My husband and I took a trip up the Massachusetts coast recently. Number one on our sight-seeing list was going on a whale-watching expedition.

Online photos showed giant whales jumping out of the water, waving their fins at sightseers on the boat. Friends told me they loved watching the whales in their natural environment.

So I signed us up. When we arrived, a sign in the office said “choppy” waters.

That’s like saying a karate chop from Jackie Chan is a love tap. That boat rocked every way but straight, and the wind turned a cool breeze into an arctic wind machine.

An hour later, the boat finally slowed down and we saw – off in the far distance – the back of something gray.

As quick as the whale’s back was visible, it was gone. Twenty minutes later, we saw another gray back. Again, off in the distance. Then it was time for the return trip to the shore. I spent that hour inside the warm galley, glad I’d taken Dramamine.

I chalked this up to another experience I thought was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime, fabulous event only to have it turn out to be somewhat disappointing.

This has happened to me before. Plymouth Rock comes to mind. I pictured a giant boulder, something the size of a tow truck.

Nope.

In reality, Plymouth Rock is about the size of my pillow. I felt fleeced.

On the flip side, there are things you think are going to be humdrum and turn out to be a fabulous experience.

Years ago, my brother, Jeff, and I took a chance on a Saturday afternoon movie we knew nothing about – “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

We initially thought we’d while away a couple of hours in an air-conditioned theater. Instead, we had the best movie watching experience of our lives.

You might think watching “Paw Patrol” with little ones is boring. But when a child snuggles up next to you, that boring half hour turns into a memorable experience consisting of nothing more than blissful calm. Oh, and said child saying they want every toy advertised on every single commercial.

Washing dishes after a family meal is usually a task we dread. But that humdrum chore allows you to visit with your family or friends, and those casual conversations become memorable moments.

Spending idle time with your grandparents or parents might not seem like a big deal. But later in life, those afternoons will be ones you’ll wish you could revisit.

They’ll casually tell you their views about life, love, commitment, fun and the old days in those leisurely moments. It might be the only time you’ll have their undivided attention in an unrushed environment.

If you spend time cooking with your parents or grandparents, you’re indeed fortunate. Not only will you learn how to master family recipes, you’ll hear all kinds of family stories over a pot of simmering gumbo or while basting a brisket on the family grill.

Humdrum household chores can be a golden opportunity to show your children how to take care of themselves. While folding towels or changing the sheets on the bed, use the time to tell your children about your chores when growing up.

The point is to pass on family memories while doing something seemingly unimportant. Try not to be a martyr during the telling although when we were kids, we did walk uphill to school.

Both ways.

I didn’t see a giant whale jumping out of the ocean on that boat trip. But later in the week, I saw a sailboat gliding along just off the shore, its sails full of possibility, the ocean calm with blue skies overhead.

I saw possibility and adventure in that simple moment. I’ll take that over a rock every single time.

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.