Despise V-day? Do what you LOVE!

Hate is a strong word, so I will go with despise. Like any single girl should, I despise Valentine’s Day. Even if I wasn’t single, this really isn’t my favorite holiday. So how crazy is it, that I participated in the Worst Day of the Year ride? Its name actually coincides with one of the coldest days of the year. But how appropriate that it falls right along the holiday…

But no really, when a day comes up that you know isn’t your favorite, what a better way to cheer yourself up? And in my life- my bike, volunteering + Portland corky culture= TRUE LOVE! Seriously, I couldn’t have had a better Sunday. Making this Monday all the more bearable.

By volunteering, you get a free ride, free meals and a free shirt. What a steal! You can choose between an 18 mile or 40 mile loop and seeing as I didn’t have much time, I chose the 18. (Along with being out of shape, I am so sore today!) Dusting the bike out of the garage, it felt so good to get outside, to ride along the river and dream of owning a house in one of the many beautiful Portland neighborhoods. Last year was a bit of rush to get back to my volunteer duties, but I made sure to get there early and enjoyed all of it with a great girlfriend. The ride was pretty flat with rest stops along the way, that served amazing drinks like Dragonfly Chai. YUM!

After the ride, I supported the Community Cycling Center (CCC) by serving up Laughing Planet Veggie Chili to those riders coming in, washing dishes, and taking down bike racks. The rain didn’t hit until we were taking down, so I think it was definitely a successful day. And I love what the CCC does for the community. You will probably hear more from me about them.

And for today…. I am not eating a tub of ice cream to myself. No, instead I am joining with my fellow single ladies and we are treating ourselves to heart shaped pizza, chocolate, cookies and chick flicks. Oh what a good life.

So stop pitying yourself and do what you LOVE to make yourself feel like a million bucks today.