Setting the expectation

Five years ago, I was sent to Ft. Meyers as part of a hurricane recovery team to help cleanup. While I was down there, I heard an advertisement for "The Seashell Capital of the World". I've always been one to collect sea shells-it doesn't matter if it's fresh water mussel shells, I collect them. This was way before Pinterest came into my life and introduced me to a whole new world of arts and crafts using those shells. So I wanted to see the Seashell Capital of the world. After working over seventy hours in the space of five days, I was offered a chance to take an earlier flight out of Fort Meyers-combined with the overwhelming fact that I missed my kids something terrible-my dream of seeing the Seashell Capital became just that-a dream. When Dwight asked me if I still wanted to go there, I couldn't believe it. I never thought I'd get a chance to see Sanibel Island. One week from today, I will be strolling those beaches trying to keep my seashell obsession down to one legal bucket. I know the island lays east to west and most islands lay north to south. I've studied the tide chart and printed it out. I know there are 250 different kinds of shells to be found. I know the names of some of them and which ones are supposed to be the really hard ones to find-but to be honest, I just like the pretty ones. There are fifteen miles of beaches and one light house. I wonder what the air will smell like and how the sand will feel-but I've read it's safer to wear shoes in the water because of the rays close to the shore. In general, I'm hoping it's half as pretty as the advertisements and that Dwight can put up with me til we get there. Are we there yet?