It’s that time of year again, where love suffocates you. You see all these happy couples being in love, and it makes you ill. “Why can’t I be in love?”, you may ask. Well, fear not! This year’s Valentine’s Day is gonna be different for all you single people out there; YOU WILL FIND A VALENTINE!!!

Before you even begin to think about showering someone else with love, you gotta love yourself unconditionally first. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s the truth. If you love who you are and who you are becoming, well boom, go find love.  Loving yourself sounds easy, but not many people know where to start. I sat down with Carly Shull, 11th grade, and she spoke about some ways she loves herself. 

“I have a giant 62 inch mirror in my bedroom, I go hiking a lot, and I work a lot to make myself feel better, cause work is my free therapy… I put myself first and don’t care about other’s feelings.” Wise words from the Confident Carly Shull. 

Once you engulf yourself in self love, you are ready to look for some LOVE! A helpful tip is to ask a friend to help find you a compatible partner. I use my friends as a personal Cupid, as they do their best to matchmake me. I recommend going out to a very public place where many people your age would be. My personal favorite spot is Dutch Bros off 83rd avenue or the Circle K off of Lake Pleasant. Once you arrive at your destination, you gotta watch people. Scope out anyone that looks your age and you are attracted to.

Now here’s the hard part, approaching this person. Your heart is racing, blood pumping profusely, starting to nervously sweat as you take one step at a time. You approach this person and you can’t breathe. Don’t stress, just take a breath and say a gentle “Hey!” Introduce yourself, get their name (make sure you don’t forget it cause that would be embarrassing), and just explain why you felt compelled to come up to this complete stranger. “I just wanted to tell you that I find you attractive and I wanted to take a minute to introduce myself.” Most people will be extremely flattered by this act of boldness and respond positively. Now it’s time to ask the big question… “So I was just wondering if I could get your number or snapchat if you don’t mind.” It’s important to come off as nice and make sure they aren’t uncomfortable. But with your luck, I’m sure they’d be more than happy to give you their number.

On the other hand, let’s say you’ve got a little crush on someone you know (awww so cute), but you’re worried about ruining the relationship you already have with them. This can be so scary, and a little tricky, so tread lightly and don’t overthink too much. First thing you wanna do is hang out with them, one on one; it’s a great way to spend time with them and see if there’s any chemistry between the two of you.  You could even do this with the stranger you met at the Circle K. A good way to test if there is any blossoming romance between you two, is body language and how they speak to you. If they like to keep close to you, asking you personal questions, keep eye contact for a long period of time, teasing you, and pointing their body towards you when talking, it is a definite sign that they are showing interest in you. Take notice of these actions and if you start to see them, you’ve got the green light! SUCCESS! You did the hard part, now onto the next step on our elaborate plan. 

Once you realize there is DEFINITELY some chemistry between you two, it’s time to ask the big question. A sweet way to ask this, is by a grand gesture, based on their love language. There are five different love languages; quality time, acts of service, physical touch, receiving gifts, and words of affirmation. By the time you are even considering asking them to be your valentine, you should have a good idea of what their love language is. You can incorporate this when you ask them. For example,  let’s say their love language is receiving gifts; You could buy them something thoughtful or maybe something they’ve been really wanting. Or maybe quality time is more their style; hang out with them and make sure they are having an amazing time. “I probably wouldn’t want anything big, or for someone to spend so much money on me; I want something meaningful,” freshman Quincy Wood said. There are endless possibilities of ways to ask someone to be your valentine while incorporating their love language. But once you perform this sweet gesture, it’s time to ask.

Confessing your feelings to someone seems like such a scary challenge, but in a realistic aspect, there is no reason to really freak out. This can go two ways, and I’ll start with the bad. The worst possible thing that could happen is that you get rejected. Sounds terrifying but in all seriousness, rejection is a part of life that everyone deals with. Ask anyone and I bet they would say they’ve been rejected at least once in their lifetime. At least you confessed your feelings and now you can move on in life. Now, let’s say you poured your heart out, explaining how they make you feel and you ask them to be your valentine. “Yeah sure.” YIPPEE! You did it! You secured a valentine! Now that the hard part is over, it’s time to plan out your valentine’s day together!

It’s the big day, V-DAY! I can’t imagine how excited and potentially nervous you may be. You cannot waste any time though, in order to make this day the best it could be. First thing to do is pick a place. This could be a restaurant, movie theater, amusement park, basically anything where you and your special someone can hang out and spend the day together. Once you get a place, find an outfit that matches that. For example, if you’re going to an amusement park, you could wear a nice top and some jeans; it’s very important to not overdress or underdress. After you get dressed, you’re ready to go and enjoy your day out!

By taking this step-by-step procedure, your Valentine’s Day is surely going to be one to remember. Sure, it might not go according to plan, but that’s a part of life. Love is not like a fairy-tale or a Hallmark movie, love comes in many different forms. But if there’s anything you take away from this, just know that you deserve someone who loves you for who you truly are, and appreciates all aspects of you. Now, go get a Valentine, all you little love-bugs!