Nicholson had planned a months-long solo bike trip through Europe and Asia, but he ended up with a furry sidekick ( 死 党 ). While cycling through Bosnia in southeastern Europe, he noticed a tiny gray-and-white kitten running after him, meowing for him to stop. He decided to take her to a vet in the nearest town to see if anyone had lost their pet. No one had, so he placed her in the basket attached to the front of his bike and pedaled toward the border of Montenegro. The kitten tried to escape, but not to run away: She just wanted a better seat.
"She climbed up my arm and fell asleep on my shoulder behind my neck," said Nicholson, who previously worked as a welder(焊工) in a fish factory. "'That was the moment, 'I thought, 'she's going to come around the world with me, ' because I fell in love with her instantly."
Since their encounter, the pair have visited more than 20 countries. Nala, whom Nicholson named after the lioness in The Lion King, even has a passport. While Nicholson pedals, Nala naps in the basket, on a bed of clothes and pillows, or hangs her paws over the side, causing strangers on the street to stare in wonder.
"Having her opens up so many conversations with people," he said. "It's a talking point." Nicholson and Nala spent their first winter together in Santorini, a Greek island. After Greece, they biked through Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
During their stay in Hungary, Nicholson finished his book about their adventures called Nala s' World: One Man, His Rescue Cat, and a Bike Ride Around the Globe.
This fall, they arrived in Austria where Nicholson plans to stay until spring, when he hopes that they can head to Russia and eventually Thailand. One of Nicholson's main reasons for picking Thailand is that he really wants to drink from a coconut. Now he may have to order two.
