Pat thirst for adventure and desire to be of service to others crystalised into her seeking a volunteer position with a charity to work overseas. Pat applied to VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) and having passed through the interviews and training she offered various placements. She opted for Vietnam which excited her adventurer and had a need for her skills.

And so began her love affair with Vietnam. She absolutely loved it. The intense sights, sounds, tastes and smells. The sheer aliveness and craziness of the place. But most of all the people. The immensely warm, generous, smiling, curious people. They were a perfect match for outlook on life. She took them to her heart and they loved her.

The work was helping them evolve their policies and and engagement with those with disabilities. She was loaned to various organisations. Some of the work was frustrating. But she never stopped trying to find a way she could make a difference. One of her favourite parts was when she got to tour around meeting people from various ethnic minority groups.

Pat loved Vietnam and its people and they loved her for it. She made lots of friends with those she worked with but also people she met on her adventures. Many of those friendships are still alive today.

As well as her work Pat sought out other ways she could contribute. Pat starting visiting an orphanage. It was very short on funds and the children had little to engage with. So she started buying simple toys and craft things and taking them along each week. She shared her passion with others and it evolved into Pat taking a small group of vietnamese students along each week to play with the children. The orphanage initially not to keen grew to love what Pat brought into the lives of the children.

Pat's initial posting was for a year and she got an extension but sadly her adventure ended before she was ready when VSO decided Vietnam was no longer needing their help.

As well as keeping in touch with her friends and a few trips back to see people Pat wanted to tell others about this place she loved so much. She did some work from the UK for a Vietnamese travel company which then morphed into working for Globe Travel a company that did custom tours to India and was looking to add Vietnam to its portfolio. Pat worked for them for several years. Helping put togethers tours for people keen to see Vietnam and helping the tour companies understand their English traveller needs. She made a bunch of new friends through this and got to go back to Vietnam and also visit Kerala in India.  But most of all she got to share her passion for Vietnam with others.