Disclaimer: this article is based on follow-up interviews from a previous article. If you have not read “Teen Dating During a Pandemic” here is the link to go read that first: https://thecatamount.org/3286/feature/teen-dating-during-a-pandemic/

Ah Valentine’s Day, the holiday that people either look forward to with hearts in their eyes and chocolate in their stomachs or the day single people dread and have dubbed “Singles Awareness Day.” Well, none of that here. Back in November I wrote an article about teenagers dating during the pandemic, this week with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I thought I would check back in with two of the girls I interviewed to see where they are with their other halves and what exciting V-Day plans are ahead. 

Getting back in touch with Anna Scherling (‘22), a current WHS student, was quite fun. She spoke about her relationship and how it has changed in the last 3 months, saying that recently she’s been feeling “out of it.” According to her, the relationship was really fun and exciting when it first started, but things have mellowed out recently. “We took a break for four days, but [Silas] handled the situation really well and I think that actually made me like him more because he was very respectful about it,” Scherling explained. Following this, she said that they’ve really opened up more about their feelings with each other and are trying to find ways to bring the excitement of fresh relationships back into their own. 

Salyna Woods (‘21) said that while her relationship hasn’t changed much, it is “really great”, and that Tommy is great to her.  “I do feel more confident […] We just got to know each other a lot better,” Woods told me. She said that having learned more about each other has made them stronger and while she may not know how long their relationship will last, she wants it to last as long as possible. Just seeing Woods talk about her relationship showed me how happy she is; I don’t think she stopped smiling when answering questions and talking about her boyfriend. 

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner—quite literally—I asked each girl what plans they had with their significant other to celebrate the holiday of love. Woods and Scherling both, unfortunately, do work, but have found ways to still be able to spend time with their partner. Woods explained that she and Tommy were going to have a picnic, “I was going to have him try sushi for the first time […] and just get a whole bunch of other foods and spend some time together.” While I’m not sure if these picnic plans will actually happen with the oncoming snow, it’s a cute idea. Scherling explained that because she works all day on Valentine’s Day, she and Silas will be celebrating on the following Monday. Their plans seem more winter-friendly as Scherling told me, “We’re going to paint together and then we’re going to make brownies and have brownies and ice cream.” I’m not a big chocolate fan, but I’ll admit brownies and ice cream sure does sound good!

So far it seems that these girls have kept their relationships going and continue to grow with their partners, which is quite impressive for a pandemic. I hope all of you lovebirds have fun this Valentine’s while the rest of us out here practice self-love. Stay safe and don’t forget to mask up (not only for safety but also for warmth)!