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1. Plan Your Budget

First things first: think about what you’re able to spend! Plan out costs for your hotel, food, and transportation, as well as spending money for souvenirs, events, or places you’re going to see. 

If you have a lot of savings and want to travel somewhere like Europe or Asia, then take a look at plane and hotel prices. If you’re on more of a student budget and want to keep it local, then think about gas prices, car rentals if you don’t have a vehicle, and motel or hotel costs. 

Also, look at how you want to get around where you’re going. For example, train tickets can be quite pricey in Europe, so if you plan on hitting multiple cities, maybe look into alternative travel methods (like a rental car or a bus). 

Remember to plan for meals as well! Budget about $15-$20 per meal.

2. Figure Out Where To Go 

Next up is to figure out where you’d like to go! If you can’t decide on a destination, try to find something you’d like to do. For instance, if you’re going to Venice, Italy, near the end of January, you can witness their famous Carnevale and be surrounded by costumes and festivals! Keep in mind that the more popular the event, the more expensive tickets and accommodations may be; plan a couple of months in advance if you can. 

If you’re still feeling indecisive, then ask your friends and family for suggestions. They can give you ideas on places to go or cool events to attend. If someone has lived in an interesting area, then be sure to ask them about their favourite haunts! 

3. Plan Out Transportation 

After seeing what your budget is like, it’s time to think about how you’re going to get somewhere. If flying, look for deals on plane fare via a quick Google search or by using apps like Expedia. 

Look into all your options for a place to stay. If you’re travelling in style, see if you can find cheap accommodations using TripAdvisor or a similar site. If you’re backpacking or travelling the countryside, look into hostels or places where you’re allowed to set up camp for a night or two. 

Keep a paper copy of your travel information with you, too. That way, if your phone runs out of battery, you can still direct a taxi driver. 

4. Plan Your Schedule   

Now that you know where you’re going to go, it’s time to make a schedule! This can be as detailed or brief as you’d like, but have a rough idea of where you want to go or any places you want to check out.

If you plan on staying in a big city, research museums, historical monuments, or shopping centres in the area. If you’re backpacking, consider what places you want to visit. What’s near that hike you want to take? What cities do you want to cross off your list? 

When backpacking or camping, research the nearest hospitals in the area, too. It’s better to have a plan when you don’t need it than not having a plan when you do. 

Once you have your roadmap figured out, remember to send a copy of your travel plans to a close friend or family member. This should list the cities you’ll be in, when you expect to be there, and contact information (phone numbers and emails) of where you’re staying. That way, if you get into an accident, they will know roughly where you last were or where you were headed.

5. Learn Some of The Language  

Not everyone speaks English! If you’re going to a foreign country, make sure to learn a bit of the language. Learning some words or phrases can be really helpful when you need help getting around or ordering at restaurants. You cannot always rely on cell service or WIFI for translation either, so learn “please,” “thank you,” “hello,” “goodbye,” and maybe even how to ask where the washroom is!

6. Pack! 

Before anything else, get your papers sorted. Make sure your passport and driver’s license aren’t about to expire, and then email a picture of them to both yourself and a family member in case they get lost or stolen. This way, getting a new one will be much smoother at an embassy.  

Your packing list itself should reflect where you’re going. If somewhere tropical, pack t-shirts, shorts, and some light sweaters for the evening. If you plan on going somewhere cold, then jackets, pants, and cozy socks galore! Keep in mind that you can usually find somewhere to launder clothes, so try not to overpack. 

Most importantly, be sure to pack a good pair of shoes! Chances are you’ll be walking around on a lot of concrete, so you’ll need something that won’t hurt your feet and joints.

7. Go Have Fun!

Arrive early for your flight and get that early-morning double-double for the road. Now that all your extensive planning and list-making is complete, it’s time to enjoy your trip!

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Lighthouse Park

After an hour-long bus ride from downtown Vancouver on the 250 bus, you’ll find this tucked-away gem in West Vancouver. You can choose from a variety of trails that wind you through the fresh greenery of the forest. At the end of the main path, you’ll find military cabins from WWII. If you go to the left, you’ll be greeted with a gorgeous view of English Bay. If you go to the right, you’ll find the Lighthouse that gave the park its namesake. This park is perfect for those that like to explore and fans of picnics by the water.

