Author Archives: Emma Simons

Charming towns to visit around Vancouver (when we can visit them again)

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While we can’t go far these days I gotta stay positive that sooner rather than later we will at least be able to travel in BC again. If you’re getting sick of the city and wanting to plan some day trips to quaint towns around us, I have you covered. 

A little disclaimer before we jump in that a lot of these towns can be described as “touristy” meaning a lot of people come to these towns, if this is something you will still be uncomfortable with when restrictions lighten, then this list may not be for you. 

But without further ado, here are some charming places to visit around Vancouver, when we can travel more frequently again. 

Fort Langley: The quaintest town you ever did see will make you feel like the main character in a Hallmark movie, or walking the streets of Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls. With cute cafes, shops to wander in and tucked away on a river that you can walk along, this town is charming with a capital “C”. 

White Rock: This touristy town is a hot spot for great restaurants, beach bars and just wanting to escape city life. You go there and it feels like you are not in evergreen, forest blooming BC anymore. It really feels like a beachside town you would vacation to. They have a laid-back atmosphere, the quintessential pier we all know and in the summer is the perfect place to get your patio season on. 

https://twitter.com/VisitRichmondBC/status/1349914213238583298

 

Steveston: Another seaside port nestled in between some of the busiest cities in BC, Steveston feels like a quick escape to small town life. With great seafood restaurants and picturesque ports this town is also a popular filming location (much like the above choice), such shows as Once Upon a Time, Virgin River and Supernatural have all filmed at this town, taking advantage of its charm. 

That is all for now! Hopefully we won’t be just dreaming of exploring new places for too much longer.

Ways to save money, even in a pandemic

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It can be extremely challenging for some people to save money, whether we are in a pandemic or not. With ongoing company layoffs, less work in general in the service industry and just overall fewer households having disposable income, it can feel impossible to save money. But there are some ways to save a little bit even during this time of uncertainty, here are some ways to save up money.  

Unfollow and Cancel Subscriptions: The thing about following companies you like on Instagram that you are at one point or another going to buy something from them, it’s inevitable. 

Especially in the case of clothing, you see something you like, their website is conveniently located on their page, and before you can even think about it logically, you have just made an impulse purchase. It happens to the best of us, but if you find that this is really tanking your savings, unfollowing these companies can help you eliminate that need to purchase. 

Record Your Purchases: This is all about keeping yourself accountable and noticing your spending habits.

If you spend money on a coffee every day at around $3 a day that adds up.  By keeping that recorded (whether it’s just notes on your phone or physically writing it down) you can see how much of your money is going to your coffee purchases.

Same can be said for that gym membership you are not really using, or clothing you buy because it’s cute but wont wear because who is wearing anything else than sweatpants these days, or take away food, which is delicious at the moment but can really add up. 

Photo via webmedia.westgateresorts.com/

Make Goals for Yourself: This can be as simple as throwing $5 into a savings account after every paycheque. If you are saving for something or just wanting a security net for the next time job loss is a big part of our economy, then making little goals to save money is how you can achieve that.

Reward yourself every time you put some money into a savings account and give yourself an achievable number to get to by the end of the year, this will make saving your money more satisfying.

Travel for self growth

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Being stuck in our little corners of the world for as prolonged of a period as this has been, you must be just as pent up to get out and explore as me. If you relate to this and need some more reasons to save up and travel later, here are some important reasons to travel for your self growth, you know, when we are able to travel again. 

It Changes Your Perspective : Nothing quite broadens your perspective than seeing a different way of life. Being surrounded by people with the same values as you, the same high strung goals, being surrounded by media from the same culture that preaches the same values and goals makes people prone to getting stuck in their ways. 

Photo via i.ytimg.com/

By seeing new ways of life or how people handle different situations we are better able to understand the world around us, it can change the way we think and in turn gives us more wisdom. It can be quite jarring to realize that your values are not the same as everyone else’s but it’s the best way to gain perspective. 

You Gain Independence: Well this is definitely most of the time and can be based more or less on what kind of trip you are doing, but especially while you are young and going on trips without family, travelling can be quite liberating.

