I’ve lived in my hometown since age 3, and for all 18 years since, today was the day I finally made it out to the tip of Sandy Hook.

As a native from the REAL Jersey shore, I’ve grown up on the beach and see it as a second home. Needless to say, Hurricane Sandy still haunts the barrier island of Sea Bright and Sandy Hook National Park, which has only recently opened due to tremendous damage & construction.

Home for a brief time during this summer, I’ve made it my goal to make it out to the very far end of Sandy Hook, experiencing the remote beach post hurricane, as well as getting a beautiful view of New York City from the shoreline.

(If you look closely at the image below, you can see the Financial District & downtown Wall Street area, as well as the George Washington Bridge that connects NJ to NYC)

Due to the hurricane, the tide and marine life has dramatically changed, leaving many undisturbed shells along the beach shorelines, as well as too many beached creatures, such as horseshoe crabs, sting rays, and baby sharks.

Here’s my collection of snail shells, 2 spiral shells, sea glass and an oyster shell. All of them are in perfect condition, it was hard to only take home these few when there were so many shells that haven’t been crushed or broken yet.