It has been said that the experiences of childhood shape one's personality for a lifetime. This child of Palau was reared on an isolated tropical island by a great aunt who spoke only her native tongue and had few worldly possessions other than those gleaned from land and sea. The knowledge and skills learned in this subsistence environment provide the foundation for a remarkable journey into the modern world, a journey that is documented here in the hope that others will be inspired to make the most from what life has provided.