Happy September! I guess summer is officially over and we are quickly slipping into fall, faster than I had hoped. Unfortunately, the end of summer was very smoky due to all of the wildfires in BC, so I did not get as much exploring in as I would have liked to, but I still saw as much of Vancouver as I could. Thankfully, the wildfires are under control now and we have some beautiful BC weather again 🙂 here is a recap of some of my adventures the past few weeks!

Lower Mainland

New Westminster

A couple weeks ago, I explored New West’s downtown core and checked out one of their local festivals called Fridays on Front. This festival is located right next to the water and features local vendors and entertainment. It was a great opportunity to check out downtown, which is a lovely area to visit. I hope I will have the opportunity to check out more of New West in the future!

Coquitlam

I recently spent some time catching up with relatives in Coquitlam. Thankfully, the smoke had cleared up by then, so we were able to enjoy the outdoors a bit. Coquitlam is a great city with such a friendly atmosphere. I am so glad I have the chance to explore cities like Coquitlam in the Lower Mainland. It offers a very different perspective in contrast to Vancouver!

Vancouver

The end of summer in Vancouver was a bit of a blur. I worked a lot, there was tons of smoke, and still lots to do in preparation for the fall. I still explored quite a bit, including different areas of downtown like Robson Square and the PNE, and the highlight for me was the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG). This gallery features a wide range of artwork and speciality exhibits, such as the one they currently are featuring, Cabin Fever. It was a really neat gallery to check out, and they also have an on-site café with an outdoor patio featuring views of the downtown core. It is definitely worth checking out!

What’s Next?

Now that the summer has come to a close, it is time for me to head back to school for my final year of my undergraduate degree! That is, if everything works out according to plan. Here’s hoping. I am looking forward to experiencing everything that UBC has to offer this year and continuing to explore Vancouver. Many new things are in the works that I am really excited to see unfold. I will do my best to keep you updated, but for regular updates, make sure to follow #chiaratakesvancouver on Instagram 🙂 Best of luck for the new school year!