I swapped Scots flat & my NHS job for life on the road in a converted van – now I travel the world
A HERO nurse who quit the NHS after the pandemic is now travelling the globe in an old van to help orphaned street animals.
Jen Stuchlak left the profession after the stress became too much to bear, and spent Christmas Day building an animal shelter in Sicily.
The 36-year-old, who spent over a decade in the NHS, revealed many of her former colleagues also quit after feeling exhausted and under-appreciated during lockdowns.
Jen and her husband Joey, 37, decided to swap their Glasgow flat for a cramped converted VW van to live a self-sustaining life on the road.
Jen said: “After Covid, it was difficult, and like a lot of others who went through it, we found ourselves reevaluating what was important to us and what we were doing was not where we wanted to be.
“We both really love animals and know how much these shelters need help which is why, after getting married in March, I left my job the next month and we were off.”
The couple, who built the van with solar panels, a shower and toilet, have so far travelled through Romania, Serbia and Italy, stopping at different animal shelters where Jen helps with medical treatment and Joey uses his woodwork skills to help out.
“Jen said: “We just show up unannounced, offer our help and people have welcomed us in.
“Living like this, we can get closer to experiencing life as if we live in the country, rather than as a tourist.”
The couple plan to travel indefinitely, with the hope of reaching Zimbabwe where they got married last March.
Jen added: “We spend as much time as possible helping animal shelters, that is our priority.
“Each country has really opened our eyes to how the animals are cared for.
“It is difficult to not want to adopt them all, especially the puppies.”