In defence of solo romance

Valentine’s Day is my absolute favourite holiday, but I can understand that most folks don’t feel the same.

Perhaps you see it as capitalistic bullshit. Perhaps you feel disappointed by a partner who consistently does nothing for you (dump them). If you’re single, perhaps it stings with the loneliness of not feeling “chosen” by someone else.

The good news is, you can always choose yourself!!

Here’s my pro tip if you want to actually enjoy the day: take yourself on a date.

The older I get, the more I LOVE a good solo date. Nothing makes me feel as powerful as looking a restaurant host in the eye and letting them know that “I’d like a table for one, please”.

I credit my love of self dates to a tradition I started in the eighth grade. Every year, I made my friends dress up with me so that our moms (and later ourselves) could take us out for heart-shaped pizza. I didn’t have any meaningful men in my life at the time, so I saw February 14th as a celebration for the girls.

Last year, I had just moved to a new city and hadn’t yet made any friends. I’d been keeping Galentines Day going since 2012, and I refused to give up on the holiday tradition I’d started.

I ordered pizza, watched my favourite guilty pleasure movie, played my “4 Shawty” playlist, and reminded myself how much I loved my own company.

And honestly? It was one of my favourite days of the whole year.

This year and every year after, I’m going to prioritise finding ways to romance myself.

Tay Aly Jade

Writer. Speaker. Activist. Passionate about people and the planet, Taylor’s work explores themes of identity, wellbeing, and social and climate justice.

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Life lessons for twenty-somethings, vol. 1

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The “feeling”