The Love Guru

She hasn’t been single for the past four Valentine’s Days: What can this Princeton dating professional teach you about love? Read up before your Valentine’s Day depression kicks in.

Q: Are you a fan of Valentine’s Day?

A: It’s definitely a Hallmark holiday. It’s not something that’s inherently deeply meaningful. I like the idea of taking a day to appreciate the person that you’re with, but the level of single melancholy that comes with it is really disconcerting. People take it a lot more seriously than they should.

Q: How would you recommend a single person handle Valentine’s Day?

A: I haven’t been single on Valentine’s Day for the past four years, but I never took it that seriously when I was with somebody or when I wasn’t. If you’re single, I like the idea of throwing a stoplight party or going out with your friends for a movie and dinner. Why not?

Q: Describe your best or worst Valentine’s Day experience.

A: For my first boyfriend in high school, I baked cookies decorated to look like Sweethearts candy, and I made him a mix CD. He wrote me a terrible poem that ended with a line like, “My love for you is pure.” We had been dating for less than a month. I freaked out and was like, “Are you in love with me?” The poem was in this cheap, ugly frame too. Needless to say, things ended shortly after that. You better not give poetry unless it’s really fucking good.

Q: What do you think are some misconceptions about the Princeton dating scene?

A: Everyone complains so much! You’ll find someone who wants to do some variation of what you want to do as long as you stop being so fucking emo about it! People go on and on about Princeton having a “hookup culture;” it’s not a hookup culture, it’s just that people go out to the Street really drunk and expect to meet the man of their dreams. I think it’s a bunch of people taking themselves too seriously.

Q: What would you recommend for a campus couple to do on V-Day?

A: Leave Princeton. My boyfriend and I are going to [New York] City. But there’s something to be said for just being cheesy about it and going to Mezzaluna or Ferry House for dinner and then getting hot chocolate at Bent Spoon. Either that or have a threesome.

Q: Are you dreading or looking forward to the dating scene after Princeton?

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A: I’m looking forward to it. For me personally, I’ve already picked over the Princeton scene pretty well. There’s something to be said for older guys and new experiences. But it’s also scary on some level. For example, I know I’m going to have to give up one-night stands; one-night stands in the real world are just sketchy.

Q: Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday this year. Will you be celebrating on Monday, the Saturday night before or both?

A: I haven’t talked to my boyfriend yet. But why not do it on a Monday? As long as you don’t have an exam the next day, you’ll be fine. It’s not like Valentine’s Day is going to leave you hungover. You should do it on the real day!

Q: Any last words of advice about Valentine’s Day?

A: If you’re with someone, enjoy it. If you’re not, enjoy yourself. I promise, this too shall pass. It’s not the last Valentine’s Day ever.

Interview conducted, condensed and edited by Allie Weiss.