Each of us is on a journey and often those journeys include detours, some leading us to places much richer than those we had planned. This collection of non-fiction poems and prose vignettes chronicles interactions in both public and private spaces, including prisons, libraries, airports, and the marketplace. Frequently, the least anticipated conversations spark the deepest revelations. Here you will meet a Chinese social worker confronted with culture shock, a coffee shop owner from Chiapas, Mexico, and a caring cardiologist. You will also glimpse the stages of a dear friend's cognitive disintegration. No less emotionally intense, but perhaps more dramatic, you will meet some of those who live "on the Inside" of our nation's prisons.