[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Most people work up a fair amount of excitement for Valentine’s Day, as they wait in romantic anticipation for what Cupid’s holiday has in store. However, it can be daunting for a busy college student to plan a date that will satisfy and even exceed the fantasies that his/her significant other has cooked up. So, whether you’re taking someone new out this Feb. 14 or kickin’ it with your long-time boyfriend or girlfriend, here are some potential “perfect Valentine date” ideas, gathered first-hand and considered by me to be the best of my findings of various college students’ ideas throughout the state of Utah.
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Seth Bell, a freshman in mathematics, describes his perfect Valentine’s Day date as “a day-long affair.”
“It’s a little later than you normally get up, but you decide to stay in bed a while longer, cuddling as your mind drifts back from the realm of dreams,” Bell said. “In time, though, you get up, and it’s off to make breakfast together. Maybe it’s something fun, like chocolate chip pancakes, but it’s made as a team in any case. You eat it while watching Saturday morning cartoons (it doesn’t matter if it’s Saturday or not). Then it’s off to a nearby park to meet up with some friends. You play ball for a while, the game and the score don’t matter, and then you lay on the grass and watch the clouds; or perhaps you do some light reading. Lunch is a picnic, nothing special but shared with friends. Then it’s home again, shower, and get ready for the evening. You dress nicely, not formally, because you want to look good because she looks good. The evening’s entertainment might be a play, or a concert, or maybe a street fair. It is not, however, a movie — movies are much too boring for a day like today. Dinner is at one of those hole-in-the-wall gems. It may not look like much, but it’s great food and probably her favorite place. After dinner you take a drive while listening to your favorite album, no destination in mind. You eventually end up somewhere with a view of the city lights and hop out to enjoy. You end the night slow dancing to no music under the stars.”
Savannah Stout, a very romantic (though maybe not up to Seth’s level) UVU student, thinks Valentine’s Day offers unique opportunities to lovers.
“When I think of a good Valentine’s Day date, I would want a really corny romantic date that you see in the movies because Valentine’s Day is a guy’s perfect opportunity to show his cheesy, thoughtful, romantic side without getting made fun of by his ‘bros,’ ” Stout said. “Something like, he could cook a really nice dinner for us, buy me the typical flowers and chocolates, and then we would go stargazing, or to a really classy theater to see a show. Something that just has a lot of thought and effort put into it.”
Sam Thaller, a Utah native and business student at the U, prefers more adventurous date standards for the occasion.
“I am a very outdoorsy person, so my ideal date would most likely consist of a fun afternoon going on a hike up a nice, easy trail. After the hike, I think it would be fun to find a cool restaurant to go to for dinner and have fun getting to know each other,” Thaller said. “A fun way to end the night would be to have a bonfire and hang out. Or maybe make your own drive-in movie somewhere.”
He claimed he felt uncreative after expressing his perfect Valentine’s Day date, but I think it’s perfect for any Utahn who loves the outdoors. And it’s easy and inexpensive to execute.
Whether you and your date and/or loved one are hopeless romantics, have extravagant expectations or are more laid back and practical, these date ideas should help to light the fire in anyone seeking ideas for the perfect night of Valentine’s Day romance.
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