The Eye of the Hurricane

Some of my best memories living in the South, particularly in Wilmington, was the crazy weather that came to our area. Category 1 and 2 hurricanes, tropical storms, and random ice storms, were some of the weather conditions I grew up with. Sunny days and warm ocean breezes were nice, but the nontraditional impacts of weather is truly what make's our area so unique.

Tropical storms and hurricanes were the most fascinating.We would spend the day before the predicted storm time, covering up the cars with tarp and wrapping our outdoor furniture in industrial strength rope. The storm lamp would be checked for batteries, and a trip to the supermarket would be taken to pick up any necessities that we might have needed for the next few days.As the storm arrived, I would crawl into bed and watch the leaves of the trees blow in the storm winds. The weather radio would be on and we'd listen to the forecast.I had my first experience with a hurricane back in 2004 with Frances, and ever since then I was hooked. It was a natural weather occurrence for those of us who grew up near the water and so I was never frightened. It was an awe moment and one that was truly beautiful. The skies would be a medium grey and the air would look somewhat eerie. All of the electronics would be unplugged because the wind would cause trees to fall on the power lines, so I had to find alternative ways to occupy my time.When I was younger, my mother would read me stories by the lantern in the living room.As I got older I would use the time to practice my music, much to the chagrin of my parents, or I'd write. Though the storm was raging outside the walls of my home, inside it was peaceful and calm.

Another memory of the various weather patterns in my town,was about 3 years ago during the tenth grade. It was  unusually cold weather and an ice/snow storm swept through the region. We were originally only supposed to be out of school for 2 days, but 2 days turned into 7. My mother and grandmother stayed at home because their work had been cancelled as well. This was one of the first times that I had seen snow in about 7 years so I took full advantage of the half inch that landed in my backyard. My dog and I spent the day running through the storm, even though he didn't know quite what to do with himself, as it was the first time he'd seen snow since he was a puppy. Though the roads were extremely icy and the weathermen warned the townspeople to stay inside because of the threat of falling trees and branches, cars were attempting to drive on the roads. My mother, grandmother,and I, huddled into my mother's heated car and drove slowly to the gas station down our street to get coffee and hot chocolate. The only downside to the freak weather was that our school board decided to add 30 minutes to each school day until the end of the year to make up for our missed school days. But having that week to disconnect and experience nature and the snow for a while, was completely worth the elongated school day.

The South is described as one of the most beautiful regions in the country, With the historic downtown districts and horse-drawn carriage rides, I could see why anyone would want to visit. But though the beaches and the sunny weather and of course, the architecture, are what many see as the most alluring parts of the South, nothing is as unique as the different forms of weather we've seen in the past few years. The weather is what brings solace and allows you to look at your town in a whole different light.

Want a Side of Kale With That?

Pecan Pie.Strawberry shortcake.Fried chicken and cornbread.If you've ever lived in the South or have visited this region of the country, then these food staples will sound very familiar. "Comfort food" as it's most known as below the Mason Dixon line, is the main delicacy of the area. Restaurants such as Cracker Barrel and Bojangles are frequently visited my tourists and townies alike, just to get their fill of southern comfort food.

The stigma that many people hold who aren't from these parts, is that Southerners are extremely unhealthy and suffer from a lot of health problems.But what i've come to realize growing up, is that it really just depends on the individual.

Wilmington, N.C. and most Coastal Carolina cities for that matter, are very health conscience. Yeah we enjoy our corn bread and fat-laden collard  greens, but the next morning we're outside or in the gym, burning of some of those calories. Many people flock to our area just to get the chance to run on the beach in one of the many marathons and triathlons that have sprung up in recent years. Paddleboarding races and wakeboarding competitions have always been pretty popular.  There's not much to do in terms of inside activities, but if you like staying active in the water, or on land, Wilmington is always a great choice.

 My upbringing was one that was on the healthier side as well. My mother and grandmother always made sure that I had a plate full of vegetables and then watched me to assure that every one of those pieces of broccoli and carrots were gone from my plate.We lived near the water, so we ate lot's of baked and steamed seafood as well. Ask any kid in my town what they grew up participating in during school, and they'd probably name going to the beach riding bikes or swimming, surfing, most likely participated in some form of sport in middle school and high school.That was the average kid's upbringing. I fondly remember the summers taking tennis classes, or swimming lessons. Though I didn't do a sport in high school, I would go to my friend's neighborhood and play basketball or soccer. I would like to say that I did those things in order to remain healthy but it was probably more due to sheer boredom sometimes

But there were times in High School where I had to ensure that I was in the best physical shape. During JROTC practice it wasn't uncommon for us to do 100 pushups in one afternoon or be told to start sprinting around the track, even holding our 20 pound rifles over our head for 20 minutes at a time just because. Maybe it was because our instructor wanted to punish us for talking during class that day, or it could have been because he truly cared about us being the top competitors. I'm still trying to figure it out.

