Love in the Time of Covid-19

Covid-19 and its accompanying social distancing have been hard on everyone’s dating life. Restaurants have decreased capacity, and some are not accepting in-house dining at all. Bars close early. And masks, while necessary for health, make it hard to read how your date is going. A lot of people are likely foregoing a dinner date in public in observance of social distancing rules. With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, the Parks and Recreation Department in Greensboro, North Carolina has decided to offer up a take-home kit for a truly wonderful Valentine’s date.

The kit is available through the Greensboro Department of Parks and Recreation for only $20.00! It includes all you need for a romantic date: 1) a sweet treat that you and your date can prepare together (sources say it is chocolate fudge); 2) a full set of canvasses, paint, and brushes to create a one-of-a-kind piece of art that is combined and celebrates the couple; and 3) a customizable and competitive conversation starter card game that is sure to unearth some previously unknown facts for even long-time couples who think they already know everything about each other. Other benefits: no wait time for a table, your very own in-home wine and design kit (just add wine), and the opportunity to interrogate your date under the guise of love! What more could you ask for?

For those celebrating singles awareness day (hah), the kit can similarly be used to celebrate with your quarantine bubble buddies. (Galentines, anyone?) Just add appropriate snacks and beverages and you are on your way to safe and stress-free fun.

So you’re sold on the kit, now how do you get it? First, go the Parks and Rec website (linked above), and find the Valentines Kit link in the events calendar on the right of the web page. Register yourself for a kit before the 10^th, pick a recreation center, and show up on February 12 to get your kit between 10am and 3pm. The kit is appropriate for adults and older teens.

I’m excited to eat some fudge and paint. But I’m also excited to be on the path to ending the disease. This is a great alternative that keeps people safe, and honestly it sounds like more fun than dinner and a (bad) movie.