Heaven on Earth

Two weeks is a long time.

It doesn't sound very long, but when spent in only one place it seems endless; a moment in time that suspends itself from all other pieces of our everyday lives. There are so many things that one could get done in two weeks, if one wanted. I on the other hand, chose to spend my two weeks in Captiva Island, Florida becoming a professional beach bum.

Every year, my family takes a two week trip to this amazing little island. Located right off the coast of Ft. Myers, Florida, it is a tiny hidden gem in the treasure that is the Gulf of Mexico. Being only four miles long and only a half mile wide, you can imagine how easy it is to pass by.

   Getting to that little red dot on the map from my home takes roughly thirteen hours by car. I cannot say enough how much I adore my ipod on this drive. Praise be to Apple!

Our secret little paradise is merely a home away from home now. My family has been coming here for over forty years, so we're quite past the point of being tourists.

Every year the trip is fantastic, but this year has been even more so than usual. The wildlife has been surreal. A few days ago, while fishing off of the dock behind our house on the bay side of the island, a wild manatee swam right up to us and proceeded to take a nice little shower and a drink from the hose we had running on the side of the dock.

He stayed barely half a foot away from the dock until we had to go inside and turn the hose off. Silly guy seemed a bit disgruntled when we cut his nice shower short.

Captiva is the most peaceful place I've ever been to. There is no rushing around, no extreme amount of people, not even one traffic light. Stress has no meaning here, and all worries about work, school, or whatever is lost as soon as you cross the bridge onto the island. People here have a different way about them, and easygoing, carefree and friendly nature that can't be captured anywhere else. Some call it island magic, but I think the absence of so many things that are found on the mainland creates a different mind set in people. There are no chain restaurants, grocery stores, or shops, save for one Dairy Queen on Captiva's sister island, Sanibel. That means no Walmart, no McDonald's, no mall. (A few of you reading this just fell out of your chair.) But somehow no one really cares. All there is here are two independently owned grocery stores (both about a quarter of the size of your average Walmart), a handful of surf shops, and of course a number of restaurants found no where else. Other than the one Dairy Queen (no idea how that sucker even got here) there is nothing that is similar to anything found on the mainland.

Captiva changes people. It makes one feel as if time has no meaning, as if there is nothing and no one surrounding us save for the four miles of beach and cottages. Of course, island life isn't for everyone. Those people that can never slow down, can never just stop and do nothing for once in their life, would never enjoy a vacation here. There isn't a multitude of things to do, no theme park, no huge attraction, save for maybe a few jet ski rides, some deep sea fishing, and maybe a para sailing trip. Other than that, the island itself is enough for most people. It has the ability to erase the mind's usual and somewhat annoying thoughts and replace them with gull calls, soft sand, cool breezes, and the smell and feel of ocean spray. There is simply nothing like it. I'm hoping and praying that I will forever be able to enjoy and appreciate such a special place. Just another one of those simple, wonderful things that life has to offer.

"The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen