by Pat Wetzel | Dec 21, 2020 | Bump In The Road, Podcast, Road Trip, The Story
Bump in the Road is moving to a new home! In January, the podcast will move to its own URL: https://BumpInTheRoad.us
The podcast will still be free, and available on all major podcast platforms.
With travel on hold for the foreseeable future, we’ll be traveling virtually to explore human resilience and inspiration through story. We have some incredible stories coming up. I hope you’ll enjoy them.
To transition to the new website, Bump is taking a holiday for the next week and a half. Then I’ll drop you an email and you can join us at the new site.
Have a wonderful holiday. See you in 2021!
You can follow Bump in the Road on all your favorite podcast platforms:
iTunes | GooglePlay | iHeartRadio | Libsyn | Spotify
A Selection of Bump In The Road Episodes
Traveling The World of Inspiration
Bump In The Road: Liz O’Riordan
Bump In The Road: Mark Philpott
Jose Montero and Trekking For Kids (Part One)
Jose Montero and Trekking For Kids (Part Two)
Bump In The Road: Bernie Siegel, MD Part I
Bump In The Road: Bernie Siegel, MD Part II
Sean Swarner: #KeepClimbing
Art Estopinan: The Hunt For A Cure For A Rare Disease TK2
Donna O’Donnell Figurski: Love, Dedication and Persistence
David Maginley: Life After Death, An NDE Experience Part I
Cameron Auxer: When Bodies Break
Luis Benitez: The Metaphor In The Mountain
Wendy Wagner: Perspectives on Perceptions
Randy Martinez: Leading With Heart and Compassion
Andrea Klunder: Where People and Stories Meet
David duChemin: Great Human and Humanitarian
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and at Anti-Cancer Club. Connect with me! I may need a place or two to stay along the way!
by Pat Wetzel | Dec 14, 2020 | Bump In The Road, Podcast, Road Trip, The Story
Marisa Acocella is a cartoonist for The New Yorker, New York Times best selling author, three time cancer survivor and founder of the Marisa Acocella Foundation at the Mount Sinai Best Israel Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Marisa Acocella
In addition to her well known New Yorker cartoons (click here to peruse some of her work) Marisa is also the author of the highly acclaimed graphic novel, Cancer Vixen, Ann Tenna and her most recent publication, The Big She-Bang in which explores how different history might be if it weren’t “written by a bunch of men about a bunch of men”.
What if women wrote the history of the world?
Other Books by Marisa Acocella:
The highly acclaimed graphic novel about one women’s kick ass shoes, cancer and triumph over it all.
From Amazon:
“What happens when a shoe-crazy, lipstick-obsessed, wine-swilling, pasta-slurping, fashion-fanatic, about-to-get-married big-city girl cartoonist with a fabulous life finds . . . a lump in her breast?” That’s the question that sets this powerful, funny, and poignant graphic memoir in motion. In vivid color and with a taboo-breaking sense of humor, Marisa Acocella Marchetto tells the story of her eleven-month, ultimately triumphant bout with breast cancer—from diagnosis to cure, and every challenging step in between.”
A funny and fun look at modern society, technology and redemption.
From Amazon:
“Told with laugh-out-loud humor, spot-on dialogue (including via cameo appearances from Coco Chanel, Gianni Versace, and Jimi Hendrix, to name just a few), and stunning, full-color artwork, Ann Tenna is a timely, necessary tale for our overly “media-cated” times: the newest, much-anticipated adventure from a supremely gifted artist at the height of her powers.”
There are numerous themes running through all Marisa’s work. Humor is always present as Marisa pokes fun at the New York scene, but so is a sense of spirituality and of giving back. Join us on this Bump in the Road.
Marisa Acocella on Bump In The Road
You can follow Bump in the Road on all your favorite podcast platforms:
iTunes | GooglePlay | iHeartRadio | Libsyn | Spotify
by Pat Wetzel | Dec 7, 2020 | Bump In The Road, Podcast, Road Trip, The Story
Ann Ogden Gaffney is a powerhouse when it comes to nutrition and cancer. In addition to her James Beard nominated book, Cook For Your Life, and cooking classes in New York, she created a joint program with Columbia University exploring food, cancer, health and wellness in the Hispanic community.
Ann’s legacy of Cook for Your Life is now run under the auspices of Fred Hutchinson in Seattle, where her work continues.
Ann has survived both kidney and triple negative breast cancer. The experiences radically changed her life. Professionally she went from a global lifestyle in fashion, to the kitchen where she became a James Beard nominated author and chef.
Cook for Your Life
How does one move from fashion to food? This fascinating podcast traces Ann’s start in fashion in Paris. A stay that was supposed to last 12 months lasted 12 years.
“I learned my trade in Paris.
I also learned about food and eating.”
The daily rhythm of celebrating the food of the season, the creativity of using what was at hand, and the tie to the rhythm of the earth became part of her life. When cancer came (twice), this knowledge became invaluable.
