valentine's day in the u.s.a.

i love valentine's day because i love love.

it is true what edmund says in the most recent film rendition of jane austen's "mansfield park": "there are as many forms of love as there are moments in time." i love each person that i love with a unique love, and i so love every one of those brands of love! i love celebrating all that love on valentine's day.

i realized this february the 14th that this was my first v-day spent in america in 5 years!

valentine's day 2007: jerusalem, israel

putting on quite a celebration with the in-center activities committee - finding valentines on our doorsteps in the morning - surprising the boys and singing a special rendition of the mango song to them during class - an epic dance party with friends that had become like a family - one of the top 5 sunsets of my life from the jerusalem center balcony

valentine's day 2008: basingstoke, england

heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast with my trainer (my first week in the mission field) - discovering the "pride and prejudice" themed street names in basingstoke - handing out pez from a valentine's pez dispenser to people we stopped on the street - feeling the love of the gospel, and seeing a few miracles along the way - a "late night" candlelit party with treats and schloer

valentine's day 2009: reading, england

decorating around my companion's bed so she would wake up to a "heart attack" (it was also her birthday!) - wearing all pink and red and enjoying a sunny day being missionaries in reading - knocking on doors and telling people god loves them - grabbing a shake during lunch - round 2 of breaking out the candles/treats/shloer after planning

valentine's day 2010: thottanaval , india

getting wrapped in saris and enduring the extremely bumpy 2-hour bus ride to church in chennai - singing love songs to the kids with the uke - putting hearts up on the walls in the children's hostel - eating dinner on the roof at sunset - falling even more in love with the kids at rising star

valentine's day 2011: san francisco, california, u.s.a.

calling and texting loved ones - attending the annual san francisco city-wide pillow fight (yes! hundreds of people, flying feathers, whacks to the head from strangers ... it was so exhilarating!! and a great way to release some angst about being single!) - dinner with josephine - meeting up with ellen and swaying to folksy music at a red, cozy venue in the castro - loving san fran

“whenever i get gloomy with the state of the world, i think about the arrivals gate at the airport. general opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but i don't see that. it seems to me that love is everywhere. often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. if you look for it, i've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around.”