I adopted my calico cat, Mila, during the Covid lockdown in the summer of 2020 through an online adoption drive by a local shelter in Singapore. At a time when the world felt uncertain and small, she became my lifeline and best friend.

Mila has always led with her nose — inspecting every package I bring home, sniffing out creatures hiding in Singapore's tropical heat, and proudly presenting the occasional gecko as a gift. Watching her explore the world with such fearless curiosity was the first spark behind Milly.

When we moved from Singapore to San Francisco, I was overwhelmed. Mila meowed for the entire twenty-hour journey, then burst out of her carrier and immediately began exploring every corner of our new home as if she had always belonged there.

She taught me something I've been trying to say ever since: the not-knowing is the most exciting part.

This book is for every child (and grown-up) who has ever stood somewhere unfamiliar and felt that pull of curiosity about what might come next. Home can be wherever you make it, especially with the right companions by your side.