What Now?

Patty Bialak’s story begins with her troubled youth, invisible in a home dominated by parental discord, a severely mentally ill sister, and no one to turn to for such simple things as attention, affection, and guidance. She wandered through life without direction and fell into one bad relationship after another. Eventually, she escaped to Europe, where she found a job on a Danish car ferry, discovered love, returned to the United States, married, and returned to college-an event that would place too much strain on her marriage.

After graduating from college, her life changed yet again, influenced by her friendship with a gay man and the love and compassion shown to her by the gay community. She began the slow, challenging process of evolution, moving from adventure to adventure. Her career took off, and she had all the financial success she could have ever imagined, but still she felt unfulfilled. After another failed marriage, she met a much younger man who introduced her to the world of recreational vehicles. Together, they took off for a life on the road. Although that relationship failed as well, it led her to a solo life on the road and showed her that life is what you choose it to be.