I'm a millennial living in Bengalaru, the Silicon Valley of India. I have my dream job in tech and get to spend 30% of my salary on travel, but there's a lot of pressure to be married.

• Kavya Dangda, 34, is an intellectual property lawyer in Bengaluru, India.
• She said she can travel because she has no liabilities such as a house, children, or a partner.
• Dangda has the exact job she wanted and loves being able to learn and grow in it.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kavya Dangda, a 34-year-old intellectual property lawyer based in Bengaluru, India about what it's like living and working as a millennial in her country. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I'm an intellectual property lawyer and I live in Bengaluru, India. Bengaluru is known as the Silicon Valley of India and I work for a tech company there.

I was excited to move to Bengaluru from Noida, India, in 2019, to start my first job after getting my Master of Laws (LLM). It took me a month to find my own apartment because it's difficult for single women to get housing in India. Luckily, I was able to room with a colleague in her apartment until I was able to have my own place.

I was happy to find a place that met all my requirements and was within my budget.

My parents want me to buy a house, but I'm at peace living in my rented apartment

My apartment community has a good landlord. It's in a gated community, located in a residential area, and it's close to my work. I spend about 20% of my income on rent, utilities, domestic help, and groceries.

My parents tell me to invest in a house, and I could with my current salary, but I feel that buying a house would tie me down. I love to travel and need flexibility in my life.

If I bought a house right now, I'd have to spend 30% to 40% of my income on just my EMI (mortgage). That's a big jump from what I currently spend on housing. If I have a partner that's also contributing financially, I'd feel more comfortable buying a house, but right now I find that scary and limiting for my lifestyle.

In India, work experience is more important than degrees

I got my Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from a public university in Delhi which was very affordable. My parents helped me pay for that degree so I didn't have to take out a loan. For my LLM, I got a full ride merit-based scholarship to a university in Singapore.

I wanted to get international experience, so I was excited to be able to go to Singapore. But, I got a lot of backlash for pursuing my LLM.

In India, work experience is more important than degrees. When I began working as a lawyer with my LLB, I made a meager salary that was below the poverty level. Over time, I got a significant raise by moving to a bigger law firm, but it still wasn't much.

When I quit my job to pursue my LLM, I was told I was committing career suicide

I lost two years of work-experience while getting my LLM, but I knew I wanted to specialize as an intellectual property lawyer, so I ignored everyone. After getting my masters, I felt highly qualified and was excited to get the exact job I wanted. Unfortunately, my starting salary was based on the salary I had at my last job with an LLB.

In my interviews, employers asked me why I took a break from work and interrupted my job growth. Getting my LLM wasn't a good enough reason for them. But, I worked hard. I knew I was highly qualified and highly capable. Overtime, my salary has increased. It's much higher than I would've earned with just a LLB and I have no regrets.

I'm able to save 20% of my salary and spend money on travel

Since I have no debt, I'm able to save and invest 20% of my salary. I work for private companies, so it's important for me to build up my retirement fund. I work with a financial advisor and an accountant to help me invest in mutual funds.

About 30% of my income goes into paying taxes. I use the remaining 30% of my money for going out with friends and traveling. Recently, I called my friend and asked her to go to Cambodia with me over the weekend. I bought tickets for the following Friday and flew to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat.

I have the privilege to be able to travel because I have no liabilities such as a house, children, partner, or parents to support. I always make sure I stay in a four or five star hotel or resort especially when traveling alone.

I need a partner who will embrace my lifestyle and not chop off my wings

It's not that I don't want to get married and have kids one day, but it's a want, not a need. I don't want to give up my freedom and my lifestyle to get married. I also don't want to have to quit my job to be a stay-at-home mom.

There's a lot of pressure for someone of my age to get married, but luckily I have supportive parents who pushed me to be independent and live life on my own terms.

I work 10-hours a day, but I love the work that I do. This is exactly the job I wanted when I went to law school and I love being able to learn and grow in it. I also love that it affords me the lifestyle to travel and spread my wings.

This story is part of a series called "Millennial World," which seeks to examine the state of the generation around the globe.