Ann is at home in high fashion and in haute cuisine. Her book brings a healthy and approachable path to nourishing one’s body during and after cancer treatment.
Ann Ogden Gaffney on Bump In The Road
Follow Bump in the Road on all major podcast platforms
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out MasterClass All-Access Pass for on-line excellence:
This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links.
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and at Anti-Cancer Club. Connect with me! I may need a place or two to stay along the way!
by Pat Wetzel | Nov 30, 2020 | Bump In The Road, Podcast, Road Trip, The Story
Charles Porter has a story that is filled with love and wisdom. He is a poet, author, actor, trainer, husband, father and so much more. He has lived several lives in his 40 some years, hopefully with many more to come.
Charles Frederick Porter II was born in Oxford England to an English mother and an African American father from Annapolis, Md. Charles received a full athletic scholarship to Duke University. His football coach had a mantra: Never Quit.
But a back injury sidelined Charles’ dreams of professional football. So he headed for Hollywood where he was off to a successful career, appearing on popular shows and landing some significant advertising campaigns.
Charles during his Hollywood days.
But then, in 2010, he was diagnosed with stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It was a bump in the road no one could have imagined. His old football mantra became his mantra for life.
#NeverQuit
“Sometimes a bump in the road feels like its knocking you off track, but it knocked me back ON track,” says Charles. And life took a very different turn. He wrote poetry and published several books. He married and had two daughters.
“Once I knew nothing is forever, I truly started living.”
Then the cancer came back again. Immunotherapy is helping.
My podcast with Charles is wide ranging. And it includes one of his poems:
From Choose Your Path: The Journey to Your Destination lays within you.
Choose Your Path by Charles Frederick Porter
I am thankful for the day
Simply because I am
Tattered clothes, tangled hair, nodding out
It could be so much worse
A still around the canals shows two sides of the same coin
I should not forget this
We have all been through so much
Oh you’d be rare to escape life’s pain
But pain can fuel life
One day there will be no more
So I must remain thankful
Notes: Walking through life at one point thinking that there was no end. When I was diagnosed with stage four Cancer my compassion and empathy intensified. That is when I truly started to love myself and then I truly started to believe myself. One I knew nothing is forever, I truly started living. Grateful to be alive.
Charles Porter on Bump in the Road
by Pat Wetzel | Nov 23, 2020 | Bump In The Road, Podcast, Road Trip, The Story
David duChemin is a a world & humanitarian photographer, author, adventurer, and entrepreneur. He’s also a gifted teacher and speaker.
World explorer and photographer, David duChemin
“I want to see this world for the astonishing place it is,
and help others do the same.”
His generosity with his knowledge is legendary. His latest class (which is currently full; I’m enrolled, yay!) can be found at CraftandVision.com The class takes you into the mind of a world class photographer and the decisions that go into crafting and editing his photos.
His books are a world wide tour de force of people, cultures and the wonders of the world. His insight on photography, gleaned from years of exploration and adventure, offer hard earned insights that he is happy to share. From Kenya to Venice, his photography is the perfect anecdote for some much needed travel.
From David’s website:
“Life,” to quote the late Helen Keller,
“is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”
The Photography Of David duChemin
I am very grateful to David for being on the podcast and for sharing some of his work. Many of the photos will be appearing on @CancerRoadTrip on Instagram (obviously with attribution. I do wish I could create photos like these!). Please visit David’s website for more photos and information on his on-line courses. He also has a podcast that explores the creative life at A Beautiful Anarchy and on instagram @DavidduChemin.
These are a selection of his black and white images. His website has so many more. Visit and do a bit of arm chair traveling. Contact David directly for more information on his courses, work and art.
Copyright David duChemin
Copyright David duChemin
Copyright David duChemin
Copyright David duChemin
David duChemin Books
David’s books are something to treasure. Whether it’s stunning photography or equally stunning instruction, I hope you’ll check these out:
The Heart of the Photograph by David duChemin
Within the Frame by David duChemin
Start Ugly by David duChemin
David duChemin on Bump in the Road
by Pat Wetzel | Nov 16, 2020 | Bump In The Road, Podcast, Road Trip, The Story
Yvonne deSousa is an author, a blogger and a very funny lady. From multiple sclerosis to her hatred of vegetables, Yvonne is a wealth of wisdom wrapped in humor.
“Six months after my 40th birthday (and only one week before Christmas) I was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. Hard to believe but I started to laugh.”
So started Yvonne’s journey, first with MS and then, some years later, with breast cancer. And along the way came an ability to find outrageous humor in the most unlikely places.
Perhaps the sentiment that best sums up Yvonne deSousa’s approach to life are her own words:
“Giggles are good for you.”
And there are plenty of giggles in her book, MS Madness
Yvonne deSousa: Finding humor in MS and elsewhere
“It’s not just about surviving; it’s about living well.”
