Planning the perfect bro-date

How to catch up with an old buddy on Valentine’s

By Greg Waldock, Staff Writer

Valentine’s Day shouldn’t just be about romantic love. It’s an opportunity to spend time with the people who matter, and friends can be the most important people in your life. Plan a classic bro-date with an old friend (“bro” and “dude” are going to be used here in their non-gendered Californian contexts). Maybe the significant other is out of town, maybe one of you has recently become single, maybe you both just need time away from the romantic life. Here are some options for a nostalgic night out with that long-time bro in your life.

Night on the town

Pub night! Vancouver is one of the best cities in the world for pub nights. Gastown is always a safe bet, but almost anywhere urban in the entire greater Vancouver area is good. This is not the cheapest option, but it does get you out and about, meeting new people and opening the option for zany shenanigans like exploring abandoned buildings or falling asleep on a curb. After you’re good and boozy, find a comfortable chair, park bench, or sidewalk and reminisce about the “good old days,”  like that time you both wandered around in the old forest outside your high school and found an idyllic pond and a dead dog next to a heroin needle. Surrey sure was great back in the day.

Nostalgia walk

If you’re (un)lucky enough to still live near where you grew up, go visit the old haunts. The elementary school where you met, or the first basement suite one of you ever lived in on your own. Just the familiar old streets can bring back a lot of good memories, and that’s what tonight is all about. This is best done sober in my opinion, so you can legitimately catch up with your buddy and bring you back to when you were kids. If you don’t live near where you grew up, go explore the new territory and compare the new and the old.

Gaming

You don’t need booze or nostalgia to reconnect. Destroy in NHL 2016 or Call of Duty’s zombies-mode like you always used to. If your friend moved away to another town, play online and rekindle the friendship with the spirit of competition and a can of ass-whooping. This is the easiest, most relaxing option. It’s amazing how fast gaming can make the night feel like old times.

Movie night

Films and booze go hand in hand. Splash some rum into a fountain drink and watch the shittiest movies in theatre—pick ones empty enough to be able to stretch your legs out and to chat a bit without annoying anyone. Alternatively, Netflix has its extensive collection of cheesy ’80s schlock that reminds you of your childhood. Suggested film/drink pairings: Pacific Rim with a ton of Molson or Budweiser, Jurassic Park with a nice craft dark lager, or Hobo with a Shotgun with shots of straight absinthe.