Burnaby Mountain Park

If you’re a fan of an easy mountain climb with lunch at the top, then look no further than the home of Simon Fraser University: Burnaby Mountain. You’ll find many different trails throughout the park, all with different ranges of difficulty. No matter the path you take, you’ll be greeted with a vast view of Vancouver on one side and the Burrard Inlet on the other. Afterwards, get a drink at the university mall and take a walk around the campus.

Nanaimo

If you’re tired of the same old Vancouver scene, then consider a small trip to Nanaimo! Thanks to a new passenger ferry service in downtown Vancouver, you can get to downtown Nanaimo in a trip that only lasts 75 minutes. Here, you can explore the shops and cafés or find some beaches and caves to explore. If you’re really interested in seeing the rest of Vancouver Island, then rent a car and go on a fun adventure on the coast!

Grouse Grind 

For those who desire a challenge, there’s nothing that’ll make you challenge your sanity and endurance more than the Grouse Grind. This mountain climb will take you on a steep staircase hike up Grouse Mountain. Although you can’t see the view during the climb, you do get an up-close look at the forest and your fellow out-of-breath climbers. When you make it to the top, you’ll be greeted by a breathtaking view of Vancouver and a much-deserved treat at the coffee shop!

If you don’t want the challenge of the Grind, you can also take the gondola up the mountain. There, you can enjoy ziplining, a lumberjack show, and a famous pair of bears that are kept in an enclosure.

Wreck Beach

Located right under the nose of UBC’s cliffside view is Wreck Beach. This beach features pretty sights of the water and a shoreline that goes as far as the eye can see. Go for a swim, a long walk on the beach, or climb some rocks! But beware: this beach is a well-known and regularly-used nudist spot! So be prepared to see some folks sunbathing to the side.

Playland & the PNE

If you love carnival games, fried foods, and roller coasters, then the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) is the place to be! In May, Playland opens up; here, you can find a variety of rides to go on. This includes the famous Wooden Roller Coaster, which has been in operation since 1958. From August to September, the PNE fair itself will open! This is when festivals and concerts on the fair grounds are put on. You can see a variety of cool performances from horse-riding knights to high-rise divers! Be sure to check the online schedule for a full list of performances and events.

Jericho Beach

This beach is the perfect spot for a fun-in-the-sun kind of day! The large shoreline leaves lots of room for you and your friends to toss a frisbee around, or to just sunbathe in the sand. There’s also rentals for kayaks and paddleboards, so you can enjoy the water while gazing at West Vancouver and freighters that are heading out to sea.

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Growing up is a weird thing. Your feet get bigger, your armpits start to smell, and your love for the little things in the world starts to decline. Flowers whose petals you once saw glistening in the morning mist are just rosebushes now, cannonballs in the pool aren’t as enticing as tanning in the sun beside it, and Hallowe’en involves less walking around for candy and more stumbling home from a party trying not to barf.

But with all this faded childhood wonder throughout everything else, why is it that winter brings out such a lovely nostalgia? Suddenly everyone is excited about crafts fairs, people putting up lights, and the snow!

It seems no matter where I go, whether the streets will soon be packed with it, or you’ve been having freezing rain for the last month, everyone gets excited by that first snowfall of the year. It can make you forget all your troubles as you look up at the flakes from above: with no apparent direction, landing softly, melting at first and then growing into large piles that you can fall into. You feel a sense of magic in the air as you watch the landscape change around you.

I think part of that nostalgia from snow is due to the effect it has on people, where it can take the most responsible of adults and bring out the kid in them. Folks run for cover as snowball fights break out, and friends turn on friends as they dump snow down your back when you’re least expecting. Soon enough, everyone is breathing hard, with breaths misting, faces glowing red, smiling with glee.

The best part is that you don’t have to be rich to enjoy snow. All you need is a baking sheet, a small slope, and the ability to aim for the bushes as you race down an icy hill.

But one of the reasons why everyone can love snow in the first place is our attitudes towards it despite the weather. Winter is one of the darkest times of the year, when it’s hard to get out of bed and go to school, or to smile when your car is ten feet under. Yet, despite the flurries, freezing rain, and icy sidewalks, the white-out nights that leave you trapped in your home, and the cold walks back to your house after work, despite it all, people still want to have fun.

They want to be merry to the point where everyone has this collective goal to spread it to others. You invite friends to go skiing during a harsh winter night, where the wind chills you to the bone; challenge neighbours to build the best snow fort on the block and have to get three people to push a snowball; awkwardly go skating with your boyfriend on a way-too-small rink. You find things to do and then foster this community of friends and family, where you spread laughter and joy within this otherwise desolate landscape.

