My cat helped me rebuild my life as we traveled and lived in a camper van. Without her, I would have never met my wife.
In 2014, I left my old life behind to travel around Australia with my cat, Willow.
Willow supported me as I rebuilt my life, and in 2016, I met Steph.
Nearly eight years later, Steph and I are married, and the three of us are still traveling.
I often catch myself contemplating the chain of decisions that have led me to this place in my life. The inescapable reality is that none of it would have been possible if it wasn't for my black cat, Willow.
It all started when an idea was planted in my head. For a long time, I had been unhappy, depressed, and anxious. For 10 years, I had been walking in the wrong direction without questioning where I was going, chasing someone else's dreams. I had a promising career in IT, a long-term relationship, and a nice house, but I was miserable and burned out. It all had to go, and that meant tearing my life apart to discover the essence of what it really means to me to live.
In 2014, I quit my job, sold my house, and bought a camper van. I wanted to live on the road and travel around Australia. I decided to take my cat with me, not knowing how important that decision would be.
I left behind everything that stood in my way — except Willow
What happened over the next year could possibly be the world's most well-planned midlife crisis. I got some therapy, broke up with my girlfriend, handed in my notice, sold my house and all my stuff, and started building a camper van.
But there was one problem: my cat. She'd always been there to greet me when I arrived home and to sleep on my legs at night; she deserved more than to be dropped off at a shelter. My determination for creating a new life couldn't outweigh her companionship, so I decided to take her with me.
In our camper van, I built a little kitchen, cupboards to store my clothes, and an area for Willow's food and water bowls. Willow was with me for every step of the building process, exploring all the hiding spots as the van took shape.
The date of May 15, 2015, is etched into my mind; it's the day my life was split in two. It's the day Willow and I drove onto the ferry that would take us from our island home of Tasmania to mainland Australia.
I had no idea what an essential part of my journey this cat would become
As we traveled through the vastness of the Australian continent, we saw the Great Barrier Reef, the tropical savannas of Northern Australia, and the wildflowers of Western Australia. It was a joy to see Willow thrive on the road. The camper van became her safe space — as it did mine. She relished the air in her whiskers and the desert sand between her toe beans.
We forged our friendship on those dusty roads. If there was ever a moment I felt lonely, Willow was there for me. If it wasn't for her, I might have turned around.
On the road, I found the emotional space to discover what I truly wanted out of life. In caring for Willow, she taught me that I could love again, but most importantly, she taught me I could be loved again.
And then we met Steph
The truth is that I wasn't entirely sure what I was looking for when we hit the road all those years ago. But 18 months into our trip, things started to make sense when I met Steph in Perth, Western Australia. But Willow needed a little more convincing.
With Steph on a working visa and Willow and I heading for Destination Unknown, I took a chance and asked Steph to travel with us for a few months — a gesture that would forever alter the trajectory of our lives.
Steph embraced Willow and our unconventional living situation; Willow opened up to Steph eventually.
We soon fell in love, but Steph had to return to the UK when her visa was up. Over the next few years, she flew to Australia to meet up with Willow and me. Willow was our guide on several adventures.
Our futures remained undecided until three years later during a moonlit night at Rainbow Beach, Queensland, when I asked Steph to marry me. Not one to do things the conventional way, the next year, we got married on our stand-up paddleboard on a Brisbane reservoir among the water lilies.
Everyone was expecting us to settle down, but we had other plans
After three months on a blueberry farm, we returned to my hometown of Hobart, Tasmania, where I found a job at a local cat shelter. This was a profound moment because this was the same shelter Willow was from. This little cat had taken me all around Australia, brought me to my life partner, and had now led me to a new job.
It was there that I realized a career didn't have to be what I thought it was and that I could use my skills to help animal-welfare organizations across the country.
We have since left Hobart and the three of us are back on the road on a new adventure
As we embark on our next journey, Willow has now traveled over 60,000 miles. We don't really know where we're going, but we know we'll be together.
I don't think traveling is the cure for depression or for your life problems, but it gave me breathing space and a platform where I could reassess my life — with Willow's guidance, of course.
Rich East shares Willow's travel stories on his website vancatmeow.com
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