Worldly Women of Travel: Interview with Anita Patterson

The latest interview in our Worldly Women series features Anita Patterson.  We had the opportunity to meet in Siem Reap, Cambodia volunteering with Volunteers Building Cambodia and the JJoy Foundation. Anita’s curiosity, empathy, and passion are just a few of her wonderful traits.   I’m delighted to share Anita’s interview with you.

Per March 2025 Interview  

What first inspired you to travel?

For as long as I can remember I was always somewhat of what I would call an “explorer”.  As a kid growing up on a farm, we were blessed with a lot of ground to cover and I would often take walks finding “treasures” and just really enjoyed being outdoors.  As a family, we did do some traveling growing up, mainly to Mexico and the USA.  Honestly, though, I do feel that the desire to travel and explore is a genetic predisposition from my mom.  Something as little as never taking the same road home was just something we did, happy to see something new!  Even after her diagnosis of ALS and knowing she would die in likely five years or less, she “pushed” me to live out my dream of living abroad with my family for a year as she realized how important travel and experiences were.  I will be forever grateful for that lesson she unknowingly instilled in me at a very young age!

“In the World through which I travel, I am endlessly creating myself” – Frantz Fanon

This Frantz Fanon quote really resonates, as my life seems to be an ever-evolving winding road… ”In the World through which I travel, I am endlessly creating myself.”

What/where was your most meaningful trip?  Where was it and why was it meaningful?

For me, two distinct trips changed everything for me.  The first is the one I just referenced above, living abroad in Costa Rica for a year.  I had always had this desire to show my two children the world beyond their backyard and in 2012 that opportunity presented itself.  My husband at the time was working as a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan and was doing tours of one month on and one month off.  We found an extended family member to stay at the farm and off we went.  The kids attended school there, grades two and grade five.  I continued my role as a stay-at-home mom and then had the freedom to explore on weekends and evenings.  We had purchased a car there so basically every weekend I would load the kids up and off we went.  New sights, new experiences, new people, new foods…it all just lit my soul in ways I have a hard time conveying, and to see my children experience it was just icing on the cake.  An impact was made that year abroad on every one of us. Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns, but it did teach me to be resourceful, resilient, and independent, something I didn’t know I would need later on in life.

We returned to Canada to see my mom at every opportunity.  It wasn’t easy to follow your dreams while your parent was dying back home but seeing her face light up hearing all of the stories and seeing all of the pictures made every bit of my guilty conscience disappear.

Fast forward to 2018 and having lost both my parents and having been an integral part in their long-term care needs from the start of my mom’s ALS diagnosis in 2009 when my kids were only four and nine, followed by my dad’s endless heart attacks and strokes, etc. and the demise of my marriage in 2018 was hard, to say the least.  I think back to that time in my life and it all just feels cloudy, with sunny breaks some of the time.  By 2022 I was nearing the finish line with my divorce and the big 5-0 birthday was on the horizon.  I knew I needed to make this one count, and so as I always seem to do I booked a very last-minute solo adventure to Italy, with a room booked for only two nights and one tour booked.  It was a daunting thought in a lot of ways realizing I was truly on my own, a feeling I relished in a lot of ways, but one that scared the crap out of me as well.  That trip engrained in me that I could do hard things and still have fun doing it.  I met a wonderful tour guide while there and spent the better part of my time there being shown parts of Italy that many likely don’t see, eating wonderful food and drinking such good wine all while culminating a lasting friendship that allowed me to return to his family’s home to harvest olives.  The moral of the story is “do the shit that scares you”, because had I not taken that trip none of this would have been possible!

How have your experiences traveling impacted your perspectives/actions?

When I think back on all the traveling, I have done the experiences I have had along the way and the people I have met I truly think the one thing that travel has instilled in me is acceptance of others.  It is my core belief and one I stand strongly for is that it doesn’t matter where we live, what our ethnicity is, what our finances are like etc., we are all human beings and we seek to have a roof over our heads, food in our belly and to be loved and accepted.  When you approach life with that belief in your head you tend to be more gracious thoughtful and respectful towards others, finding ways to support and recognize those who are less fortunate.  I have been an active volunteer in helping others abroad when I can but my goal is to also apply those same desires closer to home.  You also learn very quickly when traveling is that we don’t necessarily have it all figured out.  I have visited many countries where time is slower, friends and family time matters, and being happy with so much less.  We have a lot to learn from those less fortunate than us, and travel is a wonderful reminder of that.

A quote I like surrounding this idea is “Learning to find happiness with less is true wealth.  Ultimately, we are the sum of our experiences and not the sum of our belongings.” – Unknown

What/where is next on your travel adventure list and why?

My next adventure will take me on one last volunteer build to Uganda with the Fuller Center for Housing, followed by some post-travel with a dear friend to photograph some gorillas and chimpanzees along with other native wildlife.  I hope to see more of Canada this summer and photograph those sights and likely return to various parts of Europe and hopefully Africa to photograph all that these wonderful countries have to offer.  I also have very loose plans in the future to immerse myself for a period of time in a Spanish-speaking country to learn Spanish.  This has been a long-term goal for me.

What advice would you give to others considering an international trip?

For anyone questioning themselves about taking the trip whether it be internationally or not, remember this.  We get one chance at this life, and it is my firm belief that when you step outside of your comfort zone real change happens.  You may not even notice at first but trust me it happens.  Taking a trip, visiting a new town, or trying a new hike are all the steps you are taking to achieve the best possible version of yourself.  Travel in any way shape or form is one of the best ways to get there, and heck taking your partner or spouse or family or best friend along for the ride will help you all become the most confident and compassionate human beings, something this world could use a little more of right now!  Enjoy the ride!  “The journey of a lifetime begins with one first step..”

“We get one chance at this life, and it is my firm belief that when you step outside of your comfort zone real change happens.” – Anita Patterson

Anita – your heart, resilience, curiosity, and passion are truly amazing. Thank you for sharing your journey!

Additional links to learn more and get involved:

Fuller Center for Housing

JJoy Foundation

Volunteers Building Cambodia