Poppy Wright, a vibrant travel writer, finds herself adrift in a life that, on paper, should be her dream. She lives in New York, jet-setting to exotic locales for a popular magazine, yet a deep-seated unhappiness gnaws at her. The last time she felt truly alive, truly herself, was two years ago, on a trip with Alex Nilsen, her best friend since college. They haven't spoken since that fateful vacation in Croatia, a silence that has left a gaping hole in Poppy's world.
Their story unfolds in a dual timeline, weaving between the present-day attempt to mend their broken bond and a decade of past summer trips that forged their unlikely connection. Poppy, the outgoing, wanderlust-filled free spirit, and Alex, the mild-mannered, bookish homebody, were always opposites. They met at the University of Chicago, both from the small town of Linfield, Ohio, and a shared car ride home ignited a friendship that blossomed into an annual tradition: one glorious week of vacation together every summer. These trips, often on a shoestring budget, saw them explore everything from damp motels in Vancouver Island to sun-drenched European cities, becoming each other's confidantes and anchors in a world that often felt too big or too small.
In the present, Poppy, desperate to recapture that lost happiness, reaches out to Alex, miraculously convincing him to join her on one more trip to Palm Springs for his brother's wedding. The air is thick with unspoken words and unresolved tension, a stark contrast to their easy camaraderie of the past. Their rented apartment has only one bed, and the desert heat makes them both miserable, further highlighting the awkwardness of their reunion. Poppy tries to recreate the magic of their old trips, but Alex is hesitant, acutely aware that they cannot simply return to how things were.
Flashbacks reveal the evolution of their bond, from platonic college friends sharing their deepest secrets to a simmering attraction that neither dared to acknowledge. Poppy, who had been bullied in school, found an unparalleled acceptance with Alex, someone who saw all of her messy, exuberant self and still liked her. She resisted acting on her attraction, fearful of jeopardizing the one constant, unchanging good thing in her life.
The pivotal moment, the one that shattered their decade-long tradition, was a drunken kiss in Croatia. Both misconstrued the encounter, leading to a painful two-year silence. This present trip to Palm Springs becomes a crucible, forcing them to confront the unspoken feelings and the fundamental differences in what they desire from life - Poppy's insatiable wanderlust versus Alex's longing for stability and a settled life in their hometown.
During a sudden rainstorm in Palm Springs, the dam breaks. They sleep together, finally admitting their mutual feelings. Yet, even after this intimacy, Poppy's admission that she saw the trip as an escape from her life creates a new rift. Back in New York, Poppy begins therapy, realizing she has a tendency to run from her problems and that her dream job as a travel writer feels unfulfilling because she's no longer truly connecting with people.
She makes the courageous decision to fly back to Linfield, determined to reconcile with Alex on his terms. He confesses his own fears, particularly of losing her as he lost his mother, and his apprehension that their differing paths are too vast to bridge. It is in this vulnerable moment that Poppy articulates her deepest realization: that despite all her travels and the people she's met, the profound connection she feels with Alex is her true home, the antidote to a lifelong fear of loneliness. In the end, they choose each other, finding a way to intertwine their lives, splitting their time between New York and Linfield, with Poppy even shifting her writing focus to the people she meets in her chosen city.
