In the realm of wandering and discovering, Marina Kalogeropoulou acts as the lighthouse for adventure. Born in the beautiful city of Athens, her eventful journey brought her to her current residence in Vienna. Together with her husband, Marina has followed the Nomad way of life, soaking up a wide variety of cultures and landscapes around the globe.

Still, apart from worldly pleasures, it is in the company of her beloved feline companions that her heart finds solace and cheer. Marina resides with her husband and a beautiful family of five cats. Each of them is very special to her person, enriching her life with special moments.

Among them is this marvelous cat, Aria, who does not see but fights for survival day by day. Together with Musou, Sasha, Tuco, and Berlin, they complete her daily life puzzle.

Come with us to discover the adventurous, yet challenging, life of Marina. From her thrilling travels across the globe to sweet and companionable stories involving her furry, five-member family.

I have five cats, and though I wanted to have a pet, my parents did not. So, when I went out on my own, the first chance I got, I decided to adopt my very first cat. It wasn't an accidental choice; I wanted a more self-sufficient animal since I travel a lot, so I went for cats.

My first cat is Musou, now 8.5 years old, a diva who doesn't want much interaction with anyone except me, and even then, she complains if I disagree with her. My second cat is Sasha, probably 9 years old since she came from an animal welfare organization, so her age isn't certain. She has been the most independent of all and has had the most tendency to escape. Then there is Tuco, 7 years old, a huge and chubby cat, though he happens to be the biggest momma's boy, the most fearful of them all. Then Berlin-5 years old, sweet-my husband's favorite cat-or rather, my husband is Berlin's favorite. And last but not least, Aria, 4 years old, blind, yet the liveliest and smallest.

Well, from the first cat to the second, I was quite anxious and did the transition very slow, but after more experience, I was cool. I think cats feel our emotional condition, so when I started acting cool, the cats just got the message that we are all living together now, and that is how it is going to be, and they accepted it. Sure, there are moments of tension, with slaps or some chasing as part of the program, but generally, they coexist very well together.

Oh, honestly, I wouldn't be original in saying that there are many. We laugh a lot when they get into boxes, bags, hide behind the curtains, and act like we can't see them. But for me, the funniest and most endearing thing is that they have learned how to get into bed and lie on the pillows, properly covered, when it's bedtime at night.

Our daily life is easy mainly because we have accepted the cats in our lives and respect them. It became automatic now-feeding, cleaning litter, being careful with doors and windows so that no one escapes. They do require a lot of care, though, and effort; however, since it was our decision to make it happen, I embraced it as part of our daily routine. And, of course, cuddles and hugs are never missing, and we all sleep together at night.

Surprisingly not, but that depends on the person and how much they are bothered by fur. I have a handheld vacuum always available. I also have a robot vacuum that runs once (or twice) a day, and beyond that, I've chosen clothes, fabrics, and furniture that don't 'catch' fur. Like, for example, there are only 2-3 pieces of black clothing, and carpets which need frequent brushing. If I could mention one, it would be that the biggest challenge for me is to give each cat the attention and care they need and not overlook any of them or miss any signs of illness, as my attention is not exclusively focused on one cat.

How easy is it, and how costly? To travel within the EU by plane, an animal needs to have a chip, a passport, a valid rabies vaccine, and a vet examination confirming it is healthy enough to travel. They had chips before, but everything else had to be done from scratch, and imagine I had to do it five times. And since I have an excellent vet in Athens, and of course, due to the difference in economic sizes, before leaving I made sure to do all the preventive examinations, blood tests, and dental cleanings for them. Well, the process took me almost two months, and it was a stressful period, and I was so stressed that one time I even got confused and took the same cat for a vaccine twice, and the vet said, 'Why did you bring him again?

For travel, we chose the cargo area of the plane because when an animal is taken into the cabin, it is exposed to airport security and has to be removed from the cage, so we were unable to deal with that process. On the plus side, though, with the special cages made for flying on an airline, two animals may travel together, so we would only need three boxes. And the airline charges by box only.

The difference is enormous. First of all, there are NO stray animals at all, which is a huge psychological change for me not to see the unprotected, hungry and sick animals on the streets and not to be able to help them all (that's how I ended up with five cats). But more importantly for me was how easy it was to find the house, which accepts them. Practically all landlords accept pets in apartments. I was also impressed by how all the people with a pet have nets on balconies and windows and house cat-proof. The dogs have to wear muzzle on public transport, while owners pay an annual fee of about €100 to the municipality.

Aria, due to the fact that she was born blind because of an infection before the opening of her eyes, has never seen the world and consequently has no idea of danger, and she is the most curious and crazy of all. She learned her space perfectly and moves so well that sometimes we joke that she might be fooling us and can actually see. She climbs everywhere to the highest spots in the house. When a chair is displaced or a door is closed, one needs to be careful, but in general terms-advice-it's all no different from the others.

Cats, unlike dogs, bond with their space and feel good there. They get more stressed with moves, so I have chosen the pet sitter solution. And in Greece and now in Austria, my experience has been very positive since the sitter feeds them, cleans the litter, refreshes the water, and plays with them. Moreover, I feel safer having someone check the space daily to ensure everything is okay. I prefer a professional and not a relative/friend because they are more experienced in handling a situation such as preventing them from running away when opening the door, and because it's a profession and not a 'favor', they will also take on the 'dirty work' of cleaning.

Firstly, one cat should be adopted because there is no greater happiness than to be loved by a cat. Secondly, two cats together should be adopted because they provide much stimulation for each other and companionship for times when their owner is away from the home. It's a big decision and commitment, and they need to think it through properly and treat the cats as equal members of the family and household.