Lovely Saint Valentine
I think I am finally over Valentine's Day.
I've always wanted to be over Valentine's Day. I've always agreed that it is a man-made, retail driven holiday but it's hard to get beyond the office peer pressure of whose boyfriend loves them the most gauged by who has the biggest bouquet of birds of paradise.
I think it's necessary to state that this decision has nothing to do with Jordi. He is in fact fabulous with Valentine's Day, birthdays, anniversaries. I always get an embarrassingly large bouquet of tropical flowers. And for the only Valentine's Day we really celebrated together, he also brought me a box of my favorite Teuscher milk chocolate champaign truffles. Quite a feat considering the closest store was 2,000 miles away and the truffles only stay fresh for a few days.
Last year, February 14, 2008, Jordi and I were boarding a plane going one way to Amsterdam. We decided amidst all the moving to a new country chaos, we would forgo Valentine's for that year. I didn't mind much and frankly, I can't say I missed anything.
This year, I didn't even see it coming. To my surprise, it is celebrated in the Netherlands but there isn't a reminder during every commercial break or an isle and a half dedicated to chocolates and teddy bears in the grocery store. We happened to make dinner plans with some good friends to catch up since they've been sick and out of commission for a few weeks. I didn't realize until today that I had agreed to spending this supposed romantic night spending as much time as possible playing with our friends' baby before his bedtime and then eating Mexican food with our favorite friends.
At this moment, there is something about our plans that feels far more fulfilling than gawking over some overpriced flowers and eating overpriced heart-shaped lobster ravioli. I'd like to believe this is the start of my new Valentine free life but I must admit, living abroad makes this a far easier accomplishment and therefore possibly only a temporary one.
I've always wanted to be over Valentine's Day. I've always agreed that it is a man-made, retail driven holiday but it's hard to get beyond the office peer pressure of whose boyfriend loves them the most gauged by who has the biggest bouquet of birds of paradise.
I think it's necessary to state that this decision has nothing to do with Jordi. He is in fact fabulous with Valentine's Day, birthdays, anniversaries. I always get an embarrassingly large bouquet of tropical flowers. And for the only Valentine's Day we really celebrated together, he also brought me a box of my favorite Teuscher milk chocolate champaign truffles. Quite a feat considering the closest store was 2,000 miles away and the truffles only stay fresh for a few days.
Last year, February 14, 2008, Jordi and I were boarding a plane going one way to Amsterdam. We decided amidst all the moving to a new country chaos, we would forgo Valentine's for that year. I didn't mind much and frankly, I can't say I missed anything.
This year, I didn't even see it coming. To my surprise, it is celebrated in the Netherlands but there isn't a reminder during every commercial break or an isle and a half dedicated to chocolates and teddy bears in the grocery store. We happened to make dinner plans with some good friends to catch up since they've been sick and out of commission for a few weeks. I didn't realize until today that I had agreed to spending this supposed romantic night spending as much time as possible playing with our friends' baby before his bedtime and then eating Mexican food with our favorite friends.
At this moment, there is something about our plans that feels far more fulfilling than gawking over some overpriced flowers and eating overpriced heart-shaped lobster ravioli. I'd like to believe this is the start of my new Valentine free life but I must admit, living abroad makes this a far easier accomplishment and therefore possibly only a temporary one.