Yvonne deSousa on Bump in the Road
by Pat Wetzel | Nov 9, 2020 | Bump In The Road, Podcast, Road Trip, The Story
Andrea Klunder knows people. She’s been an actor, musician, filmmaker, writer, yoga & meditation teacher, entrepreneur and more — always studying human behavior, mindset and communication. She brings all these skills, and more, to her self created job as a speaker and consultant on podcasts.
Andrea Klunder
I ran into Andrea through a mutual friend. She was doing the podcast for the Santa Fe Opera and it was so well done, so well produced….well, I had Podcast Envy. Which is one of her three podcasts:
The Creative Impostor (taking creative risks despite the voice in your head who says you’re a fraud);
Podcast Envy (about the craft and culture of podcasting); and
Power Your Story (produced by her high school students in a diverse learning program)
Andrea’s podcast for podcasters
But it was a bump in the road that brought Andrea to podcasting. All the rich experience (and failure) in another endeavor paved the way to a new path in life. Andrea is a true entrepreneur who brings a depth and range of experience to her craft. Please welcome Andrea Klunder.
Andrea Klunder, Podcaster and Storyteller
Andrea Klunder on Bump in the Road
by Pat Wetzel | Nov 2, 2020 | Bump In The Road, Podcast, Road Trip, The Story
Randy has a successful corporate career, focusing on bringing opportunity to others. From helping drive in the creation of a Hispanic pharmacy association to being chairman of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation healthcare system, Randy’s mission is to make a difference. His focus on the hispanic community reflects his own background and deep cultural awareness.
Randy was born to a single mother from Nicaragua. Living in Los Angeles with his grandmother, Randy was surrounded by his heritage. When his mother married an officer in the Air Force, Randy was faced with frequent moves to locales ranging from Wyoming to Alabama. The world looked ever larger, bright and promising.
Randy Martinez
Then came a bump in the road that would guide his direction for the rest of his life.
We all face obstacles as we navigate this road trip called life. In this episode, Randy Martinez and I revisit a pivotal experience from his early adult years, some 30 years ago. And this is the first time he is talking about it.
Randy Martinez on Bump in the Road
by Pat Wetzel | Oct 26, 2020 | Bump In The Road, Podcast, Road Trip, The Story
Carmen Gentile is an international reporter, covering developing and war torn areas ranging from Brazil and Nigeria, to Iraq and Afghanistan where he was embedded with American troops in the Lunar Province in eastern Afghanistan.
Being in combat is frightening for anyone and Carmen admits:
“That doesn’t mean I’m not scared shitless when I do it. I just leave that part out of my stories.”
But there was one story he could not escape and it was his own. While on a reconnaissance mission with U.S. troops, an RPG (rocket propelled grenade) hit Carmen in the face. Remarkably, it didn’t detonate.
“As it raced towards me, I accepted death as an inevitability. Now, the memory of my resignation to dying has left an indelible black mark on me that permeates every moment since.”
Carmen faced numerous reconstructive surgeries and never fully regained vision in his injured eye which he details in his book, “Blindsided by the Taliban”. But his story is about more than just injury and recovery. It’s about themes that weave through all our lives, themes of finding meaning, loss, injury, hurt , romantic woes, and professional frustrations.
Blindsided by the Taliban by Carmen Gentile
Carmen Gentile: Blindsided by the Taliban
There are no rules to how we respond to life’s bumps in the road. This week Carmen shares some insights into his remarkable story.
Carmen Gentile: Embedded with the Troops
This video captures Carmen’s experience as an embedded journalist and, most remarkably, his injury:
Gewi Patrol from Brian Wagner on Vimeo.
by Pat Wetzel | Oct 19, 2020 | Bump In The Road, Podcast, Road Trip, The Story
Wendy Wagner Ph.D. is a Psychologist, Hypnotherapist and Mindfulness Coach providing holistic therapy services in Northern New Mexico. She has had a life of many bumps in the road.
Wendy Wagner at her home in Taos, NM
Wendy has been on a path of personal and spiritual inquiry for several decades. Then cancer struck and sent her even deeper into inquiry into realms she never dreamed of. But it was a gift that forced her into “the void”, that place of discomfort beyond one’s comfort zone. And it opened a door to greater wisdom and understanding.
“The void is creative and chock full of spirit.”
Wendy’s reflections on life, personal and spiritual growth have much to teach each of us. One of her basic tenets is that
“Everything comes to you for your benefit.”
Life is, after all, a road trip.
This podcast was recorded in late May, when we were still hopeful that New Mexico would be re-opening. But the re-opening never happened. Now, in mid-October, the state is essentially shut down, and many restaurants and shops are closing permanently. No one knows what the future holds. And somehow, this conversation from early this summer, addresses this and so much more.
Wendy Wagner on Bump in the Road
There are numerous themes running through all Marisa’s work. Humor is always present as Marisa pokes fun at the New York scene, but so is a sense of spirituality and of giving back. Join us on this Bump in the Road.
