My Own Valentine
A little ritual of sorts
My first Valentine’s Day in LA was deep in COVID quarantine. I was living alone, quarantining alone, and dining alone.
Not really the Hollywood Valentine’s Day you see in the movies.
It also happened to fall on a Sunday, so I had the day off of work (granted, I was “freelancing” at the time so every day could be a “day off of work”). Because I had spent so much time at home, cooking for myself, feeling rather cooped up in the LA Lockdown, I decided to make that Valentine’s Day something special.
I don’t normally care about Valentine’s Day — I’ve never really been in a romantic relationship over Valentine’s Day, and the day isn’t quite marketed to us singletons. But, it was my first Valentine’s Day in LA, so I decided to care — celebrate me and my big move.
I thought I’d go on an adventure, such that I could in the lockdown, get a nice meal, and treat myself well. That day, I got in my car, put on the Almost Famous soundtrack, and hit the windy road of Mulholland Drive.
It had been 5 months since I moved, and I hadn’t quite found my footing yet. Everything I wanted to do (amazing restaurants, improv classes, seeing shows), was closed, and the friends I had met were all on the screen. But, driving that famous, windy road, taking in the views of the valley, I felt at home.
That night, I indulged in another LA staple — Surgarfish sushi…as did everyone else in LA. I ordered on Postmates, and it was going to take an hour for my pick-up order. When I got there, they needed another 30 minutes…So I drove to Milk Bar and got a decadent piece of cake. Went back for my sushi…and it was still not ready. So I went and bought a bottle of Rosé….and it was still not ready. At that point, I didn’t need any more food, so I sat in my car till my box was ready.
That Valentine’s Day, I sat on the floor of my apartment, ate my sushi dinner, and watched Schitt’s Creek at 10 PM.
And it was perfect.
Last year, still in a weird COVID limbo. I took myself on a trip to Santa Barbara. The solo getaway was less a Valentine’s Day “treat yo’ self” moment, more a “the Super Bowl is in LA so I need to not be” decision. But, on Valentine’s Day itself, I took myself wine tasting and toasted to myself.
While I’m still living alone, my life is almost the polar opposite of what it was in February 2021.
I go out to restaurants, I see shows constantly, I do improv. My friends have transferred from people I saw on the screen to people who fill my days and nights with so much laughter and love. In fact, I rarely have a quiet moment at home.
This year, now further out of quarantine, I almost forgot about Valentine’s day altogether and I spent it cooking for myself, catching up on television, and taking a moment to rest, which is just what I needed.
The quiet of the last few days has allowed me the space to reflect on how proud I am of the life I’ve created here and how much I love it. And that’s the best Valentine’s Day present I could ask for.
Ten Things I Love This Week
I have met Samara Bay several times at feminist events in LA. She is a FORCE. She’s a leading speech and dialect coach in Hollywood and also coaches women running for office, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and everyone else. Her book Permission to Speak is everything I needed to read this week.
The Rhianna Concert on Sunday was everything.
In the spirit of self-care, this exfoliant has been one of the best additions to my skincare routine.
As is this serum.
I love a Valentine’s Day rom-com. And no one does it better than Julia Roberts and George Clooney.
In a totally different vein, Poker Face is a gritty, smart mystery, and I can’t get enough of it. It has Rian Johnson show running and Natasha Lyonne starring, which is all you really need to know.
Why did no one tell me about Below Deck before???
I’ve been trying to be consistent with my bedtime journal routine, and I am more motivated when I have a pretty notebook to write in. This one makes me smile.
The LA art show is this weekend, and I can’t wait to go! If you’re in the area, I can’t recommend it enough.
The world’s best banana bread.
I hope you have a lovely week!
Melanie