Maria Victoria Cebollero López also collaborated with this feature.
What if I told you that fictional character Leslie Knope from “Parks & Recreation” minted a holiday revolving around celebrating your female friendships? You know, those ladies who keep you grounded when you’re at your worst, let you nap in their beds, push you to the brink when you really can’t imagine how you’re going to turn in that essay at 7:30 in the morning, console you when your partner breaks up with you, and stick around for your endless anecdotes and ramblings?
Mark your calendars on February 13th, because it’s Galentine’s Day, a day to celebrate your friendships with your female confidantes! Here are a few ideas to commemorate the occasion:
1. Go exploring
Go on a roadtrip with your girlfriends! Go to Rincón or Playa Azul after class and catch the sunset and spend the rest of the evening bonding over frituras and ice-cold beers. Alternative: ditch class altogether and take a day-trip to Aguadilla or Isabela (we won’t tell!)
2. Try bar hopping…with a twist
Needless to say, Mayagüez is the ideal place to do this. To make this different from your regular Thursday night ritual, make a game out of it! Go to each bar and try the most famous shot from each one and rate them together, or start a scavenger hunt across Mayagüez (some ideas: find an election-era poster, selfies with every single guy you meet named Jose, a picture with every bartender, a doppelganger; the possibilities are endless!)
3. Game night
If going out isn’t your squad’s style, plan a girls’ night in! You can all play classic board games like Monopoly or Life, or play something edgier like Cards Against Humanity. Feeling swanky? Plan an all-girl poker night; alcohol suggested but not required.
4. DIY Karaoke Night Ft. Wine and Cheese and Other Munchies
Since this year’s Galentine’s Day falls on a Monday and legendary Tijolos Bar’s Karaoke Tuesdays wouldn’t be a feasible option, stay in and gather your friends for a DIY karaoke night at one of their apartments! Connect a potent speaker to a laptop and sing “Despacito” (or “Te Quise Olvidar” until you exhaust your collection of despecho tunes). Pair a karaoke night with some wine and cheese, cielito lindo, or your munchies of choice, and you’re set.
5. Brunch
If you’re anything like Leslie Knope, you’re obsessed with all things breakfast. Treat yourself and your friends to waffles or French toast (among other breakfast items) like Leslie Knope would in a town teeming with local restaurants (Massa, Friend’s Café, Aquí Latte, among others) to celebrate. Rumor has it, Denny’s serves mimosas.
Spotted: HCUPRM’s own Fabiola del Valle eyeing Denny’s mimosas.
6. Exploring: Culinary Edition
With towns so dense and diverse a culinary scene as Aguadilla and Rincón, road trip with your Galentine’s to either of these towns to exchange your arroz con habichuelas with some Thai, Turkish, Mediterranean, among other quality food from the dozens of food trucks in the Aguadilla area, or cruise to Rincón’s lowkey plaza, where Italian, Greek, and seafood restaurants lie at walking distance, conveniently adjacent to the Rincón Beer Company, a place where the concepts of beer and board games often intertwine.
7. Enjoy each other’s company
College workloads show no mercy: from essays to homework to exams to research, sometimes we can’t find time for ourselves, let alone our friends. Don’t let that swing of the semester eat up all your time: make the conscious decision to hang out and appreciate the people who make you grow and make your life worthwhile, even if it’s just to catch up over some coffee.
While romantic relationships are worthy of being celebrated, they should never eclipse the effervescence and wonder that friendships come with. As a former die-hard John Green fan, this quote still resonates with me: “In the end, what you do isn’t going to be nearly as important as who you do it with.”