Photo via wanderlustandlipstick.com/

From the saving and budgeting you do, to the places you plan to stay at, to the problem solving you do as you go (because internet connections can still be lost in foreign countries), it can really spark the independence in a person. 

Hope this made you want to get your passports even more at the ready!

Opinion: People are going to go crazy for travel when COVID ends

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I talk a big travel game on this site for someone who is in the midst of a global pandemic, where it is frowned upon to be going to the next city over much less a new country. But the thing about this time is that it is going to end, that’s not me being naively optimistic, it’s just the truth, and while we are slouched away in our homes grinding away at school/ work and fantasizing about being on a white sand beach, it is just going to fuel more peoples desires to break free and explore.

All that pent up energy we are experiencing has to go somewhere once COVID ends and while I think a lot of that will go to entertainment based functions such as concerts, festivals and bars, I think that  people are going to be travelling a whole lot more. 

Think if it this way, at one point or another COVID has made us reflect on our lives, all we have accomplished, what we never got to do and what we hope to still do.  We have looked at this time (that will likely carry on for another year) as a period (more or less) completely wasted at home and people reflecting on their priorities will say to hell with social norms and constructs. People who said they were going to backpack Europe in their 20’s and never did may decide to do it now in their 40’s, people who have wanted to road trip across Canada and keep putting it off are going to now go and people who have always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower or Machu Picchu are going to do that. 

https://twitter.com/Parisviptrips/status/1362854974976311296

Yes, travelling for the sake of travelling won’t be for the young and carefree or the insanely wealthy anymore, it’ll be for the people who want to explore and break away from the suppression we have all been dealing with for the past year.

I think the big lesson in COVID for anyone out there racking their brain trying to think positively about this pandemic is that life is short, whether you apply it to seeing the world like I am, or to any other area in your life and I think people are going to go nuts when this ends and really break free. 

So keep fantasizing about where you are going to go and what you are going to do, save up now while you can, and go nuts when this ends, I’m sure everyone else will be too.

Being productive in the mornings

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Rise and shine everyone, it’s another work day filled with too many projects and not enough motivation. We are well past that Christmas break rest time glow that we had and with still 2 weeks before the March break we are all just trying to get by. 

I’m not an expert on productivity, I do slink away into my bedroom and pretend the work doesn’t exist for a day and then panic finish everything by the end of that week because I did not schedule my time correctly. 

But I do know that productivity is best in the morning, why else would regular schools and workplaces make us get up so early? It’s because even though we are tired, we are more focused, the day goes by quicker and there is a lot more personal time in the evening to be with family or just chill and watch that next episode of Bridgerton. 

So if this speaks to you, and you find yourself staying up until 3 in the morning to get assignments done here are some ways to get up earlier and be more productive in the morning. 

Photo via d.ibtimes.co.uk/

Set an Alarm: A maybe obvious one but during the days of COVID and classes that start at 12, I can sleep right up to my next class with only 5 minutes to grab a cup of coffee before it starts. Setting an alarm even if you don’t get up exactly when it goes off will start to get you restless to wake up. 

Leave Your Phone Alone: After taking off your alarm, leave your phone where it is. The thing I like about getting up early to do assignments is that I think all the people I chat to are still asleep so I am not missing out. My phone can be my biggest distraction, and leaving it on the other side of the room where I can’t see those notifications is the biggest help to getting stuff done. 

Eat Breakfast: *The most important meal of the day* but it’s true. Have something small even if you’re not a big breakfast person, it’ll kickstart your day, maybe even more than the 3 cups of coffee.

How to stop the self sabotage

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Coming swiftly to the end of my schooling at BCIT I’m quickly being reacquainted with an old enemy, the feeling of not being good enough. 

It lingers, no matter how many good grades I get, or how much I’m being told I am doing good, I still will sit there and think “no I can’t do that” or “I’m terrible at that”. This feeling is more evident because the end is nearing with figuring out the next step “in the real world”. 

