#24

Another reason why I love winter break is that I get to redeem myself as a good girlfriend. Gone are the days of take-out and study dates, and in their place freedom to plan as many fun things as possible!

Which is why I surprised my boyfriend with an early Christmas gift and took him to the Vancouver Christmas Market. There’s no better way to kick off the holidays with German Christmas festivities – the smell of spiced drinks, baked goods, sausages, and seeing the beautiful display of handmade items. Though I died a little inside when I realized I couldn't have sausages anymore (vegetarianism is so bittersweet).

Mulled wine in the pouring rain, puddles in our shoes and all, we loved it. The best part is you get free re-entry the entire season, so we’ll be coming back with proper rain gear!

Absolutely enjoyed going to the Vancouver "Christkindlmarkt," check it out if you haven't already!

#23

After the end of finals and the best worst class ever, I'm officially free! As tired as I was, there was no way I would give in to a lazy afternoon. Instead I wanted to stretch my day as far as possible, simply because I could.

Once 11:30am hit, how did I spend the rest of my day?

#22

Just like every other food-lover out there, I thrive off finding new places to eat, or seeking comfort in a favourite meal. Not to mention it's way easier to have everything laid out, so all you have to do is pick from a menu and the restaurant takes care of the rest. While there's nothing wrong with this, lately I've been thinking about what "the rest" really means.

Day by day I've been more discontent with my eating habits, and often the impact they have on my energy levels. For simplicity, let's just say the same goes for at-home meals. Everything I buy and eat is based off of how conveniently it fits with my lifestyle, and you can probably see where this is going — I usually ignore nutrition labels, ingredients lists, and where the item is even sourced from. It also doesn't help that I have a family medical history that doesn't look too great. My dad has diabetes, and cancer runs in my mom's side of the family. It's easy enough to say a healthy diet can help in boosting energy or preventing health problems, but where do you even start?

#21

As tempting as it was to study somewhere else, make excuses on why I can't study, or give up altogether, I knew I had to stay home today to try and focus. Unfortunately for me, marketing research will probably be one of my toughest finals ever, so I need to save time where I can to make sure I go over everything.

Post #2 would be quite helpful to keep in mind as well.

I hope everyone's not too stressed out! It'll all be over soon :)

#20

In the spirit of this season, I wanted to create new traditions — one of them being a Christmas movie list. So this year is a little more fun than the next, because I get to test drive a bunch to see if they make it or not.

I've kicked things off with It's a Wonderful Life. How I've never seen this classic before, I have no idea. But like most people, I fell in love with it. The notion of youth, dreams and opportunities, and the sacrifices people often have to make to let these slip away. And the strong sense of community — it was enough for me to want to experience that at some point in my life!

#19

Because after an exhausting Friday spent at work, all I wanted to do after was nap and eat something unhealthy. Which I don't do often, but is an absolutely necessary way I cope with stress sometimes. I stress the sometimes part.

My random Walmart haul included hot chocolate, marshmallows, and a bag of chips to accompany me while I study tonight.