Mama Goes to Paris

Only a crazy woman would fly off to Europe with her 13-year-old son in tow, completely unprepared for the journey that awaited them. At the time, Ilene Pattie thought this was all perfectly normal and logical. But looking back more than forty years later, she sees early indications of a manic depressive condition only later to be diagnosed. Driving on the autobahns in a sluggish rental car, not speaking any language except English, not knowing where she and her son, David, would sleep each night, and getting lost in Bavaria are a few of the tales told in Mama Goes to Paris.

For Pattie, Europe -- and especially Paris -- was a place she had dreamed about all her life. Confronting the reality during this trip helps to awaken her to a clearer perspective, not only about the place, but also about her own relationships and state of mind.

Ilene Pattie is also known as Ilene Gaarsoe and Ilene Durkalski. She now lives in Dallas, Texas.