One of the things that made me so excited about coming to UNCW was how close I was going to be to the beach. I’ve always been a beach girl for as long as I can remember. My parents never took us to lakes or the mountains, so the beach has always been a big part of my life. When I found out that my college was only about ten minutes away from the ocean, I was ecstatic! I could not wait to drive down in such a short time. My friends, jealous of my close proximity, were quick to note that the beach was only fun during the summer. Being a student at UNC Wilmington for about three years now, I’ve learned to understand that the beach is not only fun during the summer, but there’s plenty to do during the winter as well.
1. Study – During the winter months, it is not as packed as it is in the summer due to the colder temperatures, so it’s the perfect place to study. It’s peaceful, beautiful, and what is better than natural white noise? So next time the library is packed and the sun is out, grab a blanket and head to the beach!
2. Exercise – Today, I was lucky enough to get up and go running on the beach. It wasn’t as crowded as the loop usually is and I got to run with a pretty amazing view. Exercising with a view like that makes the whole ordeal a lot easier!
3. Puppy time – In the offseason, dogs are allowed to play on the beach and it’s probably one of the cutest things you can see while being at the beach during the winter months. What is cuter than a bunch of puppies running around playing fetch and splashing in the water?
4. Boats – Luckily, the beach pretty much offers the same opportunities in the winter as it does in the summer in certain aspects. On sunny days, people who own boats can go out for a nice ride around Wrighstville Beach. Of course the attire for this boat ride does not include that cute new VS bathing suit you just got, but it definitely offers the same breathtaking views.
On top of all these things you can still do in the winter, Wilmington gives us some warm, sunny days during the winter that allow us to go out and sunbathe no matter the season. You’ll see many students instagramming their beach pics in bathing suits in the middle of January, while some of their friends from other schools are complaining about the cold. So the next time somebody asks you what you can do in the winter at the beach, just tell them pretty much what you do in the summer!