Sal, a man traveling across the country from New York, meets a young woman from Mexico on a bus to L.A. and becomes immediately entranced by her. Sal and Teresa, or Terry for short, quickly fall in love and decide to travel together, staying in hotels and exploring L.A. looking for work. Terry, fleeing from her abusive husband, has left her young son Raymond with her family and, though she had previously intended to stay with her sister in L.A., agrees to abandon this plan and travel with her new lover. The two soon hitchhike to meet Terry's son, her brother Freddy, and their friend Ponzo.

After several days of drinking, sleeping in motels, and driving in Freddy's truck, Sal and Terry run out of money and get a job picking cotton in the countryside, which is hard work and only pays enough for the day's food. Sal, concerned with how much longer he can maintain this lifestyle, begins to miss New York and voices this to Terry. Terry, however, is resistant to the fact that her new lover must eventually leave, so Sal decides to write home in secret, asking for money to return. The group eventually leaves for Terry's family home, but Sal, who they know would not gain her parents' approval, sleeps in a barn down the road, where Terry meets him at night to bring him food. When Sal's money arrives, he leaves for New York, and though Terry promises to meet him there one day soon, he is doubtful that he will ever see her again.