Maybe I spoke too soon. And maybe I shouldn’t have mocked Noxy about having an accident in his cage.
Because hours and hours and hours later, I just couldn’t hold it anymore. And with a long, pitiful, humiliated groan, I let loose.
O-o-o-o-h.
There’s nothing worse than sitting in your own pee. For more than an HOUR.
Because the first gas station bathroom we visited to clean me up had a broken bathroom door. And the second one wouldn’t let cats in. And the first pet-friendly hotel was too disgusting to check in to. And the second was an hour and a half away.
She dried me off ni the litter box
And once we got there, I had to endure the worst experience in life: a BATH. As soon as I could, I leaped from the bathtub, soaking wet, right into the litter box, where I proceeded to cover myself with cat litter that stuck to my wet fur. Then I shook it all off, spraying Mommy and Grammy with a sweet combination of water, wet litter and pee. I showed them!
Then Mommy took a shower.
And Grammy and PopPop (Lisa and Bob) had to go wash every blanket in the car (which were under the cage) AND the seat cover. Because my pee dripped down onto my brother’s cage underneath me – PopPop had us stacked double-decker and strapped into the car. But PopPop said that seat cover was amazing. It did a great job of protecting the actual seat of our new truck.
So I was half wet and miserable, but my mommy was there, and I cuddled her. And I head-butted her a lot. And I slept next to her.
And I made sure I used the litter box before I got into the car the next morning.
Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, is chronicling her journey from her house in Colorado across the United States and to Mexico, with a little help from her owner, Lexie Greenawalt.
Yesterday was my first day on the road. I don’t like my cage. I detest it. Then they put me in that big gray box with wheels. I think they call it a truck. And it started moving.
I don’t feel good. I cried and I cried and I cried. They couldn’t see me panting so I cried louder. Whenever they weren’t paying attention to me, I screamed so they would keep paying attention to me.
I think I really upset my dad.
Then Noxy had diarrhea. Fortunately, it didn’t happen until we arrived at the hotel.
That’s me on top. Noxy is underneath.
I didn’t have to stay in the same room as Noxy and Kaylee, because I would have taken my anger out on the kitten.
But I had my own room with Mommy and I cuddled her a lot and head-butted her in the middle of the night. She brought her own quilt and I slept on it.
I know Grandma, in the other room, had to clean out Noxy’s cage and give him a bath. I hate baths.
Now it’s morning and we’re back on the road again. Noxy is in the cage under me. He doesn’t smell too bad. Oops, now he does.
I’m still panting, but I can see the outside and it’s pretty. And flat. And there are a lot of cows. And wind turbines. And fields. And sky. And that’s about it.
So I’m crying less. But I’ll probably cry later.
Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, is chronicling her journey from her house in Colorado across the United States and to Mexico, with a little help from her owner, Lexie Greenawalt.
Kaylee had the best view
Noxy was on the bottom
I was the dominant cat on top
Kaylee staked her claim to backpacks and suitcases
Mommy finally let us out of the bathroom. We’ve been in here all day snarling at each other. Well, once I was locked out on the catio.
But now we’re out.
Wait, what? Everything is gone. The mountains of boxes are gone. The big bed is gone. All the pillows are gone.
I wander to the laundry room, and the laundry baskets are still there for me to sleep in. Thank goodness! And a few cat toys here and there.
My mommy Lexie is still here. But her bed is gone.
And why do they keep feeding us in the cat carriers? It’s suspish. I don’t think I like this.
I think I’ll go nap in the clean laundry.
Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, is chronicling her journey from her house in Colorado across the United States and to Mexico, with a little help from her owner, Lexie Greenawalt.
If you’re going to turn retirement into an adventure, you better have picked the right partner. I know I did.
I met Bob Greenawalt through the New York Flyers Running Club in early 1993. I went to the meeting place for a speedwork class in an old convent a half block from Central Park in Manhattan, and he was the first person I saw. During our first conversation, we covered all the places we had skied, and he talked about how he was going to Alta the next week. I had just been skiing in Sestriere, Italy, the previous month.
We became fast friends, and over the next few months, we trained for a partner ten-miler in Central Park together, went for long bike rides across the George Washington Bridge and up the Palisades along the Hudson River on the New Jersey side. We took trains to Garrison, NY, and rode 38-mile loops across Bear Mountain.
Puerto Rico
Bob atop a 14er
When I moved to Puerto Rico to become a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press, he quit his job and came down for the adventure. Mind you, he had already lived in Germany for 4 ½ years.
Family travel
After we got married and started pursuing the adventure of marriage and parenthood, we took our two children traveling from the start. Canada. England. Germany. France. The Dominican Republic. Puerto Rico. Mexico.
