Chapter 18: New Orleans – Seven Summers Ago

Spoiler Notice

This summary contains spoilers for Chapter 18 of People We Meet on Vacation.

Summary

Seven years before the novel’s present, Poppy and Alex travel to New Orleans for their summer trip. They rent a studio near Bourbon Street and immediately immerse themselves in the city’s sensory overload—old architecture, fried food, relentless humidity, and street music. To make the vacation more playful, they invent alter egos: Gladys and Keith Vivant, a Broadway power couple whose mantra is “Denk aan het thema” (Think of the theme). This inside joke drives their exploration, pushing each other into experiences they’d normally avoid, such as visiting a goth bar or a country-western bar with saddle seating.

Poppy has been living in New York for five months and now dates Guillermo, a chef she met through her friend Rachel. She describes their relationship as steady and comfortable, yet she worries that the very qualities Guillermo loves about her—her openness, her innocence—might fade over time. She refrains from sharing this anxiety with Alex, afraid he might dislike Guillermo on her behalf. Alex, meanwhile, reveals that he recently had drinks with Sarah, an old unattainable crush from university, and hints at a possible future meeting.

The chapter’s emotional climax comes on their last night. After a day of wandering and a disastrous cemetery tour where Alex repeatedly asks if each grave is haunted, they ditch Guillermo’s restaurant list and go spontaneouly from bar to bar. They dance awkwardly but joyously to a brass band in the street, and Alex picks up discarded Mardi Gras beads to give to Poppy. Back at the apartment, Poppy begs to read one of Alex’s short stories. He reluctantly lets her read a nine-page piece about a boy born with wings who refuses to fly and deliberately breaks his wings so people stop pressuring him. The story reduces Poppy to tears because it echoes her childhood panic attacks—the fear of being trapped inside her own body, unable to truly be known by anyone. She realizes that with Alex, she is never alone; their connection creates a bubble where she feels fully seen.

Key Events

Poppy and Alex arrive in New Orleans and adopt the alter egos Gladys and Keith Vivant.
They explore the French Quarter, eat beignets, browse markets, and drink themed cocktails.
Poppy reflects on her boyfriend Guillermo and her life in New York; Alex mentions Sarah.
On their last day, they take a disappointing cemetery tour; Alex jokes about haunted graves.
They visit a goth bar (the Dungeon) and later a country-western bar with saddle seating.
On the street, they dance to a brass band; Alex gives Poppy Mardi Gras beads he found on the ground.
Back at the rental, Poppy reads Alex’s short story about a winged boy and cries.
Poppy recounts her childhood panic attacks and concludes that Alex helps her feel less alone.

Character Development

Poppy reveals a new layer of vulnerability. Her relationship with Guillermo is stable but lacks the electric, all‑consuming intensity she once had with Julian. She admits that Guillermo’s compliment—calling her a “sweetheart”—makes her fear that the person he loves might be temporary, something New York could erode. This insecurity shows that Poppy still struggles with identity and self‑worth, even as she builds a seemingly happy life. Her reaction to Alex’s story—crying over a boy who breaks his own wings to escape expectation—ties directly to her childhood episodes of panic about being forever trapped inside her own body.

Alex continues to be the person who brings out Poppy’s unguarded self. He agrees to the silly alter‑egos, dances with her in public, and picks up dirty beads because she wants them. His short story—an allegory about the pressure to fulfill others’ expectations—reveals a thoughtful, introspective side that Poppy rarely sees. He is hesitant to let her read it, fearing rejection, which hints at his own vulnerabilities.

Their dynamic deepens: the “bubble” they share allows each to be their most authentic, goofy, and emotional selves. Poppy feels that only Alex sees her in her totality, a theme that will resonate through later chapters.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Alter egos and playacting: The Vivants allow Poppy and Alex to shed their everyday inhibitions and try on new identities. The mantra “Denk aan het thema” becomes a code for saying “yes” to each other’s whims.
The Mardi Gras beads: A symbol of their spontaneous, messy connection. Alex picks up beads from the ground—ordinarily something Poppy would reject—yet she treasures them because he gave them to her.
The short story about wings: Represents the fear of being defined by external expectations and the painful choice to break oneself in order to be free. Poppy’s tears link this to her own childhood terror of being trapped.
The brass band dance: A moment of pure, unselfconscious joy. The crowd around them fades; only the two of them exist in a self‑contained universe.
Connection as a bubble: Poppy explicitly describes a “bubble” around her and Alex that lets them merge and be fully known, countering her loneliness.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in the novel’s non‑linear timeline. It reveals the foundation of Poppy and Alex’s relationship—their ability to be completely themselves with each other—and introduces the emotional stakes that will later lead to their falling‑out. The short‑story scene crystallizes Poppy’s deepest fears and her realization that Alex is the only person who makes her feel whole. It also presents a contrast between Poppy’s comfortable yet worrisome relationship with Guillermo and the electric, vulnerable bond she shares with Alex. Readers gain a clearer understanding of why their friendship is so precious and why the present‑day rift hurts so much.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Poppy cry after reading Alex’s short story?
The story about a boy who breaks his own wings so people stop pressuring him to fly triggers Poppy’s childhood panic attacks about being trapped inside her own body, unable to truly be known. She feels that Alex’s writing makes her feel understood and connected, dissolving that loneliness.
How does the mantra “Denk aan het thema” shape Poppy and Alex’s behavior in New Orleans?
The phrase becomes a playful tool to push each other outside their comfort zones. Poppy uses it to get Alex into a bar with a saxophone‑only band; Alex uses it to convince Poppy to go to a country‑western bar. The mantra transforms reluctance into shared adventure.
What does Poppy’s reaction to Guillermo’s compliment reveal about her?
When Guillermo calls her a “sweetheart” and hopes New York won’t change her, Poppy worries that the qualities he loves are fragile—that her true self might be temporary. This reveals her insecurity about her own identity and her fear that being loved depends on staying the same.