Valentine’s Day is the only day of the year dedicated solely to celebrating love. But for many, Valentine’s Day usually involves more stress than the excitement and happiness that comes with being in love. Those who are in relationships worry over dinner plans and gifts. If we’re single, we’re forced to stay home in our pajamas watching rom-coms and wondering if we’ll be alone forever. At the end of the day, we’re all a bit like Carrie Bradshaw—looking for “real love; ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can’t live without each other love.”
But the thing about love is that it isn’t limited to interpersonal relationships, and we tend to forget that. There are so many things to love in life, and we should celebrate those. At City Running Tours, we love to run, and we love our cities—that’s why we exist.
So, how do we show love to places and activities? We show up for them, just like we would a person. We tie our shoes every day and go for our runs; we indulge that passion for the elevated beating of our hearts and the pounding of our feet on the pavement. Running brings us the same sense of security and fulfillment that we feel in a strong interpersonal relationship—it makes us more confident, it fosters our creativity and curiosity, and it roots for us to be our best selves; to be better every single day.
What about the places we love, how do they nourish us? Our environments challenge us; they fuel our thirst for adventure. One of the things we love best about our City Running Tours routes is they allow us to explore our cities and leave the comfort and familiarity of our neighborhoods. We get to learn the history of where we live, and that, in turn, helps us better understand ourselves within a larger context. We can firmly plant ourselves in a greater story—one that spans generations, races, and all of the fundamental things that make humans unique and beautiful. We feel a sense of community with those who came before us. What’s not to love about that?
So, this Valentine’s Day, perhaps we approach love from a different perspective. Especially this year, when so many of us feel lonely and isolated, we must remember that love shouldn’t be limited to other people. Of course, we all have individuals within our lives whom we love, and unfortunately Valentine’s Day is marketed solely toward romantic love. But love is so much greater than romance. Love is woven into every seam of our lives—it’s in the activities we do, the places we inhabit, and even in something as simple as the cream in our morning coffees. Perhaps we’re without a significant other this Valentine’s Day, but we’re never without love.
