It was a nervous moment when we swung open the front door, dumping the box I was carrying and IKEA bag full of clothes on the empty floor. It would be the first of many trips hauling our belongings into our new home, but on my back was the most precious of cargo, Willow.

I unzipped her travel backpack and she gingerly stepped out, sniffing her new surroundings. What if she hates it? I thought to myself. This wasn’t like renting; we had bought this place! How lucky we are, but what if Willow isn’t happy here?

Willow got to work conducting her perimeter check, inspecting all nooks and enclaves, examining all points of entry, and assessing potential nap spots (there weren’t many yet.) I got to work unpacking the van.

It had been 8 months since we arrived in Perth and transitioned from living in our van to a rented little flat in a busy complex. Ordinarily, it would be a stressful day when your rental agent tells you that the owner is now selling the property and kicking you out at the end of your lease, but just the day before, our offer to purchase a property in a nearby suburb was accepted. But our luck didn’t end there; the new owner was happy for us to break lease without penalty meaning we could move in soon after we settled our new place.

Now, things didn’t quite go quite as smoothly as I’ve made out, in fact, we nearly lost the property due to our lender messing up our finance application, and not to mention the difficulty of finding it to begin with. Fortunately, another lender came to our aid at the last minute and saw us through to settlement. But let’s forget about all that!

Willow finished her inspection and I set up the camp chairs in the living room; it would be 6 weeks before our new couch would arrive. Willow started her ‘feed me’ meows and I knew that she had accepted her new home. Of course, she is adaptable, she’s travelled all over Australia after all. After her meal she fell asleep on my jumper on the middle of the empty floor.

It only took three loads with the van to get all our stuff into our new home. Though, I did get some help with the washing machine and an outdoor table I had bought of the FB marketplace for $40.

Now it’s been 6 weeks since we moved in and we are finally feeling at home. Living in a van for so many years changes your perception of what you need to live comfortably, and that’s good because we couldn’t afford to live any other way. It’s one bedroom, but it’s spacious. There’s even a little courtyard for Willow to spend the afternoons (once we get some cat netting set up).

Our couch arrived and the three of us spend the evenings relaxing on it. We have had to buy a few bits and pieces but I’m happy that I have been able to build a bench/shoe rack, desk, and mirror/shelf, along with restoring an old shelf and table. It’s these little touches that really make it feel like home to me, and it’s a lot cheaper than buying new!

And how does Willow feel?

Willow is really happy, especially with the new couch where she can be found sleeping most of the time. But she has one little problem: the guy next door.

It could have been the start of a beautiful friendship, or even love at first sight, but no. There was no kiss and Willow’s hiss sealed the deal to express her displeasure at meeting her new neighbour.

Oh Willow, you’ll never make friends that way!

Now that we have our home base don’t think for a moment that our van adventures are going to come to an end. Even if it’s just an afternoon at the beach, Willow will always be a travelling cat. In fact, we have some new adventures planned very soon including a visit to Western Australia’s most spectacular wildflowers (they really have to be seen to be believed.)

But right now, we are taking a deep breath in and appreciating this new start.

Willow has settled into her own routine; every evening when Steph and I sit down to eat we have to pull out a chair for her so she can sit with us. Of course, she enjoys a little treat off the table but I think it’s the time together with the three of us that she treasures most, just as she has done most nights over the past 10 years of our adventures around Australia.

* * *

Thanks for reading our latest story! We are very lucky to now have a home base in Perth, especially one that we can’t be kicked out of! We’ve got lots of adventures coming up, and even some old stories for you that I thought I’d lost.

Can’t wait to share them with you!