Long, long ago (in the 90s), I had the opportunity to learn a great deal about expectations. Back then I was a summer camp counselor in charge of leading a dozen kids at a time on back country wilderness trips near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Every week we would pack up the kids and set off on another adventure through some of the most remote and beautiful wilderness in the country. We sang songs around campfires, rode horses, forged rivers and slept under bright blue tarps. We cooked our food over small fire pits and drank water purified with iodine.

For the most part, however, we hiked. We hiked up mountains, we hiked down mountains. We hiked around and between them. Some days we hiked much further than others. Those long days were the ones to be wary of as a camp counselor. It was important to set the right expectations — usually an outright lie — and overestimate the time, or distance or what-have-you. Of the utmost importance was never to utter the phrase “we’re almost there,” because everyone has a different understanding of what “almost” means.

How much further? Haven’t we gone three miles yet? Where are we? You said it was right around the corner! Why can’t we camp right here? I want my mommy.

Except for that last one, I find myself having similar conversations today — not about hiking, but about my pet project. I’ve set expectations to match the leanest, most idealized path I envisioned at the time. And despite the months this project has taken already I still am optimistic that launch is imminent. Things take longer than I think to get done, and they take even longer still to get right. But darn it, we are almost there. Rather, dibs.net is almost here. Friends and family have heard this for weeks, but it is true. So, stay tuned. I will be working tirelessly all next week to bring dibs.net online. Wish me luck!