Travel writer and photographer Meg Pier's "Visions of the Journey in Images and Words" is a collection of images and observations from points of interest along her path, intended to inspire yours. Through 28 essays based on sojourns in countries from Belize to Cyprus, Estonia, Iceland, Mexico and beyond, she passes on the Life Lessons imparted to her in locales around the world, all of which revolve around the themes of connecting with Self, Others and a Sense of Wonder. Meg finds one of the greatest windows into the soul of a culture is its people and, while the traditions and practices of a given land fascinate her, ironically, often the epiphanies she experiences while she is on the road have absolutely nothing to do with from which continent the "teacher" presented to her hails. She has found one of the greatest gifts of travel being the opportunity to recognize not only our differences, but, in fact, how alike we all are... ...to learn how someone from the jungle has dealt with an ill parent, how someone from an island has tried not to be so hard on himself, how someone from the desert discerned what his calling was, how someone from the fjords found acceptance, how someone from the mountains relied on his faith in a time of self-doubt. In "Visions of the Journey," Meg's rich prose is paired with another of her passions--photography. She credits her camera with enabling her to change her perspective, see the beauty in the everyday, and "focus" on the moment at hand. It provides a sense of purpose to her great love of travel to distant countries and cultures (as well as to her more local jaunts just roaming around her "back yard" of New England.) With "Visions of the Journey," Meg share the exquisite vistas, dramatic details, cozy charm, comic relief, and profound wisdom she has chanced upon in her wanderings and the magic moments in which the essence of these byways have stood still long enough to be captured by her.