With Valentine’s Day around the corner, you may or may not be dreading the day with your sailor out at sea. Like all other holidays on the calendar, we know how to pivot and celebrate by ourselves or table the occasion when we can be together again . But Valentine’s Day always stings a bit differently, especially when you miss your sailor. For many of us, this might even be a repetitive holiday we’ve spent a part.
All of this on top of the COVID-19 pandemic can wreck havoc on what otherwise would be a cheerful, romantic day. Here are some ways you can spend the day:
Do Nothing
OK, this makes me laugh out loud. But in all seriousness, Valentine’s Day is just another day. If the submarine life teaches us anything, holidays and other special occasions can always be tabled for later in the year. Don’t let this romantic day get you down! If you think this day will trigger you, plan ahead. Make a plan to stay off social media, kick back and treat the day like any other day, because it is.
Plan a Zoom Night With Friends
If you don’t want to be alone, plan a Zoom night with friends or other spouses in your FRG/Wardroom. Maybe you want to do a game night (we have ideas for that), wine night, or a Netflix watch party (Bridgerton!). For more inspiration on planning a virtual get together, click here. Even scheduling a simple phone date with a friend might be a nice.
Support Your Favorite Local Restaurant
Local businesses still need our support. What otherwise might have been a sweet date night out, you might as well mimic that back at home. Reach out to your favorite restaurants and see what specials they’re offering for Valentine’s Day.
Take a Virtual Cooking Class
If you want an activity to keep you busy, try a virtual cooking class. CozyMeal hosts a variety of cooking classes every day of the week, with special themes over Valentine’s Day weekend like a Dark Chocolate Workshop ($39/device), The Science of Baking Soufflés ($29/device), and even A Crazy Rich Asian’s Themed Galentine’s Day ($39/device). If you want to get the kids involved try Raddish, a fun , monthly meal kit for children ($24/mo). If cocktails are more your fancy, take an online mixology class. The NYC Liquid Lab is hosting a “Valentines Day Mixology” class with three homemade cocktail recipes, $30/Zoom login.
Have a Movie Marathon or Binge a New Show
Get the kids involved and pick a theme for the day. Stock the house with snacks and plans for dinner take-out. Some family-friendly theme ideas could be Star Wars (Disney+), the Toy Story quadriology (Disney+), Jurassic Park (Amazon), Marvel (Disney+), High School Musical Movies (Disney+), Pirates of the Caribbean (Disney+) and so many others.
Other ideas include James Bond (Netflix, Amazon), Fast & Furious (HBO, Amazon), Lord of the Rings (Amazon), Halloween series (Amazon), Matrix (Netflix), Mission: Impossible (Hulu), Indiana Jones (Netflix), Nicholas Sparks (Amazon) and more. If you need some TV show ideas, here’s a colossal list from fellow sub spouses.
Go For a Hike
Even if it’s cold, bundle up, get off social media and clear your head in nature. In Groton, bundle up the kids and go to a park or explore one of these in-town hikes. In Bangor, try some of these suggested trails. Also in San Diego, these seaside hikes. In Pearl Harbor, plan for a challenge or opt for a family-friendly hike. If you haven’t explored your duty station yet, this is the perfect occasion.
How are you spending Valentine’s Day this year? Comment below!