I write this post after trudging through the slush and ice that has invaded the walks of my campus. I look out and see that my window is blanketed in ice, obstructing my usual view of people coming and going to class.

Despite the fact that I am unable to see through the window, I can still see a certain image clearly. In my mind, I have a vivid picture of the beautiful shoreline that will greet me in the next few months.

Just about every summer since I have existed, (I hear that I traveled there in vitro), my family and I have traveled to Wildwood and Cape May. One of my very first memories is watching as the waves on the endless North Wildwood beach drifted backward and forward, backward and forward, until with great force, they came toward me. I felt exhilarated, though, not afraid. I ran back to my family’s blanket, where my parents were smiling from their beach chairs. My dad then attempted to convince my mom into the water, a scene that really is not very different from today.

No matter what has changed, two of my favorite towns have remained the same, at least in most ways. My parents have always wondered how I can recall it when I see each year how the names of businesses or particular rides on the boardwalk have changed. There will always be fudge samples in the Cape May town square that I stop conversations for; there will always be people running around on the Wildwood boardwalk with bets and games at the top of their list of priorities for the night. People return to places like Wildwood and Cape May because those are the places that make them remember to forget.

And so, as you trudge through snow and ice, remember that there will always be a Wildwood and Cape May for you.