About us · The Pet Compass
Hi, I'm Alicia 👋I quit my job three times. And never regretted it.
Alarm, office, evening, weekend. And somewhere in between, a quiet question: Is this really all there is? For me it got so loud that I quit my safe job three times.
Today I travel through Mexico with my rescued cat Zayan and my little dog Lola. How did a one-way ticket turn into a whole new life? Come along, I'll tell you everything.
- 🇨🇭 From Switzerland
- ✈️ Quit 3 times
- 🌎 9 countries solo
- 🐈⬛ 🐕 Zayan & Lola
Resignation no. 3 ☎️Bye bye, office!
On the road · Solo
Around the world alone, with a backpack and my gut feeling
Before Zayan and Lola stumbled into my life, I traveled a lot on my own. With shaky knees at the airport, wet feet on a scooter and a pounding heart. Every one of those moments showed me: I can do more than I think.
A few memories from my pinboard ✈︎- 🇨🇭 Switzerland
- 🇻🇳 Vietnam
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- 🇪🇬 Egypt
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- 🇬🇹 Guatemala
- 🇵🇪 Peru
- 🇨🇦 Canada
“Traveling alone doesn't mean being lonely. It means getting to know yourself.”– Alicia
Approved ✦
Our story
One backpack, three resignations, six countries and two little furballs who changed everything.
Perfect on the outside. A quiet whisper inside.
A good job in real estate, my first own apartment, and by my side a former street cat I had once opened my door to. For six years he was my roommate and my comfort. I felt most alive dancing salsa and bachata. And every day that whisper got louder: There has to be more.
In 2020 I quit for the first time and moved back into my childhood bedroom. Some called it a step backwards. For me it was the first step out.
Sometimes you have to take a step back to get a running start.
Alone. Scared. And more alive than ever.
At a travel agency I planned other people's dream trips. Until I asked myself: what about mine? In 2022 I quit for the second time and bought a one-way ticket to Vietnam. Alone, with a backpack, for the very first time. Heart pounding.
From north to south: rice fields, limestone cliffs, pho on tiny plastic stools. And the biggest lesson: traveling alone doesn't mean being lonely.
Sunshine, BlaBlaCar and a stolen heart
Next came Spain, this time as a backpacker. By train and BlaBlaCar from Madrid through Córdoba, Sevilla and Málaga down to Tarifa, where I could see all the way to Gibraltar. Then up the coast via Valencia to Barcelona.
And Valencia? It stole my heart. ❤️
Sometimes you travel halfway around the world to find a piece of yourself.
No return flight. No plan. Just a feeling.
Back in Switzerland I had a safe full-time job again. Perfect on paper. But I no longer fit into my old life. In 2024 I quit for the third time and flew to Mexico on a one-way ticket.
Then came the hardest moment: three weeks after I left, my cat passed away peacefully of old age. And I was thousands of miles away. That night I made myself a promise: My life. My rules. From now on.
What followed: crossing Mexico by bus, jumping out of a plane over Playa del Carmen, Workaway at a hostel and house- & pet-sitting in Sayulita.
Lava, clouds and starry skies
4 a.m., almost 4,000 meters up, frozen toes and a cup of hot cocoa. And right in front of me, Fuego volcano spits lava into the night sky. On Acatenango in Guatemala I saw the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced.
In Peru I stood in front of Machu Picchu, a place I once only knew from travel agency brochures. And in Canada: a car, a friend, a tent and a sky full of stars.
I was no longer the one planning dreams for others. I was the one living my own.
And then they came. Two of them.
One backpack, no fixed home, no plan. A pet didn't fit into my life at all. Then, in San Luis Potosí, Zayan was waiting for me, a tiny black kitten, about six weeks old. And on the coast of Oaxaca came Lola, a little black puppy, just as small and just as young.
My head had a thousand reasons against it. My heart had already decided. Since then we've been a team of three. 🖤
Sometimes you don't find the animals you need. Sometimes they find you.
Why The Pet Compass exists
So your pet can come along
Backpacking with a cat and a dog? Buses, borders, flights, places to stay? At first I had a thousand questions: How do I get my pet used to a carrier? Which documents do I need? Where are we welcome?
I collected my answers and wrote them down. That's how The Pet Compass was born: beautifully designed guides for everyone who doesn't want to leave their furry friends behind. And yes, Zayan always travels safely in his cat carrier backpack. 🖤
What you'll find here
Printable guides from our life on the road, made for dogs and cats, not just one of them.
THE WHOLE STORY
One-Way Ticket – my big e-book
Dreaming of a big adventure, but scared to let go of your safe life?
- My whole story: 3 resignations, 6 countries, 2 rescued furballs
- Quitting your job, budget, visas & admin checklist
- Solo female travel: safety & trusting your gut
- 6 country guides + traveling & adopting with a dog or cat
📄 150+ pages · US Letter & A4 · Instant download
Thank you for being part of our journey ❤️
Sometimes a journey doesn't just lead you to new places – it leads you home.
We are not vets. Our guides share experience and knowledge from life on the road and do not replace veterinary advice.