Moving Countries

aka The Fear, The Excitement, and Papaya’s Reluctant Adventures

So, let’s talk about moving countries again. Yes, again. By now, you’d think I’d be used to it. The thrill of a fresh start, new places, new people, and that little adrenaline rush from stepping into the unknown. For me, the excitement has always outweighed the fear. Seriously, the unknown? It’s like a rollercoaster—equal parts terrifying and exhilarating, but I keep getting back in line.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not completely fearless. I do have those moments of “I hope all this works out”—mostly about the logistics: paperwork, immigration, the whole “please, let this visa not be a disaster” thing. Oh, and once upon a time, I used to worry about the language barrier. Now? That’s no longer an issue. But let’s be real: those who worry suffer twice, right? So, next time I’ll try not to worry. (Hah, let’s just call that a nice lie.)

But this time around, I have a new source of worry: my cat, Papaya. Yes, you heard that right—Papaya. She’s adorable, fluffy, and has absolutely zero interest in traveling. She’s the kind of cat who looks personally offended when she’s in a car for more than ten minutes. Now, imagine her in her little backpack, on a plane, for hours and hours. Hours. She’s going to be thrilled. (Spoiler: she won’t be.)

Princess Papaya

As much as I’m pumped about the new adventure, all I can picture is Papaya giving me that “I will remember this betrayal forever” look as we board the plane. She doesn’t care about visas, she cares about comfy spots where she doesn’t move. So yeah, this time, the fear isn’t about whether I’ll adjust or whether I’ll survive another round of paperwork. It’s whether my cat is going to plot my demise when we finally land. But hey, we’re in this together, right? (Send treats. And maybe a tiny cat therapist.)

So, there you have it—another adventure on the horizon, with a sprinkle of excitement, a dash of fear, and a whole lot of cat-related concerns. But, like always, I’ll dive in headfirst and figure it out as I go (because that’s just my style).

Let’s flow forward, wherever the next move takes us—and to keeping Papaya’s travel trauma to a minimum. Stay tuned for the next chapter in this wild ride, and if you’ve got any tips for cat travel that won’t result in feline mutiny, I’m all ears!