Do you remember your first time experiencing Sanibel?
I remember mine! It was the Summer of 1990.
I was living in Miami after graduating from the University of Connecticut. A friend from college and I decided to drive across the state to visit Sanibel Island for the day. We didn’t have a lot of time, and we didn’t know what to do with our time, so we visited the beach, of course. I remember the water was so warm!
Not long after, I planned a second visit to Sanibel. This time I did the whole Sanibel experience. I biked, walked, shelled, kayaked in Tarpon Bay, and spent all day enjoying the outdoors. It was so different from Miami and, of course, very different from Connecticut where I grew up. I fell in love with Sanibel Island that day.
Speaking of falling in love… Did you know that Jim proposed to me on Sanibel Island?
He took me out to dinner at the Brass Elephant, a fancy restaurant next to Sanibel Inn at the time, which is now Dante’s Coal Fire Pizza. After dinner, we strolled to the beach, laid on a big blanket, and stared up at the stars. We saw shooting stars that night, and before I knew what was happening, Jim was kneeling in front of me holding a ring. I said YES, as the story goes, and we married one year later in my home church back in Connecticut.
A year later we returned to Sanibel to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary. We nibbled at the top layer of our wedding cake that, as tradition has it, my mother had saved in her freezer and shipped down to Sanibel for us to enjoy. We stayed at Island Inn that year and returned there again for our 25th wedding anniversary.
Why am I sharing all of this?
Well, I recently read an article in Vogue magazine that struck a chord. The journalist shares her first experience on Sanibel Island with such raw and real emotion that the little details brought me back to my first time on island. Truth is, I really enjoy hearing other people’s Sanibel stories. Everyone seems to have very unique experiences, yet we are all drawn to the same wonder and awe of Sanibel’s shell-laden shoreline and the overall tranquility of the island.
That’s all! I hope you enjoyed my story time. If you want to read the article in Vogue, here’s the link. If you want to share your Sanibel experience, call, text, or email me! Or better yet, go to our Facebook page and leave a comment so that everyone can share their stories together.
