While conducting research in the remote country of Keteng, a Stanford grad student hears that another American has entered the country and is challenging the power structures in place.

A U.S state department official encounters an infatuation on his trip to Eastern Europe that ends in despair.

An American writer travels to Sophia where he meets a famous poetess. He falls in love with her and her attitude.

Two American friends escape their vacation in Paris to the French countryside, enjoying a day of fresh air until a Russian waiter and an Austrian remind them of the horrors of war.

A man on a work trip in Central America attempts to help two young North American travelers as they navigate the dangerous new country.

An American expat who lives in Rome struggles to understand his adopted country, especially the Italian language. When he finally finds the right teacher, he is overjoyed, but her unique personal life quickly pervades their lessons and confounds their rapport.

A woman recalls the life and death of her aunt, an American who became an avid traveler and died by suicide after she realized that nothing in her life was as exotic or exciting as she once believed.

An American continues to run into another American on their trips around Europe and the Mediterranean.

A middle-aged American woman living abroad feels alone and out of place, so she seeks company from the local church and the Mothers' Union held there. However, as an atheist, the uptight nature of the church and its members leave the woman feeling unsettled.

A young Native American man visits a burial site on a nearby island and must reflect on both his allegiance to his culture and to himself.