Whitehorse is such a small city that we don't have a Philippine Consulate here, which is why when Filipinos here need to work on passports, civil registries or other legal documents, we have to fly out to a bigger city where there is a Philippine Consulate. My passport has already expired (oops!) and guess what, I have to fly down to Vancouver (because it's the closest one from here) to have it renewed. Such a bummer right?  .... NOT!! I'm actually really excited for this errand slash vacation trip! I've never set foot in Vancouver yet and I'm looking forward to seeing it, finally! It just sucks that Jorge won't be able to travel with me because we're a little short on zi moolah. It would be a much more fun trip if Jorge would be accompanying me there. Huhu. Next time. There will always be a next time.

I'm going to Vancouver on April 22nd and I fly back to Whitehorse on the 25th. I won't be staying too long and I don't really have intentions of doing so because of Jorge not being able to go with me. I'll only have two full days there and one of those days will be spent for my passport renewal. Hopefully I can do the marriage registration as well (I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD TO DO THAT BECAUSE I LIVE IN THE YUKON! I thought marriages register themselves haha, I didn't know there were extra paperwork UGH!), on the same day, so I get one full day for exploring the city! I HAVE TO EXPLORE! I just have to, but of course, errands first. 

I decided to book at a hotel close to where I need to do my passport, which is in Downtown Vancouver, so I won't spend too much on cab fares, and I would be able to walk around the city when I'm done with my errands. I'll be living the downtown city life and I'm really excited about that! I'll be on my phone almost the entire time because hello, LDR for a short time, so I'll be updating my Instagram and Twitter accounts and probably Snapchat (@corinthsuarez) all the time. 

I'll be surrounded by lots of shops and restaurants and I'm afraid I'll be coming back home with an empty bank account, so I did some research on what I can do there for free! Anything free, I am down for, and I was happy to see that most of the places where I can go to are just blocks away from my hotel and from Canada Place (this is where I need to renew my passport).

What I can do in Vancouver for free:

1. Chill at Stanley Park
2. Walk around and take pictures at Canada Place
3. Visit some local shops and night markets
4. Do some window-shopping at Robson Street
5. Watch the sun set and take a photo of Vancouver's skyline
6. Check out historic Gastown
7. Admire the tall buildings and architecture (something we don't have here in Whitehorse)

I hope I can do all those things while I'm there, and maybe some more. I like going to a place I haven't been to before. It's like you're there, existing, and at the same time, you don't belong. You know? I don't know if that makes sense but that strange unfamiliar sense is a nice feeling, like I can be anything I want to be and nobody would really care. Like I'm invisible. I like that. It's gonna be a little sad and lonely to be traveling by myself in a place where I don't know anybody though, but I have to make that trip count. After all, exploring is not just about the company, it's the experiences you make out of the destination.

Would you like me to VLOG my Vancouver trip? Let me know in the comment box! I think talking to my phone would make the trip less lonely, and that would make for a good blog post too. HAHA. It's traveling season! Where are you going this year? Will you be in Vancouver too while I'm there? Let me know so we can meet up and have some coffee or something! xx Corinth

// photo source //