Who can forget Danny and Sandy singing Summer Nights and reminiscing about their perfect summer romance. Let’s be honest here. I’m sure many of us, even if it was a mere fleeting moment, have daydreamed about the possibility of summer love. And why not? We are led to believe in the magic of summer romance. We are made to believe that these flings are all about heated passion. Its a relationship that doesn’t consist of the usual drama. It’s a time to have fun, right?
Well its these very beliefs, or misconceptions rather, that could get you into a summer mess. Entering a summer fling with these expectations are dangerous because let’s be honest here- love, romance, and relationships are not always like the movies.
MYTH #1:
Summer Flings will reach its inevitable end
Many people enter summer flings believing that the name says it all. It is a romance for summertime and only summertime. A number of problems may arise from this. While you may have the stern belief that your summer fling will reach its end in a few months, your partner may not be on the same page. Don’t get yourself in a sticky situation. If your goal is to have a fling confined to summertime, you owe it to your partner to be open about this.
And even with open communication, this mindset poses a threat. As much as we’d like to think that we have complete control over our emotions, sometimes we simply can’t help who we gain feelings for. You may enter this summer fling under an agreement that it will end when summer does, but then you catch feelings and instead you have a problem on your hands. Don’t limit yourself to these boundaries.
MYTH #2:
Summer Romance will continue
You may be the exact opposite of the previous myth. Maybe you’ve gone overboard on the summer romance films which always end in happily ever after. Maybe you’re under the impression that a summer fling simply means the time you begin dating “the one”. Let’s make this clear: just because this romance begins in the summer does not mean that it magically gains more of a chance to continue.
Do some summer relationships continue? Of course. But similar to every relationship, its dangerous to have fairy-tale expectations. I’m sure that person you met on vacation in a foreign country seems perfect, but its important to stay realistic about your decisions and your feelings. You owe it to yourself to find the balance between your mind and your heart, even if summer lovin’ is in the air.
MYTH #3:
Summer Flings are drama-free
For all of us who have experienced summer romance, let’s take a moment to laugh at this one. Since the sun is out, your relationship will have no complications? Wrong. Summertime does not take away complicated exes, you significant other’s trust issues, or your unwillingness to commit. None of these problems go away simply because of the season. Don’t get caught up in the idea of a glamorous version of summer.
MYTH #4:
People will judge you for having/wanting a summer fling
“You know what they say about people who have summer flings!” Don’t know what they say? Yeah, neither do we. None-the-less, some people continue to avoid summer flings simply because they fear judgement. Quite frankly, its silly to avoid relationships simply because its summer.
This negative perception is largely due to the word “fling”. Suddenly you’re perceived as someone who doesn’t want a serious relationship and you just want to have fun. First of all, theres no problem what so ever if you don’t want to be in a serious relationship and you do, in fact, want to have fun. You are perfectly entitled to feel this way. And maybe you do want a serious relationship, but you don’t want people thinking its a “fling”. This is the moment where we tell you that whats most important is that you know its serious.
MYTH #5
Summer Romance is Magic
Quite frankly, this one isn’t fair to you or to your partner. As we’ve mentioned, people are caught up in the idea of summer lovin’ magic. If your summer does end up being some over-the-top fairy tale, then good for you. But what if it doesn’t meet your expectations? You may ruin a perfectly fine summer relationship because you expected too much. Appreciate your summer for what it is. Fall in love with your summer fling, not with the idea of it.
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So are summer flings worth it? The truth is, we can’t answer that question for you. Contrary to popular belief, there is no quintessential version of summer romance that most people have. Summer romance is just like every other type of romance- capable of going many directions. So do yourself a favor and drop these misconceptions and expectations. Your summer romance will not (or should not) be based on what you heard a summer romance will be- its what you make of it.
