With the dawn of a new year, now’s the perfect time to plan those special rendez-vous that will become your future favorite memories with your besties! It may be tough accommodating everyone’s schedule and restrictions (especially if you have a group larger than three people), but it definitely shouldn’t make the time spent together any less exciting. Coming from a close-knit friend group of six people, these are some *proven* date ideas to spice up the time you have with your besties.
If the weather is on your side, consider taking your besties out biking around the Seawall! By doing this, you’ll get to spend some time outside enjoying the sunshine while also exercising… and in the company of your friends, time will surely fly by! I also suggest hopping from café to café beforehand, just so you can experience new drinks and sweet treats at different places, and perhaps catch some brunch together before burning that sugar rush off; Vancouver has a variety of cafés to choose from, so why not take advantage of that? My friend and I found the pastries at Wicked Café’s definitely worthwhile and their Oreo cream puffs are a must!
This next date idea is better suited for those days when it isn’t the prettiest outside, but you still wish to spend some time with your friends. Since having a sweet tooth is a commonality among my besties, we often talk about hosting a bake day -or “friendly” baking competition for the more competitive personalities out there. It’s the perfect way to show off your skills in the kitchen while also creating some everlasting sweet memories that will last a lifetime.
The next two suggestions can be done together or not, depending on whatever verdict the jury draws, but my friends and I have made it a tradition to host a picnic and games/sports day at least once a year. With an afternoon or evening dedicated to snacking on yummy treats, teaming up and playing against each other, all of your worries will surely disappear and it’ll pave the way for some funny inside jokes. I highly recommend the games/sports day if you know your besties aren’t the most athletic bunch; the exhaustion and mess-ups is what will surely make it more memorable, especially if you’re playing badminton and constantly losing the birdie.
Last but not least, having a ‘mall day’ doesn’t have to be a repetitive cycle of sitting around, eating and aimlessly shopping around. To put our friendships to the test, my besties and I like to shop for one another without revealing it. Whether it be purchasing a book you think another friend might like to read or an entire outfit that you think would suit them, there’s no guessing as to what will happen when the sky’s the limit and everyone’s caffeinated.
Whether these suggestions are something you are interested in doing with your friends or not, I feel the need to emphasize that not every memory can be planned. Sometimes just savouring simple moments like a group walk or a phone call to check-in on one another can be just as wholesome as going out for a ‘mall day’. At the end of the day, it just happens to be a matter of perspective.