It's Only the Himalayas: And Other Tales of Miscalculation from an Overconfident Backpacker

A laugh-out-loud travel memoir that reveals backpacking’s awkward side.

Sue, a disenchanted waitress, embarks upon a year-long quest around the world with her friend, Sara—who’s exasperatingly perfect. Expecting a whimsical jaunt of self-discovery, Sue instead encounters an absurd series of misadventures that render her embarrassed, terrified, and queasy (and in a lot of trouble with Philippine Airlines).

Whether she’s fleeing from ravenous lions, dancing amid smoking skulls, trekking Annapur...