Relationships are difficult. Usually, mates want you to hang out with them, do them special favors and make them sandwiches. With full schedules and thriving career goals, we just don’t have the time or energy to keep up with the demands of a relationship. But Valentine’s Day is different. It’s the day to put all of your stress aside and put out.
You and your significant other are probably tired of the quiet dinners in and the uneventful dates out. If you’re looking for a fresh take on romance, mix it up this Valentine’s Day by partaking in activities that will add variety to your day and night.
Revisit your childhood memories with a trip to the Santa Fe Teaching Zoo. College students don’t get to see exotic animals often, unless they’re majoring in zoology — or they go clubbing every night — so this could be a change of scenery. The zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and admission is $5.
Immerse yourselves in nature by visiting the local parks. Activities like canoeing and row boating at Lake Wauburg can help you bond with whom you’re dating. If you get stranded in the middle of the lake, you have to work as a team.
Nature lovers can also take a walk, have a picnic and watch the sunset at Lake Alice. For the adrenaline-loving couple, biking, hiking or horseback riding at Paynes Prairie is the adventure for you.
Get creative and cook together. Publix sells prepared pizza dough, so purchase some sauce, cheese and a couple of toppings, and make your own gourmet meal for two for less than $20. Toss a salad, pop a bottle of wine and dinner is served. If you are worried about all the pesky extra calories, don’t fret. You’ll be burning those off soon.
The fashionable couple will enjoy a fancy night out on the town. Throw on your best threads, splash on your favorite fragrance and grab your girl or guy for a spin around downtown. Do a little shopping, grab a bite at the local cupcake shop, Sarkara Sweets or simply enjoy each others company. This can also work for the chic, penny-pinching twosome.
Find peace among the butterflies at the Butterfly Rainforest exhibit at the Florida Museum of Natural History before 5 p.m. These colorful critters can illuminate an afternoon with a new love or an old flame as you catch up in an environment that is famous for its serenity. Admission is $9 if you present your Gator1 Card..
The Harn hosts Museum Nights, and tonight they will collaborate with the Center for African Studies to celebrate love, poetry, music, dance and food from Africa. The cultured crowd can enjoy this fun and free insight into another civilization’s practices of romance.
Whatever you end up doing, make sure it's a fun activity that you both enjoy. Most important, remember to end the night with a bang.