Adventurous spirit
Over the past 9+ years in Colorado, he has ridden a number of mountain passes, and has climbed 26 14ers (mountain2 14,000 feet or higher).
So it’s not a surprise that this is a man who will embark on a true adventure of exploring the world with me now!
Jingle jingle. Scratch. Why won’t this thing come off?
I was sitting on some pillows glaring at Kaylee when Grandma came into the room and stuck a red thing on my neck. It has a bell. It won’t come off.
I sound like a damn dog! I can’t sneak up on Kaylee and jump her anymore. True tragedy. (Well, actually, I can still jump her. I just can’t be sneaky about it.)
I made my displeasure known, and the bell was removed — but it was replaced by an almost-as-jingly plate. That, however, is better, because it can fit in my mouth. Chomp. I’m leaving my mark on the thing with my sharp teeth.
(P.S. I think I saw my name on the plate before I started chomping. And maybe a phone number. And I see that Kaylee has a turquoise one and Noxie has a blue striped one. So perhaps they just don’t want to lose me.)
Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, is chronicling her journey from her house in Colorado across the United States and to Mexico, with a little help from her owner, Lexie Greenawalt.
I am the only cat in the house with all of my teeth. Which is good, because I need my teeth for my two favorite activities: eating and murder.
When I get stressed, I like to use those teeth on Kaylee and Noxie when they come close to me. And I also yawn, which is really, really cute, apparently. And I can show all of my teeth.
This morning I chased Kaylee all around the living room and I think we knocked some stuff over but I really don’t care.
And then I jumped Noxie, and I jumped on him and wrapped my claws around him, and then I got shoved away by my mommy’s big foot.
But what am I supposed to do? All these boxes and paper and everything moving around and mess everywhere is making me really anxious.
And I like to relieve my anxiety with murder.
I lick
Look at my shiny teeth
My trophy from Kaylee
Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, is chronicling her journey from her house in Colorado across the United States and to Mexico, with a little help from her owner, Lexie Greenawalt.
I can fit in them. I can fit in all sizes of boxes. It doesn’t matter if I can’t technically fit in the box.
I love boxes.
More boxes have been coming into the house. Some have crinkly brown stuff in them. It makes fun noises when I jump into it and play with it.
Sometimes Noxie and Kaylee want to come into my boxes. But no! They are MY boxes! I will kill them if they try.
I love boxes.
Inspecting
Well, I also like bags
Bubble wrap is fun, too
I’m keen on books
I really love books
I don’t care how small they are
Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, is chronicling her journey from her house in Colorado across the United States and to Mexico, with a little help from her owner, Lexie Greenawalt.
That’s it, we’re doing it. Our oldest child Aryk is off at university in England. Our youngest child Gavin has just graduated from high school. Rather than be empty nesters, my husband Bob and I are stepping off the treadmill and hitting the road to spend the next decade or two exploring the planet.
The family in London
Our oldest child Aryk is off at university in England. Our youngest child Gavin has just graduated from high school. Rather than be empty nesters, my husband Bob and I are stepping off the treadmill and hitting the road to spend the next decade or two exploring the planet.
We are relatively young and healthy, and the stock market has done good things with our investments over the last few years. So we are renting out our house just outside Denver, putting our stuff in storage, and packing up a few suitcases, three cats, our daughter (for a gap year) and our musical instruments and heading south of the border to explore Mexico for the next few years. We plan to spend three months at a time in different communities, mixing up cities, mountains, coast and historic pueblos, to really get beyond just a taste of this glorious country.
I know people think we’re crazy. Whenever I tell them the plan, they look at me uncomprehendingly.
Why are we doing this?
Because travel opens your eyes and heart in ways nothing else can.
Because meeting all kinds of different people expands your horizons.
Because learning a new language stretches your mind and keeps your brain supple.
Because settling in one place forever feels limiting.
Because the ocean is beautiful and the mountains are glorious.
Because thanks to social media we can stay connected to old friends and dear communities while we make new friends and create new communities.
Because Mexico has a low cost of living and high quality of life.
Because … salsa and mole sauce.
Because … bougainvillea and pelicans.
Because … waves and reefs.
Because … whales and dolphins.
Because … ruins and festivals.
Because … the Day of the Dead and Three Kings Day.
Because … tequila and mezcal.
When we’re done with Mexico, we plan to move on to Central America and South America.
When we’re done with Central America and South America, we’ll give the cats back to the kids, ditch the truck, fly across the pond (Atlantic Ocean) and begin exploring the rest of the planet.
Because life is short. And the world is big. Join us on the adventure!
Posted by Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt
