Feeling Alive

For the first time in years I am celebrating Valentine’s Day with an actual, real life, Valentine. Many people have come to believe that it is a day exploding with commercialism and a poor excuse for celebrating one’s love for another. I do admit, I am the first to promote romance any given day and a big fan of Vday, but this year I feel different. I’m not against it, not by any means, but I am celebrating (with my love) through a new color of lenses.

This Valentine’s Day I’m honoring the life I’m living. What I’ve learned in the past few years is that the person one must love the most, each and every day is himself or herself. So, on this Valentine’s Day, I’m partaking in everything that I love! I want to experience the things that make me feel alive! I hope that you take one day to do the same for yourself.

The day begins by opening the shades, breathing in the fresh air and blasting Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4″ (it’s an oldie, but check it out on youtube!) immediately followed by Sergio Mendez “Mas que Nada”. My blood is pumping and I’m ready for breakfast. A key to my pleasure and the one thing that makes me feel SO alive is the smell and taste of a rich, full-bodied cup of coffee. OOH, things are looking good and I can hear Tom Jones in the background swooning “It’s Not Unusual”. Since it’s Vday, I want to travel in my mind to the birthplace of sexy lingerie and Moulin Rouge in “Gay” Paris. The perfect compliment to my huge cup of coffee is a darkly toasted baguette with cold sweet butter and organic peach preserves. As my love awakes, breakfast is served to the tunes of Barry White’s “Just the Way You Are”.

Thanks to the music, sun and caffeine, there seems to be true signs of life. Our next step is sun and water. After an exhilarating romp in the ocean, only a lunch guaranteed to keep my engine revved up will do. I would like to introduce to you “Tortas Ahogadas”. This is a hard and crispy salted roll filled with carnitas (savory tender pork), a very healthy dose of super spicy arbol chili salsa all drowning (ahogada) in a thin, room temperature, tomato sauce. This sandwich (torta) is so spicy that it turns on every switch in your body like a 100-volt electrical shock. I am now alive and screaming! Thank goodness for Corona! When one experiences extreme situations (as trust me this is) our reaction will be either to panic or laugh. If you yourself don’t laugh, the person with you will. In addition, the pain the chili causes releases so many pain fighting endorphins that you get the added fun experience of feeling light headed, dizzy and the sensation of flying.

My day of feeling alive has so far been filled with music, strong coffee, sun, swimming, travel, spicy food, cold beer, laughter and French kissing. (that is a secret story).

What is missing? A gourmet, multi course dinner with an hour of cocktails, bottles of wine and a bunch of friends to share in the fun. Dessert is some kind of decadent, dark chocolate extravaganza! (Such a fun word!) The cherry on top of this lively day is initiated with a shot of tequila preceded by a heartfelt toast, followed by DANCING!

Ladies and Gentlemen, now I am truly alive! The bass is pulsating through my veins and the percussion is tickling the bottoms of my feet, my hips sway as if they are absorbing and releasing the energy the DJ is cultivating. I’m smiling like I just won the lottery. My love grabs my hand and pulls me towards him. As our bodies take our first steps together, his smile is full of sparkling teeth and he whispers into my ear “let’s show them what it’s like to be alive!”