Introduction

I live in Kamloops B.C. Canada most of the year for school and that has caused me to take its beauty for granted. School occupies much of my time and the time spent elsewhere has become a routine that creates boredom and an underappreciation for the city I’m surrounded by. Because of covid, many activities that I used to engage in aren’t an option and this results in me feeling déjà vu during everything I do now to pass time. I do often enjoy nature walks but since the winter changed the weather for so long, my schedule has become repetitive with the lack of my usual hikes, runs, and walks. Spring is here now however and I want to experience as much as I can while basking in the sunlight that will likely remain here for a while. Kamloops does have some amazing weather at times which accentuates the many sights to be found. For four days I set my mind to experiencing an adventure to be found each and any day I want within these city limits. By allowing myself to breach the surface of new possibilities rather than spend my days stuck in a repetitive circle, I discovered many amazing aspects of Kamloops that I had been overlooking.

Day 1- Exploring 

As I mentioned, I do tend to explore a fair bit of ground yet this is only my second year here and there are many areas I rarely pass through. So for the first day of my discovery of new experiences, I opted to walk around any areas I pleased and spot anything that piqued my interest. While walking down to the riverside I began to enjoy some of the buildings and sculptures found downtown. The view of the river is gorgeous from my window however to be down right beside it is an automatic feeling of stress release. A sun above my head and water flowing as I watched the world was a nice, peaceful escape. The walk though the grassy hills had a different kind of feel to it. It was less peaceful but the connection to nature that was so close to the sky gave me an invigorating energy boost. Each area had its different gorgeous views to admire and it’s difficult to choose a favourite spot. 

Day 2- Shopping

Shopping is an entirely different world due to the covid 19 pandemic and I realized even last year I only spent minimal time at Aberdeen Mall even before the experience was changed by new restrictions. My parents both have birthdays around this time of year and the chance to shop again at the mall coincided perfectly with the need to buy them presents. It was nice to go somewhere in public that made me feel less isolated since this pandemic has caused me to cease widespread exploration of an area. This led me to forget Kamloops is a city and there’s much more to it than the Thompson Rivers University campus. Though it wasn’t packed at Aberdeen Mall, there was still enough hustle and bustle to remind me I’m not alone in this. It’s a large enough mall to have a good experience shopping at multiple different stores, yet not so huge that you could get easily lost. I enjoy shopping for other people and browsing items in stores while I do it. I only bought one small item for my mom while there however I did get to smell many candles which brightened up my mood. As for my trip to Value Village, I found loads of items for both me and my parents which always puts a smile on my face. The prices compared to the quality things to be found there work so well in the buyers’ favour and it’s great to unload anything you don’t use for others to buy as well.

Value Village website: https://stores.savers.com/bc/kamloops/valuevillage-thrift-store-2051.html

Aberdeen mall website: https://www.aberdeenmall.ca/

Day 3- Hiking

On this day, the weather was gorgeous outside as I was looking out my window, which added to my excitement when my friend texted about a hike we should do. Me and two of my friends drove out to an area with many trails, some of which lead to a view overlooking the Kamloops Lake. The hike was perfect; it was very easy however still challenging enough to spark my energy and build anticipation for the viewpoint. We spent hours at the top taking photos and wandering around. This hike alleviated my pertinent stress from all the work I had to do and reconnected me to nature after a long time of being cooped up indoors. I’m hoping to explore many more hiking options next year when I return because it’s difficult to top the views near Kamloops and the gorgeous spring weather.

Day 4- Escape Room

Possibly my favourite experience in Kamloops, though the shortest, was escaping from a tower themed escape room at EXIT Kamloops Escape Games. I only had to pay $25 since I was a part of a group of five for an hour of riddles and adrenaline. It was very realistic making it slightly eerie and intriguing. The darkness lit only by our flashlights given to us made the experience more intense and immersive. Many of the clues involved solving riddles which I enjoy, even under pressure which the time limit adds. The idea of this escape room was to tell a story while we were in the three different rooms; it was fairytale themed which is one of my favourite genres in reading and movies. Escape rooms are an excellent way to bond with friends while activating your problem solving abilities. The one in Kamloops gives many options with different difficulty levels and genres so that anyone can find their niche. I will definitely be going back there to try a more challenging one since it was a very enjoyable experience for me the first time.

Escape room website: https://e-exit.ca/kamloops/

Concluding Thoughts

Kamloops has many activities that are accessible to anyone who decides to search for fun. Even a day at the river can turn into a memorable experience. An amazing part of Kamloops B.C. is that the city surrounds the river so that a day spent downtown can become a river day with just a few steps. I’ve often gone to the river and then decided to buy some food at any of the nearby restaurants. The location is ideal for those who enjoy the outdoors and there are many hikes leading to terrific views without too high of an incline. Kamloops has many hills, however there aren’t dangerous mountains that may cause you to get lost while exploring. Adventure is waiting anywhere you choose to access it whether you decide to spend money at stores or an activity centre and even if you choose to find cheap thrills by wandering through the beautiful area.

Detailed footage of my adventure here: https://youtu.be/JOyYiGF2c98