Eight thousand kilometres away from everyone I know, I’m choosing to celebrate this Valentine’s Day by appreciating one of the deepest love stories I know—my relationship with myself and the world.
I know Valentine’s Day tends to be corny and dumb, often feeling like an excuse for couples to flaunt their love in the faces of uninterested singles. But I’ve actually always loved it. Maybe it’s just the chocolate, but I genuinely believe there’s something tender and deeply human about dedicating a day to celebrating love in all its forms.
Growing up, my grandma and mom would put together Valentine’s Day care packages filled with chocolate and candy for my siblings and I. When I was in a relationship, my boyfriend would surprise me with pink bouquets and handwritten notes to read before our movie dates. And when I moved away for university, my best friend and I would toast the occasion with Dirty Shirleys in sugar-rimmed glasses marked with little hearts scrawled in red marker.
Rather than seeing Valentine’s Day as a holiday exclusively for romantic partners, I’ve always used it to celebrate the relationships that surround me in different shapes and forms.
Now, I’m spending my semester abroad in Istanbul—eight hours ahead and 8,000 kilometres away from my home in Kingston and my family in Ottawa. Yet, the idea of being alone isn’t as daunting as it might seem. Though I’m physically distant from the people I love, I find myself in a new, exciting place, one my younger self could only have dreamed of visiting.
So, this Valentine’s Day, I’m choosing to celebrate the love I feel for myself and the world—because it’s one of the most important relationships.
This wasn’t always my mindset. After three years in a relationship, last year was the first Valentine’s Day I had spent single since my teenage years. I went to the Screening Room where I found myself surrounded by cozied-up couples as I watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
I was torn up at the thought of spending the evening alone—of not having a special someone to discuss the movie with afterward, or to curl up with at home.
Yet I remember, as I walked out of the theatre feeling proud and grateful. It was my first time going to the movie theater completely alone. I was so lucky to watch a film I love, one that holds such a special place in my heart. Lucky to return home to my waiting journal, ready to indulge my thoughts. Lucky to sprawl out in my warm, empty bed, entirely at peace.
I could’ve easily tuned out the holiday—gagged at the couples walking by hand-in-hand and scoffed at the gooey Instagram posts. But I didn’t feel bitter. Instead, I chose to commemorate it in a way that made sense for me.
Recently, I had an epiphany while reading the poem “Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong” by Vietnamese American poet, Ocean Vuong. I found myself stuck on a particular line: “& remember, loneliness is still time spent with the world.”
Reading this, I realized the love within me doesn’t need to be directed at someone else to be valid. It pours from me naturally, begging to be shared with the world. That love deserves to be recognized—especially on a day dedicated to it.
After years of obsessing over love stories, I’m finally learning to save some of that love for myself.
Every moment I spend here, alone—stumbling through a language that isn’t my own, walking unfamiliar streets beneath a flag that isn’t my own—feels romantic in its own way. It’s a tribute to how much I’ve trusted both myself and the world to come, quite literally, this far.
This Valentine’s Day won’t go unnoticed. In fact, it might be my best one yet. I plan to buy myself a tea (fitting, as Turkey consumes more tea than any other country in the world). I’ll listen to my favourite nostalgic albums and take a long walk, breathing in the crisp air. I’ll climb the campus clock tower and gaze at the Black Sea. I’ll end the night with a book, hunched over my desk—the perfect romantic date night for one.
I know for a fact I’m never breaking up with myself or the world around me. Instead, Valentine’s Day 2025 will be spent celebrating the love we share.
Tags
Abroad, Exchange, Postscript, Travel, valentine's day
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