My life now is a little more seasoned and that’s just fantastic. I find that I am much more of my own person. I don’t really care about what anybody says or thinks. I’m true to myself and I think that’s a good place to be.
I am so excited to welcome Pat Wetzel to the CulturallyOurs podcast. Pat has such an incredible story and life journey and through out our conversation, she shared so many wonderful nuggets of life wisdom. You see, Pat has gone through a lot in life. In her own words, she says “I feel like I have lived several lifetimes in just this one life. From being a financial markets executive in New York, to flying sail planes in Lake Tahoe. And then cancer entered the scene and I feel like my life just took a rogue direction.”
In 2009, Pat was diagnosed with an incurable but manageable form of cancer at Stanford. She was told that while she had options she had to wait till research caught up to having a cure. So while she pursued traditional medicine and is considered to be in remission, she isn’t out in the clear just yet. “I live day by day and I’m very grateful for that”, she says. But Pat, being Pat, did not let that stop her from living life and doing something about her experience.
“I have always loved travel and adventure. Even when I was going through this turmoil, I still traveled. Travel gave me a sense of purpose and a sense of normalcy that I was missing.” So she decided to start an organization called Cancer Road Trip, a non-for-profit entity that provides free travel adventures to people going through cancer. Cancer Road Trip or CRT as it is called brings together leaders in mind/body wellness with a group of people who have been impacted by cancer. The group travels to an amazing destination and it is all captured on film and shared for education and inspirational purposes.
Pat is an absolute delight to speak with. Having lost my mom to cancer, I know what this journey is like, for people who go through it as well as people who stand by and walk alongside them. The emotional, mental and physical toll cancer takes on all those who have been affected is excruciatingly painful. Travel really does have the power to heal in so many ways and to use this medium to help others get back something in their lives that cancer takes away is truly special.
I know you are going to enjoy getting to know Pat on this episode of CulturallyOurs. And do check out Cancer Road Trip for ways you can help, sponsor or even just spread the word to anyone impacted by cancer. Considering that in the US alone, 1 in 2 women and 1 in 3 men will develop cancer in their lifetime, these types of services are very much needed.
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