullest and on your terms.

Vimal stood by what he preached and embarked on this unique travelling adventure on 1st July 2016 from his hometown- Andhra Pradesh. He continued on this remarkable journey for almost nine months to set a beautiful example for all those who wish to quench the thirst of travelling but lack the finances to fund the same.

The Journey

Throughout the entire journey, Vimal would hitchhike, couch-surf, sleep on the railway stations, go camping, narrate stories or recite poems, whatever it would take to either get some food to eat, a place to sleep or get a ride to a place. On the road, he discovered and learned many new things from farming to snorkelling, and photography to even blogging!

His lovely journey is filled with amazing and interesting stories about unexpected acts of kindness. In one he speaks of how a businessman gave him a ride and invited him to stay over at a five-star hotel in Kozhikode.

While in contrast, Vimal also remembers a time when he met a man on the bus who invited him to stay in his home. The most humble part about the whole incident is that the entire family of four slept on the floor and offered Vimal the only bed in the house to sleep on.

Another fascinating anecdote was when Vimal’s phone was dead, and a German guy offered him an iPhone for free stating that he needed it more than him. After all these interesting incidents and amazing experiences, Vimal returned home with a bag full of extra things which he received from complete strangers through random acts of kindness and a metaphorical bag full of experiences to cherish for a lifetime!

What Comes Ahead?

Vimal had come up with a small startup in college by the name- ‘Smaya'. The main purpose of this firm was to bring people closer together by sending a notification that your friend is right in front of you and to connect to them rather than being preoccupied with your phone.

He further plans to give back to society and share his experiences giving inspiration and hope to all the aspiring travellers out there. In the first phase, he has opened his home to inviting travellers who pass by his town and city. He greets them with hospitality and lets them make the most of their travelling endeavours.

Whereas, in the second phase, he wishes to start a sort of a social enterprise that would make a broader impact on society going beyond the spectrum of just travelling. This dream owes to a specific incident that took place on his visit to Kolkata, where he came across the gruesome condition and struggles of sex workers. So he wishes, to make some changes in this unfortunate condition and many more situations through his social venture.

Traveller’s Takeaway

Don’t give up on your dreams and passions so easily and continue on your journey to travel.
Always have hope and speak to new people; you never know what you may learn and discover on your journey.
Be open to learning new things and embarking on new adventures.
Do share your experiences and give back to society any new experience or help that will make everyone's life better.