How was the weekend?

Do you ever feel like the city life is getting too busy and you really seek some quiet time in nature? I do. This weekend, in alignment with Earth Day, I decided to spend my free time reconnecting to nature. Thankfully Vancouver is the perfect place for that. Only a short bus ride and you are surrounded by lush rain forests with big trees, streams, waterfalls and lakes.

I went to the North Shore where I explored a new area. I’ve been to Lynn Canyon many times before but never headed towards Rice Lake which is close by. It was very peaceful and quiet around the lake, I’d definitely recommend taking a hike through the forest and watch people fishing on the lake when you get a chance.

I didn’t just go for a stroll though. I as on a mission – a mission to restore a natural BC rainforests environment on grounds that were fruitless from too many footsteps walking over it. Why restore the environment? Because it’s healthy for the forest and its habitants like birds or frogs for example. We recreated the natural vegetation by planting over 200 local plants in hopes they will grow and nourish the environment around. This initiative was lead by professionals of course that guided us volunteers through the do’s and dont’s, explained what’s important and made sure we had some well deserved coffee breaks in between. It was a lot of fun volunteering for the environment, I felt like a kid again, playing in the mud. 😀 There was nothing else that mattered in this moment and it really gave me a felling of being connected to nature and myself. I can only recommend you try it for yourself some time, there’s probably a bunch of programs online that you could volunteer for. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it just as much and in the end you’ve done something great for the Earth. 😉

Sunday INTERNeX went to explore yet another beautiful area in the forests of BC. Our adventure in Capilano River Regional Park was definitely worth the visit. Right upon arrival we were blessed with misty mountains views reflecting on the lake. We saw the impressive Cleveland Dam and then headed straight into the woods. Everything around was covered in green moss and decorated with a variety of other wild plants. It’s almost like walking through a fairy tale forest with all its magic. The path lead across wooden bridges with streams passing by and along the powerful bursting river with its turquoise-green colour. There were a lot of pretty viewpoints and the hike itself was not too hard either, so even if you’re not that experienced I believe you could enjoy this little walk in nature with a hiking buddy. Take in the fresh air, meet lots of doggies on the trails and do a little picnic break on one of the benches along the river, you’ll thank yourself after for this refreshing experience. We all enjoyed it for sure. Before going home we made a quick stop at the Londsdale Quay Market in North Vancouver to grab a little snack as a reward for getting out of the house on a rainy Sunday. 🙂

How about you? Did you make it outside this weekend? Did you do anything for Earth Day, or did you enjoy it from the comfort of your bed? 😉

Let me know all about it at the next Pub Night!

See you then,

Laura 🙂

New ‘kids’ on the Blog

This week we don’t have 1, not 2, but 3 new kids on the blog!

Our first new ‘kid’ is an absolute animal lover! Say Hi to Antonia (she/her) form Offenburg in Germany. 🙂 During her time here she would like to spend some quality time with furry friends which is why she decided to volunteer at a Cat Sanctuary for the next 7 weeks. Besides the cats Antonia is very eager to see Orcas in the Pacific Ocean which is also one of the reasons why she chose to come to Vancouver! After some research she read that Vancouver Island would be a great spot to see the lovely killer whales in action. Good thing we’re planning a trip to Vancouver Island next month. 😉 After her stay in Canada she goes on for another 7 weeks to South Africa. There, she will volunteer in Kruger National Park, again with animals of course. 🙂

After reading all this you must think she’d like to do something with animals in her future career but actually she’d like to work in an office for a large company. She’s already worked at that company back home, but in a different position that’s not necessarily for her. Before working she just finished High School and is now taking some well deserved time off for herself. Her first impression of Vancouver is that it’s very calm and nice with lots of nature close by. Other than seeing Orcas, not much is on her bucket list. She will go with the flow and if she does see one of those beautiful whales, she’d like to get a tattoo to remember that experience by. I’m optimistic that she won’t leave Canada without crossing that point off her list. Maybe you want to join her on a whale watching tour? 🙂 Or maybe you’d rather play a round of darts with Antonia? That’s her newly found hobby which was influenced by her father’s passion for the sport. I say we go to a bar and practice some throws. Maybe at Pub Night?

Next we have double trouble. 😉 Justine (she/her) and Marie (she/her) are both from a small town in the South-East of France. They met each other about a year ago in Business School where they attend their second year together right now. Both need to gain some hands-on experience in an English speaking country, so they decided to volunteer at a Fashion Organization here in Vancouver. They are interested in how it operates, how it got where it is today, and they’d like to discover many different areas like design, communication, or social media.

