Fourteen year-old Amanda Rivers reflects on her trip of a lifetime long ago to the tiny sun-splashed islands of the Caribbean. She read everything she could get her hands on about these mysterious isles that beckoned her to come. Packing lightly, Mandy looked forward to island-hopping with Joyce, her spunky yet classy aunt. As a flight attendant, Joyce knew the islands well and had a wide circle of friends there. From the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad in the south, Mandy experienced the excitement, the charm and the reality of life in these lush island pearls atop the Caribbean Sea. What was it like to have nearly not survived the treacherous climb up slippery Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica? How did she handle being stranded in St. Thomas, due to unfortunate circumstances? After many more heart-thumping experiences, Mandy returned home at the end of her excursion a mature and insightful young woman. She was able to appreciate that many people that look like her, have cultures and lifestyles in stark contrast to her own. She captured and remained forever changed by the memories of wonderful people in delightful places.