TRAVEL | Vancouver Visit

As soon as I finished my last (and only...) exam for the semester, I took the opportunity to fly home back to the west coast for a quick visit. As much as I love my city life in Toronto, I do enjoy going over to BC for its relaxed, laid-back vibe - not to mention, it's also nice to go home to my old bedroom and a kitchen that's always stocked with food... I always act like such a tourist when I'm in Vancouver, wandering downtown taking photos (like the one above: Gastown is so pretty). And plus, I lucked out with the weather; it was gorgeous!

Anyways, I just thought I'd share some of the highlights:

I love thrift store shopping in my hometown, so of course I made a trip out to my local Salvation Army (they were having a 50% off sale one day, perfect timing!). My finds:

- Grey tailored trousers with leather detailing
- Floral silk blouse
- One Day by David Nicholls
- The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
- Pale pink heels
- FRYE leather/wooden platforms

All for a whopping $12

I was invited back to my old high school to be a guest teacher for two dance classes one day. I used to be super involved with the dance program back in the day, so it was really nice to go back and see what it's like now. I taught two hip hop choreography pieces: "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore and "Bomb" by Chris Brown.

I was actually invited a second time back to my high school, but this time I got to be a guest speaker for a Creative Writing class - I loved meeting students who love writing and are interested in turning it into a career! And of course I brought copies of Faze Magazine to show them as well :)

Like in any other Canadian household, hockey is huge. And since it's playoff time, I thought I should probably go to a game. So I went to a Canucks game (thanks Dad!) and actually got pretty into it. Sadly we lost, but the highlight for me was definitely the drunk guy sitting next to me who caught a free T-shirt and gave it to me.

And then there was the food. I love Vancouver restaurants.

Left: Red Robin (downtown Vancouver) - oh how I love their 'Freckled Lemonade' | Right: The Hemingway (White Rock) - I could eat breakfast ALL day. What made this awesome meal even better was the price; $8.40 for this delicious plate of wonderfulness! | Below: Burgoo (Main Street, Vancouver) - LOVED this place; comfort food at it's finest.

Overall, I had a great two-week visit at home. But now that I'm back in Toronto, it's back to work!

- Christina
Follow my adventures on Twitter: @christinaaa28