Best Valentine's Day Ever

I admit it. I'm pretty spoiled (recognition is the first step, right?). I had quite simply the best Valentine's Day ever. I'm not even a big fan of the holiday, as more often than not it tends to make people feel miserable that they're single or disappointed that their partner didn't do enough to make it ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. I think the reason Valentine's was so fabulous for me this year is because I've been very good to myself all week (i.e. filling my apartment with flowers and indulging myself with literature from Thomas Hardy and Leo Tolstoy is what I call love), while also spending some quality time with the boyfriend, who just so happens to be very thoughtful. On Friday, I received a lovely Valentine's Day bouquet at work, courtesy of said thoughtful boyfriend. Aren't they gorg? I was completely gobsmacked; I wasn't at all expecting flowers at work, which made receiving them all the more fun and wonderful.

The next day I decided to show myself a little love by treating myself to a hair cut and color. I love how bouncy my hair feels after leaving the salon. Typically, I like to make plans the night I get my hair professionally done because it so rarely happens that my hair looks nice--considering I generally put about 0% effort into it--but I had doubts about it this year since it also happened to be Valentine's Day. T insisted on taking me out to dinner, even though I argued that V-day is the WORST night to go out for a meal: it's more expensive, a set menu is typically forced upon you, and you're robbed of any originality because the place is full of couples just like you wanting to share a romantic meal together and as a result you feel like cattle. T wasn't convinced. He made dinner reservations anyway because he knows me, basically. Turns out my fears were completely unfounded: the vibe at the restaurant he picked was perfectly low-key, there was a healthy mix of couples and families, the menu consisted of plenty of options and the food was really good. We went home, our tummies full, but not full enough to forgo the chocolate chip cookies I had made earlier, sat down on the sofa and watched The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. If you haven't seen this film, I HIGHLY recommend you do so. Amazing (and I don't use that word lightly). The film made me feel very happy and grateful to be alive and to be able to do the things I love with the people I love most. Because that's what truly matters. As I said, best Valentine's Day ever.