Justine picked Canada because she wanted to experience a different culture and get out of her comfort zone back home. Vancouver is far away and gives the perfect opportunity to explore new ways of life. Her first impression was that Vancouver is big and beautiful with lots of nice people around. On her bucket list is to see an Ice Hockey Game and in general to discover as much as possible in the next 4 months. 🙂 Her hobbies include fashion, Formula 1, and sports in general. She used to especially like Handball! Her favourite food is Italian, so take out your recommendation list and let us know where to get the best Italian food in town. 😉

Marie always wanted to visit Canada because she thinks it’s a beautiful country, isn’t she right? 😉 Her first impression of the city is that it’s big, diverse and has many dogs – which she likes, so it’s a good thing. 🙂 While she’s here she’d like to experience many local things and immerse herself in the authentic culture of this place. Her interests are fashion, music and asian cultures, especially Korean and Japanese. She really enjoys K-Pop and Anime. One of her favourite foods is Sushi. I’d say Vancouver is a great place to have some good Sushi, what do you all think? 🙂

I’d love for you to meet the three at tonight’s Pub Night! Make sure to come by!

Cheers,

Laura

How was the weekend?

Was your weekend packed with activities, like mine, or did you take it slow?

For me there’s been a lot of things going on! It all started with INTERNeX going to the Vancouver Fashion Week. I’ve never been to a Fashion show before and didn’t quite know what to expect. To be completely honest I actually first thought it might get a little boring watching models present the designers clothes, but I was wrong, the experience exceeded my expectations.

Let me start from the beginning. What I loved from the start is that this event gives the perfect opportunity to dress up and present yourself in fashion you like, that might represent part of your personality, or is just a fun way to brighten up your day. To me, fashion doesn’t necessarily means wearing expensive designer pieces, it’s more about seeing it as a form of art that helps you express yourself and I could really see that at the Vancouver Fashion Week, not just in the audience, but also in the designs that were presented. Every of them had a unique style that was representing the art work of the creator. Fashion as I saw it was expressive, fun, and divers. Just like you can spot certain painters, or movie directors patterns that show how unique they are, you could see the same for the artists at the fashion show. What also made it extra fun was to see and learn about fashion represented by different nationalities, incorporating parts of their culture into the designs. 🙂 The models mirrored the styles by their way of presenting it which made it super entertaining to watch! I would say none of the styles equal each other and I really started to appreciate all the work and art behind the designs. On top of all that the atmosphere was amazing. There was the possibility to get a touch up for your make up, have a few drinks, and network in between the shows. Overall I think we all really enjoyed the experience and learned something new about Fashion, I’ll definitely come back for the next Vancouver Fashion Week! 🙂

Friday night, some of us girls had a little girls night with themed drinks, pyjamas, Italian food, including a Tiramisu for dessert, lots of music, dancing and singing, good talks, face masks and more food as you can see on the picture. 😀 I haven’t had a sleepover in years and I must say I really enjoyed it. It was nice to just hang out and do all the fun selfceare things in a large group. 🙂 So, this is your sign to grab your friends and organize a big sleepover party, it’s what we all need from time to time. 😉 Saturday was then a big rest day, or mores a preparation for the Vancouver Sun Run on Sunday!

Only a handful of INTERNeXer’s were up for the challenge of running 10km in the pouring rain. A lot of you might question the name of the run after hearing that most of the years it’s actually raining at the Sun Run, but we thought maybe it’s less about running IN the sun, and more about running FOR the sun. Since this is a pretty big event with road closures and thousands of people participating, all the good energy gets channeled and send up to the sky pushing the clouds aside, making room for the sun to break through. At least that’s what I’m hoping.:D We all know we’re in Raincouver, but I’m optimistic the sun will show within the next few weeks, you’re welcome. 😉

As mentioned it was very wet, so within 10 minutes we were soaked through and running with puddles inside our shoes. On the bright side we were warm and no one could tell if we’re sweating or just wet from the rain. 😀 It was a great feeling running collectively with so many people. Every couple meters there was live music playing and people cheering everyone on to keep going which made it possible for us to run the whole 10km without breaks in only 71 minutes. For some that might be slow, but let me tell you we are all not regular runners, so even just to finish the 10k was an accomplishment, doing it in that time felt even better. It was incredibly rewarding and I can recommend it to anyone who’s kind of thinking about it to really try it. Take some time to practice before and most important: hydrate! Grab a team partner and go for it.

After our run we went to the beach and took a cold plunge in 9 degree ocean water which also felt hard at first but very rejuvenating afterwards. All the pain from the run went away and it gave us new energy. Of course we also needed to treat ourselves after this tough day. For us it was a nice big breakfast and a visit at a pool with sauna and hot tub. You can imagine we all slept very well last night. 😉

If I’m doing a run again? Maybe. Am I going to become a regular runner? Probably not. 😀 Nevertheless this was a great experience and I’m glad I did it. 🙂 Maybe I’ll try biking next? What about you? Do you like being active? Do you like physical challenges? Or are you more of a homebody? And how was your weekend?

Can’t wait for you to tell me at Pub Night!

See you then,

Laura 🙂

What to do on the weekend?

