Love appears to be in the air in Seattle right now, it seems like everywhere you look someone is either finding love, falling in love, or confessing their love. Meanwhile, us singletons are left sitting on the couch, eating ice cream, watching cheesy rom-coms, and wondering what we are doing wrong. Well, first and foremost, let me just say that we are doing nothing wrong. The right person and the right relationship will find us when we are truly ready. But, even with that being said, I know that being single on Valentine’s Day can be an isolating experience. So, for all of us single Seattleites, I have compiled a list of 5 dates we can take ourselves on this Valentine’s Day, because, hey, Valentine’s Day is supposed to be all about celebrating and spreading love, so why don’t we seize the day and show ourselves the love we deserve!
Date 1: Take Yourself On a Picnic at Gasworks Park
You’ve likely seen the idyllic romantic picnic setup in one of those cheesy rom-coms you’ve been watching and thought, “Aww, I wish someone would do that for me.” But, I’m here to tell you, someone can do that for you this Valentine’s Day… it’s you! You can create the picnic of your dreams this Valentine’s Day at Gasworks Park, and the best part is you can pick out exactly what foods you want to eat AND you don’t have to share any of it with anyone else!
Gasworks Park is the perfect place for a solo Valentine’s Day picnic, the views are immaculate, and the people watching is top tier. So, this Valentine’s Day, take your single self on over to Gasworks Park and enjoy all your favorite foods from the best vantage point you can find on the park’s hillside, and revel in the fact that you are showing yourself the love you deserve this holiday.
Date 2: Head to Theo Chocolate Factory
Besides all the love professing and PDA, chocolate typically takes center stage on Valentine’s Day. And, no hate to Russel Stover’s heart shaped box of chocolates, but in the name of showing ourselves all the love this Valentine’s Day, we deserve the best of the best when it comes to chocolate. And that my single Seattleite friends can be found at Theo Chocolate factory in what I think is Seattle’s cutest neighborhood: Fremont. Theo Chocolate is a local chocolate company that, fun fact, was actually founded right here at UW in the Foster Business School. Theo Chocolate Factory offers customers an opportunity to taste all the leftover chocolate that didn’t quite make it to production, which is great news for us single ladies on Valentine’s Day, as we can sample as many pieces of chocolate as our hearts desire. Touring Theo Chocolate Factory is such a fun experience, not to mention that the chocolate is absolutely delicious, so take yourself on a date to tour the factory and fill your belly with some delectable chocolate this Valentine’s Day.
Date 3: Take Yourself to Paint The Town in U Village
Paint The Town is the cutest little pottery painting shop in U Village where you can pick out a mug, cup, plate, bowl, or any other little do-dad that catches your eye, and paint it any which way you want. This is such a fun activity to do and it is surprisingly therapeutic! So, if you are feeling any of those sad, lonely feelings as a singleton this Valentine’s Day, head over to Paint The Town and soothe those emotions with some pottery and some paint.
Date 4: Buy Yourself Some Roses at Pikes Place Market
Who says you have to wait for a date to bring you roses this Valentine’s Day? Not me! I say, take yourself on a little date to Pikes Place Market and pick yourself out a lovely bouquet of roses or any flowers that call your name this Valentine’s Day. Us single Seattleites gotta look out for ourselves this Valentine’s Day, and buying ourselves some roses at one of the most fun places to spend the day, Pike’s Place Market, is the perfect way to do that!
Date 5: Head to Barnes and Noble or Magnus Books and Pick Yourself Out a New Romance Novel
If you’re anything like me, curling up with a new romance novel is your ideal way to spend any day, but especially Valentine’s Day. So, for all of you book-loving, single Seattle ladies, I’d highly recommend taking yourself to either Barnes and Noble in Seattle’s lovely neighborhood of Northgate, or to Magus Books down in Seattle’s University District to hunt for a new romance novel to read this Valentine’s Day. Also, bookstores oddly have such a romantic vibe, so I’d vote they are the perfect place for us singletons to show ourselves some love this Valentine’s Day.
And there you have it, 5 dates to take yourself on as a single lady in Seattle this Valentine’s Day! I hope these date recommendations show you that you don’t have to wait for someone to come along and take you out to do something fun or see something special, you can create those experiences for yourself. Being single in a world where we are told that relationships are the be all and end all, especially on Valentine’s Day, can feel lonely and depressing. So, make Valentine’s Day a self-love fest this year, get dressed up in your favorite outfit, and get out on the town, maybe even take yourself on one of these dates! And, remember, being single this Valentine’s Day doesn’t make you any less of a person, or any less worthy of a relationship (if you want one). You are smart, you are fun, you are capable, and you are beautiful. To all of you single Seattleites: keep that in mind this Valentine’s Day, and offer yourself the love you deserve.