(Wellness Montana) I have joked for years about February 14th being National Singles Awareness Day. But as I thought about it this year, it occurred to me that there’s a lot of fun, socializing, and do-gooding to be done by singles everywhere this Valentine’s Day! Consider:
1. Dinner, movie, and traditional night on the town with friends
Why not start off traditional? Whether you’re single or not, there is always room to take an evening with your best friends, spending time together. When I was in college, my roommates and I made a point of having a ladies night every Valentine’s Day. We’d dress up, go to a nice restaurant, and play board games or go to a movie afterward. It was a wonderful experience and made for a lot of fun.
2. Giving roses to those who won’t get any (ie – the widowed, recently broken up with, other singles, etc.)
Many people like getting flowers. It’s a gesture that says someone was thinking about you and thought you were special. Instead of moping about how you’re alone and pathetic, go cheer someone else up! Who knows, you might actually have so much fun, you forget to linger in self-pity (at least for one night.) If you need another reason besides altruism, it’s been scientifically recorded that acts of charity release pleasure-causing hormones in your brain. So really, though you’re cheering someone else up, you benefit too.
3. Wine and cheese tasting
For the cultural among you, get all dressed up and find a nice local wine bar that would also please your pallet with nice cheeses. Bozeman’s Plonk wine bar on Main Street has great atmosphere and is both fabulous and affordable. You can also sample really nice chocolates if you’re not one for cheese.
4. Take a night hike and take pictures of the city from the top
This is a weather dependent one and granted, it’ll probably be cold, but it is also worth it. The “M” just outside Bozeman is a fantastic and generally safe venue for group night hiking. Make sure to take flashlights or headlamps, a camera, and lots of hot chocolate in a thermos. Once you reach the top, take pictures of Bozeman’s beautiful city lights. And don’t forget to toast yourselves: you’re brave enough to dare the elements and darkness to be EPIC on Valentine’s Day
5. Go go-karting or miniature golfing
You are never too old. And it’s AWESOME. Some great venues are the Clubhouse Miniature Golf Course at Gallatin Valley Mall and Full Circle Indoor Kart Racing at Four Corners. (Admit it. You still love the neon-colored black lights. Or ramming your friends at high velocities.)
6. Have a pampered out-of-house excursion.
Schedule a day or an hour at your local spa, like Canyon River Spa – and take a friend. There’s nothing like bonding while getting special treatment.
7. Gather your friends and family to play games, bake cookies, and generally have fun
Have a round of capture the flag. Or laugh while playing telephone pictionary or Catchphrase©. Vent your frustration with heart shaped cookies that say ‘Bite Me’ (my friend Lisa’s annual Valentine’s Day tradition.) In general, celebrate that you have friends, fun, and lots of laughter.
8. Stay home, have a fantastic bubble bath, and curl up with a really good book.
Also known as the introvert’s option. Because let’s face it: we introverts do make up a hefty chunk of the population. Now I, your fellow introvert, have given you an excuse to celebrate Valentine’s Day in your own people-free, guilt-free way. Go buy that latest Nora Roberts or Dean Koontz book you’ve been wanting and spend an evening reading. Or rent the latest blockbuster. Take some time and recharge from the world.
9. Appreciate your family
Have a scavenger hunt with your kids around the house. Or spend an evening sharing your hopes for 2012 and the blessings you’ve already received. Give your sister a call and see how she’s doing. Yes, you might have to listen to the “I’m single, woe is me!” tirade for twenty minutes or so, but then you have the ammunition to say, “Hey, sis, I found this really great Valentine’s Day list…”
(Jamie Upschulte is a freelance writer, literary assistant, and author. When not spending her time with the Wellness Montana team, she spends her time curled up with a good book.)
(Wellness Montana) Food is an essential part of life. If we don’t eat, we die. In its basic form, food is simply a pragmatic concern—but many of us know food is also much more than that.
