Valentine’s Week is February’s rush-hour, and El Colegio really lets it show. Fervid lovebirds and hopeless romantics run back and forth, juggling sunflowers, balloons, and chocolates under the midday heat. Love is DEFINITELY in the air, almost taking over our oxygen; everybody’s faces are glowing with joy and enthusiasm, but the ambiance just seemed a little too hectic for me. Amidst the crowd and the noise, Sofía and Celestino walked coolly towards the tables in front of el Centro de Estudiantes’ third floor in stark contrast from all the rush. It’s almost as if they made time stop, totally pulling off the slow motion strut scene and suddenly making me feel at ease.
Completely laid back, they begin to recount the story of how they met. “We met two days after his birthday, on April 13th. I was attending a United Nations event at his school and he was cola’o’”,she said, exchanging glances with Celestino who said his friends were ecstatic to introduce to him to a bunch of girls they met, but none of them were Sofía. They met later on, no third parties involved, and exchanged phone numbers. “The funny thing is we sent each other the first message with 5 minutes of difference”, she commented and added that it tends to happen frequently, almost as if they were telepathic. “We usually come up with the same ideas at the same time, call each other at the same time, even match our clothes and it is completely unplanned!”
The song says “Wise men say only fools rush in”, but exchanging their first kiss at a game of spin the bottle one week before their first date was the best decisions they made. In less than a month, they were already together and two years later, they are still mesmerized by each other. Celestino described their first date at the movies as “cool” and Sofía laughed. “We watched Evil Dead, and we spent half the movie talking about how crappy it was. Our second date was the day after: we went for ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s and walked for almost an hour, just talking and getting to know ourselves a little more.” “Our dates are literally Netflix and chill or ‘bring your dog and we’ll have a good time’”, exclaimed Celestino. “Llégale, y eso es un date”, said Sofía.
By just looking at them, you can tell that this is exactly what they both love about their relationship: they find fun and comfort in each other in just being themselves. It’s love in its purest form. “The whole point of being with someone is being able to present yourself just the way you are, and that is the way I feel about my relationship with Celestino. I can just be myself”, said Sofía, shrugging off and scoffing at the idea of having to spend hours in front of a mirror just to impress him. This way of thinking and her self-expression is what Celestino seems to enjoy the most about her. “Sofía has no filters. Es bien ‘potrona’. She’s strong in character, she doesn’t allow herself to get pushed-over, and bitchy (in a good way). It’s a good thing because I’m very calm”, said Celestino as he shared laughs with Sofia. “Sofía complements me. Her weaknesses are my strengths, and her strengths are my weakness. Encajamos bien.”
It’s not every day you get to meet such a remarkable couple: the kind that make you think beyond the stereotypical relationships that are based on images and big gifts. These two go big with simplicity. To them, Valentine’s Day is a day like every other: Another day to celebrate themselves, their differences, and their similarities.