Lucie Loves... Lifestyle // Laura vs 14th Feb. The day I gave St Valentine the middle finger, but he gave it me right back, and losing my hot yoga virginity at Marshall Street Spa.

Ok, so every time I’ve sat down to do this post, I start writing and instantly rip it up (well... you know... press backspace) deleting everything. The plan was for this to be about my #AlternativeValentines, a big "fuck you" to the man, to the hearts, to the flowers, to the smug couples. I’d be a legend! I’d go viral! I’d be trending worldwide.

But... like most of my great ideas, it didn’t quite go to plan...

Oh I was really going to go for it. I booked a day off work, I booked a spa and – despite not having done ANY exercise for longer than I’d care to mention or having ever even done room temperature yoga – I went and booked a hot yoga class. Why should I keep myself cooped up inside whilst all those couples parade around flaunting their love? No way, Jose! Oh I’d show them… I’d show them good and proper.

So what happened?

Wednesday 14th Feb 2018 arrived. I was ready to become a legend in the single world, because I, Laura Elizabeth Lucia Gibson, 32 year old grown ass woman would be going into London town, bold as brass and gatecrashing Valentines... and I’d be taking my 23 year old niece with me. I’d show her what being an independent woman was all about!

We met on Carnaby Street. It was raining. It was cold. I was wearing nowhere near enough clothes, but I didn’t care, I was warm with the knowledge that I was going to cause some Valentine's chaos up in hurrrrr. We went to O’Neills… I had veggie sausage and mash at 11.30am… yeah, you heard that right, sausage and mash at bloody breakfast time!

I really was making this day MINE. I felt unstoppable.

Fuelled up, we headed to the Marshall Street Spa. It’s basically next to Carnaby Street, in the centre of town and is a super cool old building. I felt buoyed up that I'd found such a hidden gem in the chaos of the city. Had I not planned this day, I’d never have found it. One nil to me.

In I go… I'm ready to face the couples and hold my own. I head to the hot yoga class… but there’s no couples?! Not one. OMG… now all that’s happening is that I’m in a bloody hot yoga class, that I don’t want to be in.

Send help.

I’m about to dash, but the instructor spots me and before I know it I’m on a mat in the downward dog doing breathing exercises and sweating from every part of my body.

The only thing I showed ANYONE in this class was the fact that I had a large hole in the undercarriage of my leggings. And without even realising, I’d actually enjoyed the workout. I’d forgotten why I was doing it, and had actually enjoyed an exercise. Damn.

I’d head to the spa… the couples will be showing off their devotion in there I’m sure.

I’m straight in the steam room, there’s no stopping me!

I’m alone. Where’s the couples? Why are they not here, stroking each others sweaty bodies, and whispering sweet nothings in each others ears? Hmmm.

I head to the sauna. A-ha! There’s a couple. I’ll take them down. I wait. I wait for them to snigger at me and my single life.

They take NO notice of me AT ALL. Not one look, not one sideways glance, let alone a comment… in fact, they barely take any notice of each other. What is going on!?

The only thing I showed ANYONE in that spa was that my face can and will go redder than yours.

But what about my impending fame? My viral blog that would make the world take note, that would make St Valentine revoke his duties and retire for good… what was I to do now? I’d gone and had a perfectly lovely day and it could have been any day of the god damn year.

So here I am, writing this. It’s made me question my original motives and figure out why I was doing it in the first place. In fact… why WAS I doing it?

Do I hate love? No. Do I feel like I can’t do whatever the hell I want on Valentine’s Day as a single person? No. Do I hate couples? Well... that one is still debatable... but my point is this… going to a spa on Valentine's didn’t make me feel anything. I didn’t feel inferior, superior or anything in between for that matter... in fact I just felt refreshed, clean and that I had the pores of a 21 year old.

What did I learn?

I realised the only person I was really making a point to was myself. The couples who were celebrating Valentine’s Day didn’t care about me… they weren’t there to make me feel bad, to make me feel alone or unloved, they just wanted to celebrate a day with their partner.

So my advice to myself and to you is this: Forget about what other people are doing and do what makes YOU feel good. Oh and always check the undercarriage of your leggings before you go to yoga.

Words & Photos ~ Laura Gibson

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