Note to self: never bike to Save On Foods via Marine Drive ever again, or at least until you are significantly more fit. I almost passed out going up a hill and had a narrow miss with an 18-wheeler while attempting to turn onto 16th Ave. I somehow managed to make it back to KU in one piece though, with my bananas and Nutella unharmed (best study snack ever, seriously).
I’ve been feeling like a true Vancouverite lately, taking my bike everywhere I possibly can. Biking to classes is crazy convenient, since I get to sleep ten minutes later than I would have to if I were walking. However, the intense hill between Lower and Main Mall turns me into that sweaty, huffing girl in my 9 AM lecture. Hopefully by the end of the semester I’ll be able to make it to Wesbrook without looking like I just ran a marathon.
Anyways, I’m now in my third week of classes here in beautiful British Columbia. I’m finally starting to get adjusted and settle into a routine, and I’ve been having a lot fewer minor freak-outs as a result. Here are some highlights of this past week:
1. Shopping Week. Last week was UBC Rec’s Shopping Week. I gave zumba a try, took a free yoga class in the Vanier ballroom, and, to my absolutely delight, took my first dance class in four months. I overdid it a little bit and couldn’t walk properly for four days afterwards, but it was so worth it.
2. My psych prof is a boss. When asked to give an example of a negative correlation, someone said “Less partying, more studying”, to which my prof responded “Yeah, only if you’re not awesome!” He also gets bonus points for making Grey’s Anatomy and House references.
3. Vancouver transit is confusing. Over the weekend, I ventured out of the UBC bubble with some KU floor 2 ladies. We went thrift shopping and then had lunch in Yaletown, where I tried Thai food for the first time (and actually enjoyed it). If you knew me and were familiar with how picky I am, you’d realize this is a big deal. Vancouver Cam is adventurous.
4. University-level humiliation. In an attempt to participate more actively in class, I decided to provide an answer to a question in chem that I was so sure was correct. Sadly, it wasn’t, so my prof spent the next 10 minutes directly addressing me and telling me exactly why I was wrong in front of 240 other people. I know she was just trying to make sure that I understood, but I definitely won’t be raising my hand in that lecture anytime soon.
5. I built a bookshelf. My bed is raised crazy high off the ground to the point where I need to take a running leap to get onto it, so I bought a snazzy Ikea bookshelf to put next to it in the place of a bedside table. Unfortunately, putting it together turned out to be more of a hassle than I’d forseen. But, after three trips to the commonsblock and a little bit of stress crying, I finally got it put together this week. I’m pretty proud of my handiwork.
6. RezLife Involvement Fair. Vanier had a little involvement fair in the commonsblock this past Thursday. I signed up for a couple things, among them the Vanier Learns to Run club. We go running every Saturday and are going to slowly make our way up to 10K – yikes.
7. Vanier’s food is too delicious. Sticking with the whole “get in shape” goal is hard when the dessert display is the first thing I see when I walk into the caf, tempting me with Nanaimo bars and brownie-topped cake. Plus, the food services staff just pile on the food to the point that you can barely see the plate anymore. The freshman fifteen is real, kids, and it’s coming for me.
8. Hitting the books. It just wouldn’t be university without studying, and lots of it. I’ve been trying to make this task more enjoyable by scoping out the best study spots on campus. The Forestry building is my favourite so far, but its distance from Vanier makes me and my legs sad. I also spent four hours straight in Irving’s Harry Potter room on Friday and only went on Facebook once for five minutes. Now that’s what I call working hard. Here’s the theme song to my studying today, I’ve had it on repeat ever since I finished class at 11 this morning. Nope, that was not a typo. I have a mere hour and a half of class on Tuesdays. Hooray for higher learning.
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