By Maddie Sievers
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and with it comes mixed emotions depending on your relationship status. For single people, chances are it’s a time where you find yourself either wishing you had someone to celebrate the holiday with, or are planning a GNO (girls night out) for Galentine’s Day. If you and your significant other recently started seeing each other, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of planning the perfect romantic evening with all the works.
However, Valentine’s Day is a completely different situation if you’re in a long-term relationship. While it’s amazing to have someone so special to share the most romantic day of the year with, it tends to become a little less exciting over time. After all, you love each other year-round, so a stereotypical Valentine’s Day date may start to seem a little cliché and boring. Here are five ways to keep things interesting on February 14!
1.) Cook Together
Don’t feel like battling crowds and long waits at restaurants on Valentine’s Day? Scout out a recipe or two that sound tasty and realistic enough to actually cook, and spend the evening cooking with your sweetheart. Pick up the ingredients together, cook the meal together, and (most importantly!) compliment one another’s cooking skills as you dine on a delicious, home-cooked meal.
2.) Take Advantage of Campus Resources
Our campus has tons of resources available for students, many of which are free or offer i-Card discounts. Look around online for a fun activity the two of you can participate in together right here at the U of I to mix up your date night routine. Take a cooking class or go rock climbing at the ARC; see a show at the Krannert Center; visit the Krannert Art Museum or Spurlock Museum; go ice skating; attend a sporting event; or go swimming at the CRCE Aquatic Center, just to name a few!
3.) Recreate a Date from the Past
Part of the reason long-term relationships are great is because of all the amazing dates you’ve been on together. If there’s a particularly special date that you both really enjoyed, try recreating that magic this Valentine’s Day. The nostalgia will remind you of all the good times you’ve had together in the past.
4.) Try Something New Together
If there’s something fun either one of you has been wanting to try, now is the perfect time to try it! Whether you’ve been holding back because you’re nervous to go out of your comfort zone or because it costs more money than you’d usually spend, let go of your reservations and go for it! This could be anything from trying a new type of cuisine to taking ballroom dancing lessons…really, it’s anything you haven’t done before but would like to try.
5.) Go Restaurant Hopping
Try this interesting twist on going out to eat! Instead of having your entire meal at one restaurant, get each course (appetizer, entree, and dessert) at a different place. This is something really fun to do in an area like Downtown Champaign or Green Street, where you can easily walk from one restaurant to the next.
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Featured image is from Pexels.
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