With wind gusts as high as 105 mph, more than half a million people without power along the east coast, a storm surge that could reach as high as 11 feet and 11 people dead thus far, Hurricane Florence is destroying everything beautiful in Wilmington, North Carolina and surrounding areas and it breaks my heart.

Hurricane season is devastating because it destroys homes and lives and causes billions of dollars worth of damage every year. While southeast Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin and the like are still rebuilding from the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in 2017, rebuilding North Carolina and other states along the east coast won't start until Hurricane Florence runs its course.

While I could never possibly understand the fear and devastation running through the minds of the thousands of displaced individuals impacted by Hurricane Florence, I can relate in the sense that I am heartbroken over the fact that Hurricane Florence is stealing every ounce of beauty it crosses. While my heart breaks for everyone and every place impacted by Hurricane Florence, my heart breaks especially for Wilmington, North Carolina, a place I fell in love with last year.

I'd driven through North Carolina in the past while venturing down south but I never had a reason to vacation there, until my friend and I booked a trip to Wilmington to attend Eyecon's "Return to Tree Hill" event in October 2017.

Eyecon is a company that holds fan conventions for multiple television series like "Twilight," "The Vampire Diaries," "Teen Wolf" and "One Tree Hill," hence "Return to Tree Hill." Fan conventions give fans the opportunities to tour the sets of their favorite television shows, meet the actors who play their favorite characters, meet other fans and more.

My friend and I are diehard fans of "One Tree Hill" and had been to an Eyecon fan convention for the television series a few months before in Chicago. Venturing to Wilmington, North Carolina was a crazy idea we never thought would happen, not because we didn't want it to happen but because it was a little more than a 13-hour drive and it was a random weekend in October; it's not the typical road trip you would take in college when you can only slot off four days and you're on a budget, but we made it happen, and it was the most amazing experience of my life.

Because we were only in Wilmington for three days, driving home the fourth day, I made the most out of this mini vacation and saw and did everything I could possibly fit into a few days.

North Carolina is stunning, but Wilmington is literally a scene out of a movie (actually though; a majority of Nicholas Sparks' movies were filmed in Wilmington and the Outer Banks). With its small-town charm, friendly locals, beautiful scenery, delicious food, adorable shops (that sell "One Tree Hill," "Gilmore Girls" and "Dawson's Creek" (another television series filmed in Wilmington) apparel) and to-die-for sunsets and beaches, Wilmington is a place I envisioned moving to one day.

The first night we arrived, my friend wasn't feeling well so she stayed at the hotel while I ventured out on my own. Vacationing in Wilmington was only the second vacation I'd ever taken without parental figures so I had already stepped out of my comfort zone a bit, but venturing out on my own in a place I'd never been was a new and freeing experience for me. I'd always wanted to solo travel - not because I don't enjoy the company, but because I just think it's something I need to experience in life - so eating at a local restaurant and driving around downtown Wilmington by myself was an amazing experience, one that let me truly absorb the beauty and excitement Wilmington has to offer.

The next day, my friend and I drove around Wilmington and visited a majority of the locations the exterior shots of "One Tree Hill" were filmed, like Brooke Davis' house with its iconic red door, Lucas Scott's house, Peyton Sawyer's house, Keith Scott's Body Shop, the "Naley" bench and the location of the iconic River Court (which was sadly removed upon the completion of filming the television series), among others. My favorite stop was the iconic bridge featured in the theme song - the bridge that Lucas Scott dribbles a basketball across in the first episode and nearly gets run over by Peyton Sawyer. While visiting these locations, it was as if one of my favorite television series was brought to life right before my eyes.

We also took a bus tour around the historic district of Wilmington and visited Wrightsville Beach that night when the sun was setting.

While the highlight of my mini vacation was meeting Chad Michael Murray (who plays Lucas Scott) and James Lafferty (who plays Nathan Scott) and getting their autographs (because who doesn't want to meet their favorite actors and the real-life Prince Charming?!), I'll never forget the view I witnessed at Wrightsville Beach. The sunset was the most amazing sunset I'd ever seen and I loved the sound of the waves crashing in. This was the only time we were able to go to the beach during our time in Wilmington, but it was an experience I'll never forget.

Kayleigh Garrison

The beautiful waves I saw crashing into shore are now cascading over Wilmington, destroying its iconic scenery and immense beauty. It will take years and I imagine billions of dollars to restore its beauty and it breaks my heart that a place I fell in love with, a place that thousands of people call home, is suffering at the hands of mother nature; it's experiencing a catastrophe that couldn't be prevented.

Wilmington, North Carolina stole my heart and now Hurricane Florence is stealing its beauty.

I fell in love with Wilmington because, for the first time since I started college, I felt carefree and stress-free. My time in college hasn't been easy; between struggling to make a solid, tight-knit group of friends to constantly stressing out about homework, grades, finding an internship, building my resume, paying for college etc. vacation in Wilmington, even if only for a few days, was just what I need to make me realize that there is so much more to life than stress and worrying about the future or what other people think. I felt like I found myself in Wilmington and urged to go back and soon as possible. I eventually wanted to move there one day because of how it made me feel; it made me realize that I have explored so little of the world and I will never feel completely fulfilled unless I travel more.

While I have no plans of returning to Wilmington, North Carolina anytime soon (primarily because it's expensive), I look forward to returning someday and I look forward to purchasing a one-way ticket another day.

I understand that living along the coast is risky and potentially dangerous, but so is living in earthquake territory or tornado-alley. The fact of the matter is, no one can predict where mother nature will target next, all we can do is live where out heart desires (or where a job takes us) and pray mother nature doesn't target the place we call home.

I've lived in Michigan my entire life. Aside from a tornado here and there and an ice storm that knocks out power lines and cancels school for a few days, the weather in Michigan isn't as bad as I or anything makes it seem (except icy roads; those are literally life-threatening). While I might be far away from hurricanes and earthquakes as long as I live in Michigan, I need to see the world and I need to live in another state at some point in my life.

Some people could care less about traveling, but for me, it makes me feel whole; traveling makes me feel like I am living my life with purpose and meaning. I believe that God created the Earth for people to explore if they have the ability to do so, and I plan on traveling as long as I have the ability (and funds) to do so.

We all take vacations and see places that we never want to leave; Wilmington, North Carolina did that for me and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

I pray for everyone and every place impacted by Hurricane Florence. I pray for the animals who were left behind and the animals who were separated from their owners; I pray they find their way back to each other. I pray for the people whose homes were destroyed, with the hope that they have homeowner's insurance and that a majority of their items lost can be replaced. I pray for the iconic locations featured in "One Tree Hill," a number of Nicholas Sparks' movies and the like and that they can be restored for fans like myself to visit for years to come. I pray that people reunite with loved ones they were separated from. I pray that children and college students can return to school in the near future. I pray that Wilmington, North Carolina and every area impacted by Hurricane Florence is one day restored to their original beauty and that people can one day begin to create happy memories again - happy memories that overshadow the sadness, heartbreak and devastation currently being experienced due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Florence. I especially pray that something like this catastrophe never happens again, anywhere.

Wilmington, North Carolina, and everyone and every place impacted by Hurricane Florence, you are in my prayers, always.