You might not have a date for Valentine’s Day, but no worries— here you can live vicariously through the stories of others.

For instance, science teacher Jennifer Nguyen fondly remembers her first date with her fiancé. Six years ago, after three months of texting, Nguyen’s fiancé finally asked her out on a date.

“Being young college students, we didn’t have a lot of money, so we went on a typical movie date at the local movie theater as our first real date,” Nguyen said.

Following the movie, they went to a nearby Yogurtland where they shared so much about themselves that they spent the entire night talking.

“We had talked to each other so much that on this same date we actually got to see the sunrise together,” Nguyen said. “The best dates we have are the ones where we just take the time to be present and honest with each other and understand the other as a person.”

Some of the best first dates are unplanned and creative. Others can laugh when looking back at their first date, like how sophomore Alex Fu recalls his disastrous first date in middle school.

“Honors Orchestra was going to Disney, so we just called it a date,” Fu said. “It was a massive mess. We didn’t know what we were doing because we were middle schoolers. It was more of a self-indulgence thing.”

Later, the couple continued to explore Disneyland by themselves.

“I ate two turkey legs because she couldn’t finish hers,” Fu said. “We also went on some roller coasters, whatever people who go to Disney do.”

Despite the stereotypes, teenage first dates can contain touching moments. Senior Joanna Zhang shares wholesome moments with her boyfriend, senior Eric Lin.

“For our first date, we went to this random park,” Zhang said. “We brought a bunch of chalk, and then we did some calculus integral problems on the sidewalk.”

Even five months after their first date, Zhang still remembers the moment dearly and cherishes her relationship.

“I remember having a lot of fun, feeling like he was one of my best friends,” Zhang said. “He has helped me realize a lot of characteristics about myself, and I really look up to him as a person in terms of the way he sees the world around him, and the way he handles his emotions.”

In the end, relationships have the power to shape people, through the hard lessons learned and forming deeper connections with another person. Regardless of the eventual outcome, they play a role in self-improvement.

“I learned about the virtue of patience and tolerance,” Fu said. “I only really cared about myself before, but I learned that sometimes, you have to deal with other people as well.”