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Single, committed, or confused, the ever socially controversial V-day brings to mind either sentiments of nauseating pink, or the warm fuzzies. We’ve all had at least one good, bad, or super awk Valentine’s day, no matter how we choose to celebrate it or not. Here at Her Campus uOttawa, Health & Lifestyle wants to celebrate everything life has to offer. From break ups, changing plans, surprises and first kisses, below are some of our best and juiciest V-Day memories.
The Celebratory
I feel like how you choose to spend Valentine’s Day, if you choose to celebrate or acknowledge it, depends on your romantic situation. A content single gal, I commemorated my amazing friends instead of staying in. One year, a good friend and me spent a great night sipping fancy martinis and getting mani-pedis at Mercury Lounge. My favourite memory however, was last year. Studying abroad, we were all deprived of old loves (family, friends, dog). So a big co-ed group of us decided to get dolled up, and head out to the bars to dance the night away. We didn’t have any crafty plans, so everything was last minute, and we learned quickly that the rest of the college town had the same idea as us. Refusing to wait in line, all 10+ of us accepted a random promoter’s offer to take us to the emptier club in his little white bus. Though that story could have ended differently, we threw caution to the wind, and had a great time guzzling down fishbowl drinks, rocking out with glow sticks, and really just celebrating the friendships we had.
4th year Her Campus Reader
The Out-of-body
I’ll never forget my first Valentine experience. I was 14 and clueless about boys. My crush got me flowers and a teddy bear and asked me to be his high school sweetheart. Before the day ended, I felt the drop in my stomach, which is inevitable before every teenager knows something earth shattering is going to happen. As he leaned in to plant one on me, what I believe the longest string of thoughts entered my mind. Wait. Wait. What are you doing? How does this work? Do I move my lips? Am I applying pressure? What is happening? What do I do with my hands? Hang on, where are my hands?! Oh gosh. Are my eyes closed!? Why can’t I feel my feet? I can only describe the experience as existential, but I was assured that I did fine, and my hands weren’t awkward or anything. Needless to say, being 14, it didn’t work out. While I didn’t hear the swell of violins like in movies, it was still sweet and I wouldn’t change anything about my first kiss. Now, 8 years later, we’re still friends. And I happily don’t go through the ream of questions anymore.
Editor, Health & Lifestyle
The Not-so-sweet
I have never been in a relationship on Valentines Day. Although, one time in middle school, I broke up with a guy the day before Valentines Day. I felt awful, but I felt it would have been much worse if I broke up with him on the day of, or after. Anyways, it all worked out. Two years later he came out of the closet.
4th Year Her Campus Reader
The Sweet
I wasn’t expecting anything big on Valentine’s Day. Even though I wasn’t single, I didn’t want it to be a big deal. I told my boyfriend to wait until February 15th to buy me chocolates, so he would get more for the same price. I woke up and got ready for school as always. You could smell candy-grams everywhere you went and there were couples in every corner. That evening when I returned home, there were four boxes of chocolate on my dresser, a dozen roses sprawled around my room and a piece of paper folded on my bed which read “ get ready.” I got ready quickly and was on my way. We went to go see “The Vow” and headed back to his place. I made his favourite meal for the two of us, and that was when I was given my gift. He carried out a huge box wrapped in a pink-sparkly paper. Inside the box was another box, and another, and then another. Finally I got to the last box, which was extremely small. I looked up at him with a raised brow. He placed his hands in his pockets and nodded. I opened the tiny box to find a promise ring inside. I didn’t know what to say, I was speechless. I was glad that he didn’t take my advice and made my Valentine’s Day a big deal.
Writer, Health & Lifestyle
I’ve had many interesting valentine’s days, some filled with candles and truffles, others dates at Tim Hortons. However last year was the first Valentine’s day that I finally appreciated it for what it, and what for love was. Funny enough it was from a hospital bed in the Ottawa general.
My boyfriend and I at the time hadn’t planned anything, my excuse was that I worked, his that the day was stupid. I had felt faint all day but in the afternoon became violently ill and it was soon clear I needed to go to the emergency room. My boyfriend saw how sick I was and immediately got his car, carried me to it and drove me to the general. He held my hand while we waited, rubbed my back and tried to get me to keep down water until the doctor could see me.
He stayed until the end when I was able to go home, never once complaining even though I knew how much he despises hospitals, and that it was hard for him to be there. Late into the night, when he had started playing FIFA on his computer thinking I was sound asleep, he stopped to pull the blankets up making sure I was comfortable and kissed me on the forehead whispering that he loved me. It was then that I realized this was the best Valentine’s Day I had ever had, and that this is what real love felt like, it wasn’t about the flowers, but the whispers said when you think no one is listening.
Things have changed and we have both moved on, but that moment, with that boy, made me realize what powerful love is, and that we’ll all experience our own fairytale, whatever form it will come in. I’ll always love that boy, for the life lessons he taught me, and the experiences we share, even if it’s just as a friend.
Writer for Her Campus
The Shameless
We were a few girls, in high school, hoping to do something special for Valentine’s day. Nothing to do, no one to share it with except for eachother, we decided to do Valentine’s day with a twist. My girls and I decided to call this night of so-called “lust”: Porn and Chicken night. A night of watching a porn movie (a classy one, don’t get me wrong!) and eating chicken. We sat down, shameless, whilst enjoying an erotic pirate-themed movie (the highest budget porn movie ever made, as a matter of fact!) and ate our chicken with no desire to be anywhere else but there…with the girls. Try it, you might also like it!
Her Campus Reader
No matter what you choose to do this Valentine’s Day, there’s something for everyone. Letting go of someone to find their happiness, celebrating the amazing friendships you have, a new experience, or a sweet promise, its about being honest, appreciating those you care about, and making today whatever you want it to be. So from the Her Campus uOttawa team, Happy Valentine’s Day, readers!
xoxo
Picture credits
www.voicesinmybighead.blogspot…
www.forevertwentysomethings.com
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