Join the discussion: Finding a sense of home where I didn’t expect, just when I needed it

Vu Nguyen (left) and Jesse Phouangphet outside their shop in Kansas City, Mo.Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — I almost never have a clear plan mapped out before I get on a plane. I know where I’m supposed to be going and some idea of when the flight’s supposed to board. Beyond that, I just hope I land safely and get to see something cool and spend time with people I care about.

But sometimes — when I’m lucky — I find myself in a place I didn’t plan to visit, receiving a gift I didn’t expect.

I know because that’s what happened to me at a streetwear shop, of all things, in downtown Kansas City, of all places.

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