I’ve been single for the last eight months, and it’s been pretty up and down. I love the freedom I’ve had to meet new people, but I was still a little worried about getting through my first Valentine’s Day without my ex. Fortunately, I found a way to have the perfect V-Day even without a romantic dinner, a bouquet of roses, or a walk in the park: I won the 157-million-dollar jackpot in the Nebraska Lottery.
Now, don’t get me wrong, my ex-girlfriend Helen left an unfillable void in my life when she broke up with me last June. I could never dream of replacing our intimate conversations, brunch dates, or weekends at her lake house. Or at least that’s what I thought until this Valentine’s Day, when I scored an unfathomable amount of cash off a ticket I bought on a whim last week in Omaha.
At first I wasn’t quite sure how things would pan out this February 14th. After waking up alone in a cold bed without Helen by my side and eating a silent breakfast in the spacious apartment we used to share, I thought I was doomed to spend the day alone eating takeout Chinese and watching “Untamed Heart.” But everything changed when the big news came, and I’m proud to say I practically forgot Helen existed as I packed to leave for Tahiti that night in my new private jet.
To all the single people out there on Valentine’s Day, I want to let you know that there are plenty of ways to enjoy the holiday if you don’t have a significant other and just came upon a couple hundred million dollars by chance. Whether you plan to make your first purchase a luxury vacation, a new home, or just a dinner at the fanciest restaurant in town, I can guarantee that you’ll forget about the woes of your lonely existence the moment you hear the word “winner.”
-AR ’18
It really is not easy. As you said, there are many ways to take advantage of Valentine’s Day, even though lonely.