Terrified of flying and in a crumbling marriage, Maddy Kendrick agrees to go on a trip with her husband to treat both problems. She soon realized that backpacker travel is no romantic picnic. Faced with unknown cultures and terse criticism from Richard, Maddy feels stuck between wishing she was free and needing her husband. Traveling in Nepal and India brings out the best and worst of their relationship. While visiting an ancient Indian fort in the city of Jaipur, Maddy finally snaps. She flees over the fort drawbridge out into the city streets.
Alone and adrift she follows the original trip plan to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. She meets a host of interesting, wise, and seasoned travelers who teach her not only how to travel on her own, but how to find what is most important in her life. Just as she is about to reconnect with Richard, she receives news that will change her life forever.