A House in the Sky

Lindhout reflects on her childhood in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, where she developed a fascination with the broader world through back issues of National Geographic. This curiosity provided an escape from her often chaotic home life, which was marked by the presence of her mother’s boyfriend, Russell, and his extended family. Despite economic struggles and frequent domestic turmoil, Lindhout found solace in the pages of magazines that opened her eyes to diverse global cultures and landscapes. Her early life was punctuated by the contrasts between her aspiration for a world beyond her immediate surroundings and the harsh realities of her family dynamics, including Russell’s sporadic employment and volatile behavior. Lindhout’s narrative details the day-to-day challenges she and her family faced, including poverty, domestic violence, and the social stigma attached to their living situation.

Lindhout narrates her move to Calgary at 19 with her boyfriend, Jamie, to pursue new opportunities. Calgary, booming with oil business prosperity, seems the perfect place for Jamie to kickstart a music career and for Lindhout to find her own path. Despite their aspirations, financial reality hits hard, and Lindhout takes a job as a cocktail waitress at a nightclub called The Drink. She initially hesitates about working in a bar but is convinced to try it out after being immediately offered a job by Rob Swiderski, the manager. Lindhout quickly adapts to the fast-paced nightlife, eventually earning substantial tips that allow her financial independence and a lifestyle upgrade.

She describes the vibrant scene at The Drink, where she learns to manage the demands of the job and the clientele, including celebrities and wealthy business people. Lindhout reflects on her family’s struggles, including her mother’s turbulent relationships and her own issues with self-image and eating disorders. Despite these challenges, she finds solace in her newfound financial stability and the occasional visits to her mother, who has started a more stable life herself. Lindhout shares her complex feelings about her life’s trajectory by admitting, “I figured going to university would only put me in lockstep with all the twentysomethings in suits [...] acting as if they were fifty years old” (24).

Driven by Lindhout’s longing for the exotic destinations she has seen in National Geographic, Lindhout and her boyfriend Jamie decide to go on a travel adventure. After some contemplation and spurred by a spontaneous suggestion during a relaxed evening by the river, they choose South America as their destination.

They organize their journey starting from Caracas, Venezuela, with plans to explore Brazil and Paraguay. The couple then prepares meticulously for their journey, purchasing outdated travel guides and planning for various risks such as theft and natural hazards. They also gather practical travel items like mosquito spray and sunblock, and even a large bottle of ketchup. As they finalize their plans, Lindhout’s family expresses concern over the potential dangers and their inability to provide financial support if things go wrong. Her grandparents in particular voice their worries about her safety and the appropriateness of her attire abroad. The chapter concludes as Lindhout pushes aside fears and looks forward to the adventures ahead.

Lindhout recounts her initial impressions of Caracas, Venezuela, which, although different from her jungle city expectations, still holds an exotic allure with its large palm trees and quiet streets. Her journey with Jamie starts with an excitement tempered by nervousness about stepping into the unknown. As they begin exploring, they encounter the realities of travel, including identifying misinformation from outdated guidebooks and adapting to local customs around food and safety.

Lindhout describes learning to trust more in the advice of fellow travelers than in their guidebooks, which proves essential for navigating less touristy and more transient accommodations. Their adventures lead them through various landscapes and interactions that are at times challenging but also enriching, providing a blend of cultural immersion and personal discovery.

Their journey becomes a transformative experience, especially as they venture deeper into South America. They visit stunning natural sites like Mount Roraima, which offers breathtaking views. This travel not only fulfills Lindhout’s long-held dreams sparked by magazine articles but also pushes her and Jamie into new realms of experience and adaptation, while affirming her desire for exploration of the world beyond her familiar Canadian environment.

The chapter begins with an accident during a hike down Mount Roraima, where Jamie breaks his foot, prompting an early return to Canada. This event marks the beginning of the end of their relationship, which eventually dissolves after another trip through Southeast Asia.

Living alone for the first time, Lindhout continues to dream of exotic destinations, now planning a trip to Central America. At her new job, she meets Kelly Barker, a vibrant coworker, and the two quickly decide to travel together after a spontaneous and tipsy lunch. They plan an extensive trip without a set return date, starting in Costa Rica and potentially extending to St. Thomas.

Their adventures bring them to Guatemala, where they connect with two British travelers, Dan Hanmer and Richie Butterwick, initiating a brief romantic interlude into their travels. During this period, they also meet Sarah, an American traveler who shares similar interests. The trio enjoys the local scenery and culture. Driven by a sudden desire for change, Kelly asks Lindhout to cut her long hair on the dock of Lake Atitlán. This act of cutting her hair becomes a significant memory for Lindhout, especially during darker times later in her life. She reflects on this memory as a touchstone of freedom and identity: “[T]his warm early evening on a shimmering satin lake in Guatemala would feel like a fever dream. I would reach back for it, trying to lasso the small details and rope myself closer” (41).

Lindhout recounts how her work as a cocktail waitress in Calgary funded her extensive travels. Identifying herself as a traveler, she shares how these experiences became integral to her identity, which allowed her to transcend her background and be defined by her adventures rather than her personal or educational history. In late 2004, at the age of 23, Lindhout travels to Thailand with her mother, enjoying a different style of travel than her usual budget-conscious solo trips. This trip helps improve their relationship and replaces past bitterness with shared laughter and enjoyment.

After her mother returns home, Lindhout continues her journey to Burma, joining a group of geologists, and then goes to Bangladesh, driven by a desire to challenge her independence in a completely unfamiliar environment. Her arrival in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is overwhelming due to the city’s dense population and the intense attention she receives as a solo Western woman. She encounters significant cultural barriers, particularly around lodging, as her attempts to secure a hotel room as an unaccompanied woman are met with disbelief and resistance.

Despite these challenges, Lindhout’s time in Dhaka allows her to deepen her understanding of Islamic culture and the local customs. Her experiences range from awe at the communal religious practices to anxiety when faced with direct threats to her safety, such as a disturbing encounter with a man spies under her hotel room door and a potentially dangerous rickshaw ride that leads her to physically defend herself.

Lindhout reflects on how her travels in Asia solidified her identity as a traveler. She explores the backpacker ghettos of big cities—places bustling with cheap accommodations, street vendors, and various services catered to travelers. Her journey takes her from Bangladesh to India, where she finds herself more comfortable and adept at navigating alone, even volunteering at Mother Teresa’s charities in Calcutta.

Moving on, Lindhout reflects on her cautious approach to relationships while traveling, noting her tendency to feel vulnerable despite the common casual romances among backpackers. She describes her relationship with Jonathan as a learning experience in light-heartedness, contrasting her usual seriousness with his easygoing nature.

Despite her family’s concerns and Pakistan’s dangerous reputation in the media, Lindhout continues her pursuit of travel by heading to Pakistan, where her experiences contradict the negative stereotypes. Lindhout finds the cities modern and the people welcoming. She enjoys the vibrant local culture, including a Sufi night event, and travels through northern Pakistan with a Canadian she met earlier in her travels, reveling in the beauty and generosity she encounters on the Karakoram Highway.