This heavy emotion that is weighing me down lately got me thinking of the idea of self sabotage, a feeling I know a lot of people (especially women) have. They aren’t good enough, they are not prepared enough, or feel educated enough. They make sure everyone is very aware of their flaws before jumping into a new position, just so everyone can be prepared for them to be the worse (even if they are completely qualified and would do amazing).

So being just as riddled with feelings of not being good enough and feeling not ready for the next step, I have looked into some ways to stop self sabotage. Just end it right in its tracks! 

These are all things I have found on the internet and will be trying to practice. Here is what I found. 

Understanding and Recognizing Self Sabotage: Sometimes it can be hard to notice because it is just small things you don’t even realize you’re doing and it can look like many things. It can be procrastinating and it can be perfectionism, both fit into this narrative of holding yourself back and making you feel not good enough. 

Identifying Self Sabotage: Self sabotage happens more often than not as a response to stress. Once you can identify what is causing these feelings then you can better redirect your thoughts and tackle what is stressing you out. 

Understand Yourself: You know you and you know your patterns, when you can consciously see that you are getting in your own way that is when you can step back, redirect your thoughts and choose again. 

This barely scratches the surface of self sabotaging thoughts and if you identified with any of this that I encourage you to look more into it. (I am and did not even realize perfectionism was a sign of self sabotage until writing this).

Things to do this weekend

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As the sun peaks out and winter slowly seems to be going away, more and more activities are going to become easier to do, even if COVID is still around. (Remember those lovely days in the summer, when you could still see a handful of friends and could travel in BC, man those were the days). But we are (hopefully) getting closer and closer to those times again soon. 

Anyways, here are some things you can do (actually right now) for this weekend if you are looking to get outside and can’t wait until summer to see civilization again. 

Watching Sports at The Rio: You may not be able to go see a movie here but they have your sports covered and on a giant screen! It will make the games you watch  larger than life and they even got a nice happy hour too. Watch the biggest game of the year this weekend (and by that I mean  The Golden Globes, obviously). 

Dine Out Vancouver: It is not on much longer everyone, here is a good warning to look into this event while you can. Experience new restaurants or get deals on your old favourites. The event ends on March 7, so time is ticking!

Coastal Lunar Lanterns: This free and very beautiful installation is a sort of celebration of family with all artists being a part of a family but it is about ringing in the Lunar New Year.  Offset by the beauty of the mountains and water in the background, this will make for some gorgeous photographs.

That is all for now folks, have a great rest of your week!

Music I listened to in quarantine

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When the pandemic first hit and mayhem swept the country, one of the things I that felt in control of was my music choices. 

Listening to the songs that used to be a part of my morning commutes made me sad and remorseful for a life I felt like I would never lead again. Same with songs that I would listen to getting ready to clubbing with my girlfriends or one that I remember belting out on a road trip. Basically all songs that held a memory were really hard for me to listen to. 

 

So I became obsessed with finding new music, through people I followed on Instagram, suggestions through Spotify and when new music would drop from my favourite artists, or really old music that I just stumbled on and liked the lyrics to. I would really only listen to these 10-15 songs for months on end until I found new ones or the “new normal” was easier to stomach. 

I do not think for a second that I have the pinnacle of music taste (let’s make that clear) and some of these songs are wildly different from each other, but here are songs that helped me through quarantine. 

Sleeping on the Floor (The Lumineers): This song about escaping to new cities and exploring them was what I kept dreaming of doing hidden away in my house and everyone scared to go outside. I’m sure everyone fantasized about doing very normal things, maybe concerts or flying on a plane, or going to a party, but road tripping to a new city was that weird fantasy for me and this song fuelled that. 

Islands in the Stream (Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers): A weird choice I know but when Kenny Rogers passed away I became reacquainted with this song and could not turn it off. I sang both parts of the duet with just as much spunk as the lead singers did. 

If the World Was Ending (JP Saxe, Julia Michael): This song even sounds like peak-COVID but weirdly enough was playing on the radio before the pandemic hit. It’s sad, it’s truthful and full of those wondering questions about relationships that never really took off. This song felt strangely cathartic, when a lot of times it did feel like the end of the world was here. 

