For some, Valentine’s success means the perfect romantic location. Robert Felton, for example, had to travel all the way to picturesque Africa for his favorite Valentine’s Day.
“Two years ago my girlfriend’s father flew me and her to Johannesburg, South Africa, where her dad owns a house on the beach. I had never been to South Africa before, so it was really amazing,” said the freshman international business and accounting major. “We went into the city together, and then I cooked her dinner. After that we went down to the beach and watched the sunset,” Robert said.
UT’s strength and conditioning coach, Eric Hall, spent one Valentine’s on a cruise with his girlfriend at the time.
“She looked incredible, and we had a really good relationship going” Hall said.
The couple spent the night dancing on the deck. Some who know Hall might be surprised to know that he dances.
“When I’m by myself I’m freaking awesome, but when I’m around others…eh. If the mood is right, yah know?”
Sophomore Christian Burns remembers an active Valentine’s Day weekend in Vermont.
“We went rock climbing during the day, then went out for a nice dinner, and then spent the night at the house.”
Scott Brickett, a UT trainer, shared his best Valentine’s Day with his now ex-wife. They stayed a couple of nights at a little Fort Myers Beach bungalow they had rented.
“She was surprised,” he said. “We both enjoyed ourselves, and . . . we were able to get out for a little vacation.”
Sophomore Ryan Tully said a great Valentine’s Day can be just a grocery store aisle away. He remembers one night when he was a senior in high school.
“Whip cream and chocolate syrup,” he recalls.
That’s a good alternative for people like freshman Andrew Leto who learned the importance of planning ahead for the special day. After failing to call ahead for reservations and getting out of a late class, Leto and his date ended up eating at a “dingy little place.” Although his date didn’t really care, Leto admitted feeling let down.
“It just wasn’t what I wanted,” Leto said.
Other students agree that Valentine’s Day is more about romantic ideas than romantic places.
Last year, Shannon Welte, a self-described love-struck sophomore, once received a rose and present for every day of the week building up to Valentine’s Day, and then on the actual day, her boyfriend gave her a promise ring.
Corey Rubenstein, a sophomore allied health major, describes his most memorable Valentine’s Day.
“I lined up Hershey’s kisses and made a path from her front door all the way around the corner where I was standing waiting for her.”
After their sweet embrace, she and Rubenstein proceeded to a sushi dinner.
“I’m a guy,” he said. “It’s what you do for your girlfriend on Valentine’s Day.”
For sophomore communications major, Nicole List, her favorite Valentine’s was her first with her boyfriend.
She gave him a c.d. of love songs, some heart-covered boxers, a bear and, of course, candy. In return, he took List to a nice Italian restaurant.
“It was very cute because we were still young. I wore the same outfit from the night we first started to officially date, and we wore the same perfume and cologne from that night too.”
She says it was the blossoming of their relationship. Others have similar stories of young high school love.
While attending a South Africa high school, Leann Morris received a huge bunch of balloons from a secret admirer from a neighboring school.
“I asked my friends who delivered the balloons and if they knew who they were from, but I could never figure out who it was,” Morris said. “We had no clue.”
Kathryn Cribb had a similar experience during her sophomore year of high school.
“A secret admirer filled my locker with pink Starbursts, which are my favorite, a giant Hershey’s Kiss, and a teddy bear,” said the freshman international business and marketing major.
In the case of junior Paula Fonseca, a communications major, during one Valentine’s Day, a classmate and health nut knew that Fonseca loved chocolate but usually bothered her about her sweet indulgence. However, he put aside his healthy ways and splurged on a chocolaty gift: surprising her at lunch with a bag full of chocolate.
One year junior Ben Lees took his ex-girlfriend to New York City for dinner and the Broadway musical “Beauty and the Beast.” He also bought her a necklace from Tiffany’s.
“This was for the best girl I had on Valentine’s Day,” said Lees, a business major.
Post your own Valentine’s Day story below, and then click to see the rest of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.