Meg,

I spent a few days in Palau diving (THE thing to do there). I belive it has the best diving in the world (and I just got back from the great barrier reef.) I live in Guam and it was a relatively short flight there via Yap. It is very beautiful there, but Palau is not a single island. It is a series of dozens of islands called the Rock islands. I don't know if I'd want to live there. I'd go back to vacation a million times, but they're still a bit isolated for me in that you may not be able to find what you need, like say, an alternator for your car, etc. But, that may be just the thing for you... Do a search on the internet for Palau, and I'm sure you'll find plenty. Here's a good link source: http://www.escapeartist.com/palau/palau.htm. One thing that may not be too well known; Palauans love their marijuana. Be ready for that. Their second vice is betel nut, a nut that is chewed like tobacco which causes a slight "buzz", but people end up spitting all over the place. The primary way to get to Palau is Continental Micronesia. Be sure you join their frequent flyer program before you go, you'll get lots of miles built up very quickly. You would have to fly from Hawaii to Guam to Palau. The single longest leg is the Hawaii-Guam flight...7 1/2 hours! Have fun!