A fateful decision as a 15-year-old high school student, and good advice from a distinguished professor of zoology, were the catalysts that not only decided my entire career but also led me to the Journal of Comparative Physiology A, and to the myriad biological wonders that were held within its covers. In my celebration of JCPA, I look back on the formative years of my career in Australia, and the crucial role that the journal played in shaping my emerging research interests, and ultimately my entire life.