I watch from my window as ice begins to frost over my city. The beginning of winter means an immediate pause to the normally fast-paced city of Wilmington NC. The prospect of winters icy hand causes chaos as locals will stock up on milk and bread. During the day the streets warm up from the glazing sun peeking through the clouds, but the nighttime brings frozen temperature’s that harden the ice into a black nightmare. I wait patiently indoors with my mug of hot chocolate and watch in wonder when the ice will finally melt.

Winter turns to spring and Wilmington is alive again. My beautiful azalea bushes start to bloom in a wide range of colors. Houses upon houses are now covered in brilliant pinks, whites, and vibrant fuchsia flowers. My city is now a mystical garden.

Summer comes along, and I watch as my city is taken over by outsiders. Gone are the days of my peaceful spring nights. My sandy Carolina beaches become littered with beer glasses, tacky beach chairs, and way too tight bikinis. The night life has glaring neon signs flashing and local bands playing in the background in hopes of getting discovered. Fireworks light up the sky on the weekends in an array of shapes and colors. People enjoy the local seafood caught fresh from our shores and finish the hot humid days off with snow cones from Pelicans.

As summer turns to autumn, my city becomes a college town. Historic downtown Wilmington becomes a place for barhopping and locally brewed beer. The beaches are still packed because the summer heat yet to leave. The leaves on the old oak trees transform into brilliant golds and reds, but it never lasts. When leaves begin to fall to the ground, that means the sign for winter is near. As I watch the ice start take over my city, I look out my window and wait for when my beautiful azaleas will bloom again.