Listen. I just don’t understand all the bitterness that surrounds Valentine’s Day for people that aren’t in relationships. I’ve been single for eight years, and it’s one of my favorite holidays. I’m serious. Everything in stores are bright pinks and reds, the chocolate selection is top-notch, and it’s just a day to spread love… So, why the hate?

This year, we’re all approaching a year of quarantine, and while I have my moments of desperation to go out to dinner and a Broadway show, I must say I’ve really started to take to this shelter in place lifestyle. The 14th will be no different for moi; I’ll be home alone, but I have more plans than Macaulay Culkin on Christmas Eve.

Allow me to explain.

First and foremost, it’s the perfect time for me to make an excuse to spend money on myself, being that it’s nestled right in between Christmas and my birthday. Do I need an excuse? No, not at all.  There have been so many Zara boxes delivered to my building; I feel like my neighbors are starting to judge. Regardless, it’s impeccable timing for me to just check-in and make sure I’m not neglecting myself in any way… Ya know?

This year, for Valentine’s Day, I’ll be receiving a spin bike for the last unoccupied corner of my tiny NYC apartment, and it’ll be brought to me by my one and only true love: the Amazon Prime delivery man.

I will also be trudging through the mountains of snow to the local cookie shop called Chip NYC, which I frequent. Their V-Day selection includes Red Velvet Cheesecake, Strawberries and Cream, XOXO Funfetti, and, of course, traditional Chocolate Chip. Yes, I looked up their cookie schedule ahead of time and I have to say… I’m so jazzed.

Next, despite all the bodega guys doubling their flower prices on Valentine’s Day, there’s nothing I love more than buying myself flowers.

As our girl Lizzo says, “I get flowers every Sunday; I’mma marry me one day.” Since the holiday falls on a Sunday this year, I can’t possibly defy Saint Valentine AND Lizzo, so I shall sleep easy knowing my $20 bill got $10 worth of roses; inflation be damned.

Now, if you’re thinking the plan is to eat cookies while putting together my new workout equipment: stop. I’m not a monster! I would never do manual labor without cookies AND wine… A nice, full-bodied, Napa Cab to be precise. I will tread cautiously, though. Last year, I bought myself a desk and got a little too carried away with the wine, super-glued it backward, and had to throw it out and order a new one.

I nailed it the second time, though – literally.

While 22-year-old me might have been a little bummed about not having a “Valentine’s date,” 28-year-old me couldn’t be happier scrubbing my bathtub for a deep soak and a face mask. I’ve actually been saving one for the occasion. I got this $1200 set of face masks for $40 on GILT (I highly recommend for skincare savings). They’re made with 24k gold and snail eggs or something crazy. I expect to take it off and have the plump skin of an eight-year-old, but, like, without the baby fat.

I guess what I’m trying to say is there’s no need for the Valentine’s Day blues!

Bottom line: it’s a day to celebrate love, and whether that love is for your friends, your family, your dog, or yourself; it’s worth celebrating. So, while I look forward to future Valentine’s Days spent with a significant other in a California king bed at the Plaza Hotel drinking mimosas and eating pancakes in robes with their logo on them (Macaulay Culkin style), that’s just simply not my narrative right now. I do have one, and only one concern: I hope all my red lipsticks last to see another V-day, post KN95s. *Googles expiry time on lipstick*

*Disclaimer: You should throw out lipsticks after a year and lip glosses after only six months!  Apparently, the wax has the tendency to trap bacteria. Ew. Will I follow this advice? TBD.

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About the Author

Kaitlyn-Renee Urban is an actor and writer with a passion for highlighting feminism in the arts. She hosts an IGTV show (coming January 2021) called “What We Know Now” centered around supporting local, women-run businesses while picking their brains for advice they’d give their younger selves. She lives in New York City, but it’s easier to find her on Instagram.