You may have numerous things on your wishlist, but is selling all your belongings and traveling with your pet one of them?
Well, it was for Rich East. Strange, right?
We all have our jobs and daily responsibilities as top priorities, and there is no way we would give up everything just to go on an adventure with our favorite pets.
However, that’s not the case with Rich East!
You may not believe this, but it’s a true story. Rich is an Australian guy who quit his job and sold everything he owned just to travel along with his cat Willow.
Rich East & His Cat’s Journey
It was back in May 2015 when Rich East, an Australian travel enthusiast, woke up in the morning and had a strange idea.
Out of the blue, Rick decided to quit his job, sell his house and all of his stuff and travel with his adventure cat, Willow.
The exploration of Rich and Willow ‘The Van Cat’ around beautiful Australian suburbs began in a camper van.
Rich and Willow enjoy the wonderful view of Tasmania (Source: Rich’s Instagram)
Source: Rich’s Instagram
Source: Rich’s Instagram
The iconic duo of Rich and his little feline friend traveled more than 50,000 kilometers around Australia. By February of 2017, the unusual pair made it to South Australia and marked the official completion of traveling to 6 states and 2 territories of the only continent-country.
While the world was wondering how a person can leave all his belongings to travel with a cat, Rich was enjoying every bit of his adventure with his travel pet pal.
Willow with his tracking collar that reads her own name (Source: Rich’s Instagram)
Source: Rich’s Instagram
Source: Rich’s Instagram
Source: Rich’s Instagram
In the journey, Willow was stuffed with a tracking collar that made it easy for Rich to get track of her every time.
Rich And Willow’s Adventure Highlights
Rich left his hometown of Hobart, Tasmania with his travel cat some four years ago. Since then, they have traveled to numerous destinations throughout Australia.
The duo sailed through the Great Barrier Reef, enjoying a peaceful stroll around the world’s biggest single structure formed by living organisms.
The adventure buddies also camped on mountains in the Northern Territory and Burketown, Queensland. Willow looked relaxed even when passing through thousands of kilometers of gravel roads. She looked as if she found more comfort in the snow-capped mountains than on her bed in Rich’s residence.
Rich and his rescue cat while on Northern NSW road trip (Source: Rich’s Instagram)
Source: Rich’s Instagram
Source: Rich’s Instagram
Since Rich decided to adapt to life on the road, Willow has always been keen to explore around the camp. The iconic travel pair has well and truly settled into the traveling life with regular walks around forests and beaches, soaking up all the pleasures of nature.
Rich feels that he couldn’t have imagined being on this trip without his pet friend. Willow’s company gave his adventure more amusement and bliss.
When Rich looks back at this strange decision a few years down the line, he may not feel any regret. Instead, he will remember this as the beginning of the best journey of his life.
Rich’s Take On The Journey
With a pretty unique and pleasant adventure, Rich feels much happier when someone texts him saying that his and Willow’s travel photographs brightened their day. This motivates him to continue what he and his pet friend have been doing.
Rick easily left his house and job, but he couldn’t say goodbye to his little cat. That single decision to take his pet with him resulted in making his adventure a unique one.
Rich and Willow enjoy their time together on the journey (Source: Rich’s Instagram)
Source: Rich’s Instagram
Source: Rich’s Instagram
Rich feels lucky and proud to have a travel buddy like Willow. She is the one who made his van a home and the whole of Australia their own backyard.
Conclusion
There is plenty to take from Rich and Willow’s unusual adventure. This true story shows how well human and animals can bond and share an incredible adventure together. It is also a story of how loyal a pet can be, even in your decision to leave everything behind and bask in the beauty of nature.
If you are inspired by stories of adventures, you will be motivated by the adventurous story of Rich and his pet cat too. We are encouraging people to quit their jobs, sell everything, and go for an adventure, just take this as a motivation and follow your dreams wisely.
