Moonwalk

Winter in Vancouver can be a gloomy experience for newcomers to our city. It's not all that cold, temperature wise, but with the moisture, some find the saturated air colder than the -15° temperatures in Calgary. But for Vancouverites, it's all about picking your spots, knowing what's available and finding the right people to adventure out with.

Last week I signed up for a 'moonlight walk' along the seawall. The weather forecast called for rain, but by the time Thursday evening came around, the clouds had cleared and the air was noticeably warmer than the weeks prior; A perfect evening for a moonlit stroll.

We met at Science World and I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout; It looked like I wasn't the only one who was dying to leave my apartment.

Our host introduced us all and made a valiant effort to remember all of our names. There were a few new faces and few old ones (friends from before).

By the time we got going the moon was completely visible. Gorgeous! We headed west along the South side of False Creek, heading towards Kitsilano.

We walked in groups and talked about our interests, our work and the club itself. I broke off for a few minutes and took in the night on my own.

But we weren't exactly alone on our urban hike. There was actually a ton of people on the seawall. Mostly runners. At one point, just past the Cambie Bridge, a massive running clinic bore down on us. It was like the running of the bulls, with less immediate danger and more Lululemon. I was definitely more comfortable with our group then the Jugo-juicers.

We reconvened as a solid unit just before Granville Island. Then we made our way to First Avenue and crossed Burrard Street. A few blocks later, we were standing outside our destination: TheSunset Grill.

Inside a small Celtic band was playing. Our group had a table at the back reserved and we spent the next hour enjoying live tunes, watching Olympic highlights and talking with new and 'old' friends.

We left after a round of small plates and headed back into the winter night - a glorious night for the so-called 'city of gloom.'

Resolutions for 2014

The number one New Year's resolution for North Americans is to be more active. The second is to find love.

Both of these can be fulfilled with a membership to Events and Adventures.

There are two types of 'active.' There's going to the gym five days a week to lose ten pounds in three months active and then there's the getting out of the house, having fun with others, exploring new sports and having random weekday adventures active. The second is what the Events and Adventures Club is all about.

Let's start with the 'getting out of the house' part. It is so easy to get stuck at home these days, when the glorious internet can serve us our friends and favourite media forms right to our laptop. We can catch up with our closest BFs and watch the latest films without leaving our couch. Convenient, but soul sucking.

Why not spend two nights of the week out and about, expanding your social circle, instead of scrolling through photos of your friend's latest rug-rat? At the very least it will provide new material for your Instagram and SnapChat accounts.

Vancouver is full of cool people to have fun with, but we all lead such busy lives, making it hard to connect. E&A simplifies the planning process. With a calendar full of events, you get to pick and choose what you want to spend your time on. When you go to an event, you know the people there have valued the same outing. That's an immediate talking point. 

Wow, we both like trampoline dodgeball.

And then there are all the events you've always wanted to do but never got around to. Or, in some cases, never even knew existed! Like snowshoeing fondue parties! Or Wallyball!