There is just something about the heat that wreaks havoc on our hormones. Long, temperate nights and a general lack of clothing can cause perfectly logical individuals to develop an instantaneous infatuation with one another. And thus, a summer romance is born.
Adorable new couples become high on the potential of what could be without one rational thought towards what will happen come fall. Life becomes a movie montage of adorable date activities: Tandem bicycling in the park, picnics on the beach, sunset walks, fireworks under the stars.
But all of this fun-in-the-sun frolicking can’t last forever. Don’t kid yourself; your love is not a Nicolas Sparks novel.
The summer romance, like its cousin, the vacation romance, has a built-in expiry date. Like a pair of white jeans, the relationship is best enjoyed before Labour Day.
Oh sure, you might have convinced yourself this is the real deal, but more often than not that sizzle burns out as soon as the temperature starts to drop. Very few trysts translate into long-term relationships. Once the easy, breezy days of summer are over, integrating each other into your real (read: Not so carefree) lives can be problematic. Just look at what Sandy and Danny went through when they brought their summer lovin’ back to school.
A fling, by its very nature, means you will be flung to the curb at some point. One minute you’re handholding in matching khakis like a smug J. Crew catalogue couple and the next, you’re packing up your summer wardrobe and wondering why you ever thought it could last.
Ultimately, it’s best to keep these sun-soaked romances as casual as the beachwear they begin in. Manage your expectations and proceed with caution. With every foray into summer love comes a bittersweet sensation of wanting it to last forever but knowing it never will.
When September arrives and reality is restored, you’re sure to feel a little melancholy over the demise of your doomed-from-the-start romance. In the days following those tearful goodbyes it’s important to remind yourself that you aren’t really mourning the loss of some great love, but the feeling of endless summer and the possibility of what could have been.
And as your tan lines start to fade, so will your heartbreak. You will come to realize that the beauty of summer romances is that they are fleeting; as short and sweet as the season itself.
