Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Avery woke up early this morning for class, so I woke up a few hours later to light streaming in through a split in the curtains and the sound of rain pattering on the sidewalk a few storeys down. I putzed around the house, slowly drinking tea and getting ready. I ventured out into the rain to a restaurant in the neighbourhood called Aphrodite’s that Avery recommended for brunch. I sat there for a few hours reading some of the travel books I brought, intermittently people watching and sipping my coffee. It was so calming.

I finally moved from my window seat and explored the neighbourhood, slipping into warm old bookstores and antique shops from the rainy street. There’s a shop called Banyen Books and Sound nearby that was full of warm salt lamps and comfy hidden chairs. There was a listening booth near the front with noise cancelling headphones playing relaxing music, as if the whole place was just meant to be soothing.

Avery texted me to let me know she was heading home, so I meandered back up to the apartment and met her to make plans for the evening. We grabbed a piece of pie and tea at a shop across the street and she did some studying while I did the super adult responsible thing of buying travel insurance for the next leg. It’s about as much fun as studying… (about as expensive too).

We hopped on the bus towards Granville Island and perused the shops, stopping into the cutest stationery store (ok definitely an adult if that’s what I’m excited about) where I had to restrain myself from buying a whole lot of stuff I definitely don’t need. We went to the food market and got a few things to go. It was really cold out so we hopped a bus back to the house and made dinner with our fare from the market, cuddled up on the couch, and watched the movie Someone Great (SO HEART WRENCHING).

I’m now sipping a warm tea, listening to Dermot Kennedy’s new album Without Fear, writing away as Avery studies beside me. I’m enjoying these quiet days before the storm.

Sav