The Importance of Staying Hydrated

“Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need – a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends, worth the name, someone to love and someone to love you, a cat, a dog, and a pipe or two, enough to eat and enough to wear, and a little more than enough to drink; for thirst is a dangerous thing.” – K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat

In the first few days, the majority of our time was spent frantically running around Perth, and its suburbs, trying to view as many apartments as possible. We were running on very little sleep and an overload of adrenaline. In all the hustle and bustle, it was easier to forget some essential things. Like slapping on some sunscreen, carrying a full water bottle or even breathing at times. The adrenaline did a good job of masking the effects of neglecting these things, but only to a point. At that point, it hits you like a brick wall. You’ve done something stupid. Your skin begins to burn, your head begins to throb, your mouth goes bone dry and your thoughts are foggy. It has been one of the hottest November’s on record in Perth and it is important as ever to stay hydrated. As a general rule: drink water until you’re not thirsty any longer and then drink some more just to be sure. It’s hot out down under! Oh ya, remember to wear sunscreen and breathe too.

Cheers mate!

To continue with the topic of drink, both Steph and I enjoy a nice cold beer at the end of the day. We made a stop at the local BWS (Beer Wine Spirits) to see what kind of new brews we could find. We were a little disappointed to learn that beer in Perth, and probably the rest of Australia for that matter, is expensive compared to the Canadian standards (the typical cost of a case of 24 beers is $50+ and a pint at the pub is $10+). However, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that a 4L box of wine can be purchased for $10 tax incl. If you’d like to enjoy the wine you should splurge and spend $15 tax incl. – still a great deal! Now, this left us with a little bit of a dilemma: should we forfeit the great taste of beer for the more economical choice of wine? Being mature, responsible young adults about to begin our profession lives, we agreed that it would be appropriate to choose a beverage that best reflects this period of metamorphosis in our lives. A beverage that is made from a fruit rather than a grain, a beverage that you drink by the glass rather than the can, a beverage that you sip rather than chug. We went with the sophisticated choice of wine. I’m not sure if sophisticated is the right word to use when describing buying a 4L box of wine for $10, but whatever, not so long ago we were homeless.