Quarantine hobbies to try

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In these insane times that the world is collectively experiencing people are being forced to relax and reflect. For someone who loves being out and always having something to do like myself, this part is probably the most challenging. So I have decided to create a list of things that I like to do when I’m bored and don’t want to spend it on my phone or laptop, as I’m one of those people who feel the effects of being in front of a screen all day. (I feel it in my eyes, my body and my soul!)

Photo via bloesem.blogs.com/

Baking: I have found such comfort in using up ingredients that my family would otherwise throw away and turning them into goodies that we all can enjoy (and my family really does enjoy). My go to recipe is a banana bread I make every couple of weeks after the bananas that were unused turns brown. Cookies are also something I enjoy making as they don’t need long to bake before you can enjoy them.

Knitting: I have recently found my old knitting needles from when I was little and joined the knitting club at my elementary school, and it was like my hands remembered exactly what to do. I can’t do anything fancy but just doing the motions helps keep my hands busy if I’m watching something and don’t want to be on my phone. I have also noticed that its helped reduce anxiety that I have been feeling.

Reading: I can be a terrible reader sometimes, if I don’t have to I won’t and if its not a good book within the first chapter I’ll stop. I wish that high school English classes were still a thing because it would always force me to read some books I would never think to pick up. Some of my favourites from high school have been The Handmaids Tale, The Glass Castle and The Outsiders.

But because I’m way too old to be attending high school classes I resort to my favourite kinds of book which are fiction romances, but my favourite book I have found on my own has definitely been Eat, Pray, Love which I’m considering rereading to cure my wanderlust during this pandemic.

Photo via cdn.cliqueinc.com/

Going Through Clothes: Figuring out the clothes you don’t wear or don’t fit you anymore is the perfect way to get organized and pass the time. Selling clothes I’m able to get some cash on the side… to spend towards more clothes, and spending more time figuring out second hand options. I am trying to make a conscious effort to buy less and when I do to just buy if I know I need it or will wear it or if its second hand.

Writing: Whether journaling or just jotting down things that make me happy such as quotes or sentences that stick in my head I have a notebook for almost everything. It helps me visualize a problem or the task in front of me and I always feel lighter after I have written.

Canadian-ish movies to watch

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Going off the topic of Canadian television dominating the sitcom genre and just a vast under appreciation most people (even full on Canadian citizens) have for our media, I thought I would take a look at some movies with major Canadian ties that you may not have known about. (I’m not just talking an actor being from Canada I’m talking about 

The F Word/ What If (2013): This movie confusingly goes by two names depending on what country you are in, but don’t let that stop you from watching it. I love this movie,

Photo via www.moviescut.com/

it’s got all the swoony bits of a romantic comedy and some typical tropes but it is done so in a new way, example falling in love with your best friend who has a boyfriend.

It’s set in Toronto with a Canadian/ Irish co-production and  has an underrated cast with the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan and Adam Driver. It’s an extremely good movie, 10/10 would recommend it to anyone but mostly if you are looking for a Canadian flick to enjoy. 

Where to Watch: Crave 

 

Room (2015): A heartbreaking tale of perseverance and love based on the book of the same name is a critically acclaimed award winning movie. Starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay (local Langley boy) this movie was shot in Toronto and was a Canadian co-production.

If you can handle the extremely heavy subject matter of sexual abuse, captivity and trauma, this film should be on your watch list.

Where to Watch: Netflix 

Juno (2007): A hilarious and real look at the life of a pregnant teenager this movie is as close to being a Canadian film without actually being a Canadian film. With the two leads being from Canada (Michael Cera and Elliot Page), the director and the filming location is all shot in BC. Some interviews can find them joking that the only thing holding them back from being a Canadian film is that they did not receive Canadian funding. 

Photo via vcvoices.org/

This film is a beautiful coming of age story that doesn’t take teenage pregnancy as a life ruining thing, something that we all grow up believing to be true.

Where to Watch: Crave