Happy Easter Weekend everybody! Are you excited to have some time to explore and relax? I sure am. 🙂 There’s a few things you could do this weekend.

My first recommendation is going on a hike with INTERNeX! We are going to Quarry Rock in Deep Cove which is a great viewpoint to look over the water, forest and houses along the North Shore (awesome for social media pics). The trail is pretty easy without getting boring, so if you’re a beginner you can definitely do it, and if you’re advanced you’ll still enjoy the walk. It leads past multiple streams, provides ups and downs through the beautiful rainforest of BC with its calming green colour all around you. I think it’s an awesome little hike and an amazing way to spend the day.

If the hiking doesn’t intrigue you then I have another catch for you. At Deep Cove there’s one of Vancouver’s most famous Doughnut Shops with usually still warm, fluffy buns in different flavours such as coconut cinnamon, chocolate, or Canadian maple. They also serve coffee, so after your hike you could warm up and reward yourself. How does that sound to you? And don’t worry you won’t miss it, there’s only a few shops and cafes around and I guarantee you in front of this one you’ll see a line. 😉

I hope the weather doesn’t stop you from joining the trip, it can be very unpredictable, but if you wouldn’t explore just because of a little rain, then you’d live a boring life in Raincouver. I encourage you to go despite the weather like a real Canadian adventurer. Make sure you check the forecast and dress accordingly, it’s always good to bring a rain jacket, trust me, I’ve been there and I’ve learned.

Another thing you could do is watch a sports game, there’s Ice Hockey, Soccer and Baseball going on this weekend, all of which offer unique stadium experiences! Grab a footlong hotdog, peanuts and sushi at the Baseball Game with multiple game highlights. Watch one of the last Ice Hockey Games live in Vancouver for this season with lots of action on the ice and fun entertainment during the breaks, or cheer on a soccer team with fans around you chanting, drumming and passionately following their team through the 90 minutes of action. Each sports event has their similarities but in the end is quite unique and definitely worth checking out!

Since it’s the Easter weekend, how about a little bunny hunt? Not literally of course, I’m talking about just watching them hanging out by the beach, enjoying their company from a distance. You might wonder where to look for them, and I can tell you: Jericho Beach Park. There’s lots of wild bunnies hopping around the grass and sand. Seems like the perfect Easter spot! Count for me how many bunnies you see. 😉

BUT: Please respect their environment and do NOT touch or feed them. This is very important because it can cause possible health threats for the fluff balls and the public, plus it has negative knock on effects to the environment. If you touch them they are in distress and might bite or scratch you which can transmit deadly diseases to humans. Feeding the bunnies can end up in a $500 fine and it’s not only unhealthy for the rabbits, but they can also become more vulnerable to predators and spreading disease. The food can also attract other rodents which might lead to infestations and further opportunities for spreading disease.

Of course the beach offers not just the experience to watch cute animals, but it also shows off with nice views over the mountains and the city skyline. There’s trails in the park and you can go on a long beach walk basically all the way to UBC! If you’re looking for a nice Sunday walk, this is it. 🙂 Maybe you want to explore the Pacific Spirit Regional Park, or check out some local cafes close in the area as well?

Whatever you decide to do this weekend I hope you enjoy it!

We’ll see you again next Wednesday at Pub Night and then you can tell me all about it. 🙂

Cheers,

Laura

How was the weekend?

The short week has started, Easter is coming! That sounds like spring and flowers to me. I’m already in the mood for warmer temperatures and colourful trees around the city after last weekends visit to the Cherry Blossom Festival in David Lam Park.

We met up quite early for a Saturday, around 11.30am, to watch the opening ceremony followed by getting some tasty food at one of the trucks and making ourselves comfortable under one of the many blooming cherry trees in the park. The sun was shining with some small clouds passing by, making it a beautiful day to be outside. We enjoyed just hanging out in the park for a while, playing some card games before exploring other parts of the event like a dance show and a concert on different stages at the venue. After strolling we came back to our spot and talked about our life here in Vancouver while the guys ran off to play basketball on one of the courts. When the sun hid behind the clouds we decided it’s probably time to go home. It doesn’t seem like a super exciting day, but I really enjoyed just being outside in the park with friends, taking in the beautiful colours of the trees, petting lots of dogs, having great conversations and relaxing by the water. To me, this is what life in Vancouver is all about. 😉

At night I invited some friends over for Taco Night with more games and dogs around which honestly is a highlight for me. 😀 Same as the day, my night was pretty chill and uneventful but sometimes you need a weekend just like that, hanging around enjoying the company of good people, eating good food and nothing else. 🙂

How about your weekend? Maybe you got something more exciting to tell me? I’ve heard there were some trips to Vancouver Island and Seattle this weekend, I can’t wait to hear all about it! 🙂

See you next Pub Night!

Cheers,

Laura 🙂