Valentine's Day is the only day of the year when you can flaunt your significant other in public, participate in an overwhelming amount of PDA and speak in Taylor Swift lyrics all day - and there is nothing anybody can do about it.
Feb. 14 is a day dedicated to all the love and happiness you experience when you are in a relationship. I'm not a cynical person who hates love, romance and everything with a heart on it. I am a huge fan of all the mushy romantic gestures: the kissing in the rain, the bouquet of a dozen roses, the love letters, etc.
Unfortunately, this year I will be spending the day boyfriendless. Rather than ruin my diet by devouring a cardboard heart filled with various chocolates alone in my room, while watching Crazy, Stupid Love and wondering why Ryan Gosling can't be my Valentine, I have made other plans.
Here are some of my suggestions for the bachelor or bachelorette on how to survive this affectionate 24 hours (other than pretending it doesn't exist).
Go on a Valentine's date with your single friends
While your roommate is frolicking to Chophouse for an expensive and starry-eyed night with his or her significant other, do a similar thing with your group of friends. Get dressed to impress, go out for a nice dinner, have some drinks and enjoy yourself. Revel in the fact you are only responsible for paying the check for one person and you don't have to worry about proper table manners - so what if there's some tomato sauce on your cheek; you're saving it for later.
Don't forget dessert.What's wrong with some chocolate-covered strawberries, whipped cream and sundaes shared between close friends? Nothing. Feel free to cuddle and watch a movie as well. It's a day of love and don't you love your friends?
Exercise
Go to the gym, do some yoga, go for a run or just have a dance party in your room. Any form of being active will release endorphins, which will make you a happier person.
The gym will most likely be empty on Valentine's Day, so you won't have to feel self-conscious about how sweaty or smelly you're getting. My personal favorite is throwing a dance party in my room. Who doesn't love the opportunity to show off to your friends how hard you've been working to learn all of the lyrics to "Thrift Shop?"
Do something for yourself
Whether it's spending the day lost in that book you haven't had the chance to finish, taking a bubble bath or starting a new TV series on Netflix, do something you have been meaning to do but haven't gotten to.
Take this time to cross something off your bucket list. There are a ton of Valentine's Day deals on Groupon involving couples massages, outdoor adventures and weekend getaways. Grab a friend or family member and take advantage of these deals. There is no rule that says you have to be one-half of a romantic couple to enjoy a massage for two or go on a cruise around Lake Erie. Now may be the perfect time to finally book that vacation to the spa you've been dreaming about.
Porn it up
Lock the door and get your freak on. There is nothing wrong with some self-loving on Valentine's Day. Nobody loves you more than you do.
No matter what, do something that makes you happy. Don't spend the day wishing you hadn't ended it with your ex, don't wallow in self-pity and don't eat your weight in those corny sweetheart candies. It's only 24 hours. You will survive this.
Email: rachel.kramer@ubspectrum.com
