I still remember the long car rides following the very last school bell of the year.  School was out for the summer and that meant it was time to go to the beach. All packed with my necessities; a bag full of new books recently purchased from the school book fair. Oh, life was so simple back then. And this was a yearly tradition, since before I can even remember, on the last day of school we would make the 3 and a half hour drive down to Captiva Island, Florida. My second home for the summer. 4 weeks spent in paradise.

Actually, I do know my mom was 5 months pregnant with me the first time I was in Captiva and I haven’t missed a year since, except for the year Florida was struck by 3 hurricanes all within a month and South Seas Resort was closed during our summer visit, not my fault.  We did spend the summer in Sanibel, but it just wasn’t the same.

For me, our Captiva vacation marked the best time of year, summer break. For a young kid in school, what is better that summer break? Ice Cream maybe?
As I grew older, it became more of an escape, I was finally able to just relax and do nothing. No more studying for finals, no more papers to write, no more school drama, just peace and paradise.

Of course, I have now grown and have to be a responsible adult, so spending 4 weeks at the beach isn’t really possible, so I feel blessed to be able to escape for one week. It’s a chance for me to turn off my phone, not check my emails and just soak up the sun and splash in the waves. For me, this is paradise and I look forward to this one week all year long.
Just look toward the sea…