With very little sunlight and a lot of rain, people begin to feel the winter blahs, which is a combination of boredom, sadness and not being sure about what to do with yourself. So here are some ideas to help you out in Vancouver.
1. Learn a Winter Sport
With Cypress, Seymour and Grouse Mountains only a bus ride away in North Vancouver, bring your friends on an ILAC trip and learn how to ski or snowboard with an instructor. Playing in the snow is fun, and so are the snowball fights and making snow angels! Skating at Robson square is free if you have your own skates or $4.00 to rent.
2. Watch a hockey game or even better go to a LIVE game! The Canucks are Vancouver’s NHL team and the Giants are in the Western Hockey League. Both are team favourites in Vancouver, and ILAC has options for going to both games.
3. Go See a Show
In Vancouver, there are a lot of different venues to watch a movie, and there are also places to go watch plays and live theatre. Theatre Sports on Granville Island has comedy as well as the Comedy Mix downtown. There is also the Queen Elizabeth Theatre that has musicals, plays and ballet depending on the season. During the summer there are lots of free outdoor music events and in the winter there are lots of concerts, live music, and clubs to dance in.
4. Exercise
Vancouver is best known for its Yoga and we have MANY yoga studios, pilates studios, we offer Zumba classes at ILAC, and there are bikes to rent for a ride around the seawall. You also have running, snowshoeing, snowboarding, skiing, skating, walking, and hiking to enjoy. It may be cold but as long as you dress well, getting outside and being active is good!
5. Throw a Dinner Party
With all of your new friends from around the world, why not have a dinner party? It could be a potluck where everyone brings a dish to share. What a great way to learn about cultures and make new friends…or you can always go to a bar (as long as you are 19 years old of course).
6. Go Shopping or Treat Yourself
One of my favourite ways to beat the blues is to do some cheap shopping. We have many second-hand stores like Value Village & Salvation Army as well as Dollar stores to rummage through. We have great shopping areas in Gastown, Yaletown, Metrotown and on Robson street if you are just window shopping or looking for something specific.
There always things to do in the winter, you just have to be creative, be open and get out there to enjoy the rain and chill in the air.
Written by Jordi Zimmer
