A place of no mercy, no coddling, and no emotion, the streets of New York don't waiver in their inability to care for anyone. In order to survive, you have to take the lessons that are given to you by them and use them to your advantage. After being orphaned not once, but twice, raised by nuns, foster parents, and passed between the homes of his grandmother and father, Jim Fiume learned how to survive and thrive after being tossed aside. His experiences led him to where he is now and helped give him wisdom that can only be gained from the university of the streets. Based on the life of Jim Fiume, the experiences from his childhood, adolescence, and a once-in-a-lifetime road trip down Route 66 are recounted in order to teach the one kind of lesson that can never be learned in a classroom...how to transcend to a life of happiness after being born a burden.