As you grow older, you tend to get too busy for these fun, wintry things. Snow isn’t something you look forward to; it’s something to slug through, getting your feet wet. Your anxiety about the traffic becomes the focus of your day as black ice makes its debut. Once you get home, all you want to do is curl up in your blankets for the night, even though it’s only five o’clock.

You forget about all those good things about winter and the happiness you crafted from them since childhood. When you look back on your nostalgic years, that joy can feel out of reach. You yearn for those simpler times and simpler pleasures.

Then you’re walking home one night, and, seeming to twinkle against the streetlights, the first flakes start to come down. You notice how they fall with no pattern, no sound, and no worries in the world.

That’s when you reminisce about all those good times, and you remember that you have friends who would love the excuse to feel weightless with delight, as you all band together and make the best snowman on the block.

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Last month I had a cold and had to stay home for a couple of days. I tried everything I could think of to get better; cough medicines, antibacterial teas, day and night pills, soups, orange juice; all to still have an annoying cough for the next couple of weeks. In my Victorian Child-esque state, I got curious about what possible home remedies I could use to try and fight off my illness.

First, we’ll start with the easiest way to stay hydrated, while helping your throat and sinuses; tea! There are of course the classics; chamomile, mint, lemon, cinnamon; but there’s also some more unusual concoctions that are great for treating your cold.

Passion Fruit and Onion Tea is a popular cure in the Dominican Republic, the fruit itself is full of antioxidants and Vitamin C, which helps build your immunity against colds. Onion is known to help draw out mucus and fluids from your body and may help reduce inflammation.

Next, we have Grilled Plum with Green Tea from Japan. You take a pickled plum, and grill it until it’s burnt, then you pour a very hot green tea over it and drink it. Plums are rich in nutrients like Vitamin C, Potassium, and Calcium. Green tea is great for you too due to its antioxidants and antiviral properties.

An unusual sailor’s cure is Hot Rum and Peppermint from Scotland. You use a small amount of rum to help soothe your throat from any cough you might be suffering from, the alcohol also helps to warm you up. The peppermint aspect is to help with any congestion you might be suffering from. Another added measure to the drink is to take a walk by the sea, as the salt in the ocean spray helps clear up the sinuses.

The last of our teas is called Golden Milk, it’s a Turmeric and Milk combination that’s popular in India. While milk is known to sometimes increase your mucus content, Turmeric is well known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties due to its natural compound called ‘Curcumin’. You can add more taste to the drink by adding in some cinnamon (also full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory), and some ginger (great for sore throats and inflammation).

Now, if you’re awake enough to eat something, there are a variety of soups around that are supposed to help you get better. There’s of course the classic Chicken Noodle, but if you’re on the scourge for something else, then here’s some recommendations on what to include in your meal!

Look for something spicy! The spice can help clear your sinuses, and generally just warm you up. Dark green and leafy vegetables are great too because they help prevent cell damage and fight off inflammation. Finally try to add some fibre to your food, it’s a good thickener to your soups, and great for gut health!

If you feel like you can’t stomach any food, then try sipping on some broth! It’s great for staying hydrated while still taking in some nutrients like magnesium, potassium, and iron.

Some other, more physical remedies are around as well. For instance, when I got sick when I was younger, my mum would always boil a kettle in my room, because steam is supposed to help loosen up your mucus and make your voice less scratchy.

There seems to be quite a pattern with inhaling things to help open your sinuses. Of course, you can go the safe route and rub some menthol on your chest and breathe it in to open your sinuses; but if you’re really looking for something new, you can go the more interesting route and inhale some chopped onions! Just like when you’re cutting them, the tears won’t stop, and neither will your mucus!

This next one sounds like something my old choir teacher would recommend. If you mix water with a teaspoon or two of salt and gargle it, it will help relieve a scratchy or sore throat. It helps to loosen your mucus and any other irritants.

Finally, there’s the classic trick of putting an extra pillow under your head. It helps to drain your nasal passages, and it makes a difference to have your head held up while you’re sleeping, rather than lying flat.

These are just a couple of cool remedies to help fight off that cold! I found that although lots of tea and honey helped to fight off my infection, it also helped to take my mind off it by doing research on stuff like this. Remember to relax and get lots of rest as you’re sipping your teas, eating your soups, and smelling your onions.