Growing up in the South does equate to eating some very unhealthy traditional cooking(I miss you homemade mac and cheese), but we truly do care about our health. Except when were outside, no one still wear sunscreen.

The Greatest Time of Year

Wilmington N.C. is filled with historic mansions, debutantes, riverfront festivals, and the somewhat famous,once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Azalea Belles.Towards the end of my senior year I was lucky enough to be chosen for this honor.

As the winter frost thins and the chirping of the birds increases, southern girls around the city eagerly await to see the envelope from the Cape Fear Garden Club with a letter inscribed with the words " You have been selected." With this acceptance, comes a one month process where 120 girls are transformed from everyday high school seniors to elegant Azalea Belles.

The Azalea Belle history dates back to almost 50 years ago in the year 1969. Mrs.Harley Vance,Cape Fear Garden club president during the time, introduced the belles as a way to represent our yearly Azalea Festival.The festival occurs one weekend in April right at the time that our azaleas bloom. And what better way to represent such an event than to have the belles, in their antebellum gowns welcome both townees and visitors to the various events.What was started out as seven girls in hoop skirts, has increased to more than 120 girls who have come to symbolize the festival season as much as the flowers they represent.

The experience that I had as an Azalea Belle was very much awe-inspiring. We started out in the beginning, in a large sanctuary at a church. We were handed our schedules that ranged from garden parties to the annual Azalea Festival parade. Then we were given a lesson in the do's and dont's of Azalea Belles or essentially, an etiquette class. The next step in the process was one of the most anticipated events; gown fittings.

Three designers are in charge of designing the antebellum-era gowns for all the girls.The best piece of advice we received was "make sure you are one of the first to choose your dress." Everyone wants the best dress because those give you access to the special events like the celebrity banquet that took place. Everything after that was a whirlwind. Many a Saturday and even Fridays, in which we got to skip our classes, were spent at various teas and gatherings, group pictures, and the ever important garden tours.Many owners of historic downtown had prepped their gardens all year long for a chance to showcase them during the festival.The Belles job at these gardens were to smile, take pictures, and represent the beauty of the festival. My friend and I would race from our second block class to downtown Wilmington or Greenfield Lake, where many of the events would occur. We had the opportunity to be interviewed and shown on TV for our parents and family to see.It was very much a star moment.

Going through my Facebook feed, I see posts of girls at my High School who are currently Seniors, going through the same process posing in their dresses and smiling at the camera. I reminisce at one of the best opportunities that I had in high school, and I desperately wish I could rewind those few weeks in March and April where I truly got to feel like a Southern Belle.

Sweet Tea(Need I Say More)

In North Carolina sweet tea is the drink that parches your thirst in the warm summer days, the first drink that you choose to order in any restaurant, and the drink that you choose to replace your oatmeal in the morning for breakfast. For every meal, for every hour, you'll hear the words "would you like some sweet tea?" And nothing sounds sweeter than that.

Sweet tea takes me back to the blistering warm days when family and friends would gather at my house, and my mother and grandmother would stand near the kitchen counter and stir the large gallon of tea. Taste testing is always necessary, because if it lacks the optimal sweetness, than 9 out of 10 times it'll end up sitting vacant on the dining room table, ignored by all the passerby's.The remainder 1 out of 10 times are for the select days when you've come back from running around outside and need the closest thing to hydrate your dry throat.It's better than Gatorade and is drunk like water.

It's the drink of choice at every homecoming and gathering at the local churches. Lemonade is at the table as well, but you only resort to that when the gallon of tea has run dry and another batch has to be stirred. When the waitress comes around to refill your drink you ask for "just one more please", but realize by the end of your meal that the same cup has been refilled 5 times.

You might feel like making a batch after watching Sweet Magnolias for the 20th time,but please remember that the recipe calls for 3/4 sugar to 1/4 tea.This is no exaggeration.Oh, and nothing is worse than Sweet n' Low or Splenda sugar substitute. It's basically like making chocolate cake with dirt, or without sugar.

The South has been the birthplace of some very sweet things.Coke, Cheerwine ( made in NC!), Dr.Pepper,Pepsi, and do not forget our tendency for desserts.Yet somehow, sweet tea has remained number 1 on our top ten list. It's so high on the list that growing up, rarely a day went by when my mother didn't have to curb her addiction by driving through the Bojangles drive-thru and ordering a large cup of that good ole' sweet tea. After many attempts to combat her addiction she finally realized that her happiness should remain the top priority.There you have it ladies and gentleman, the drug of choice in the southern United States is in fact, sweet tea.