Samantha's Dating Thought: Can Vacation Romances Last?

If you're single and heading out of town for vacation this summer, you might be crossing your fingers for a passionate vacation romance. Vacation romances occupy a special place in our hearts. They thrill us because they have a set expiration date. When we're in the midst of one, we can already feel it metamorphosing into a precious memory. And once one is over, we feel teased by what was an impossible love, however, knowing that it was the impossibility that gave it its heightened sense of meaning.

If you decide that you don't want your summer romance to turn into a memory, and instead want to bring it home with you to real life, there are a few questions you should first ask yourself:

• Are you sure that your new love is single and available? People will often use vacations as excuses to cheat on their partners. Make sure this isn't your love.
• Would your lives fit together? Do you have common interests, values, and ways of life? While you're away from home, you may allow yourself to overlook these important commonalities, and not see the potential flaws in your new lover. 
• If your love doesn't live in your area, are you willing to put in all of the labor that a working long-distance relationship requires? 

If your answer to these three questions is"yes", it is definitely worth exploring this relationship at home in real life. If not, it may be best to relinquish this romance, knowing that it will always live as a treasured memory.

Samantha's Dating Thought: Jump Start Your Summer Dating

If you're looking to get into a relationship this summer, I have some good news for you: summertime is a fantastic time to meet new people. The days are warm and the nights are long. Everybody is always out and about enjoying the sunshine. If you want to really jump start your summer dating, here are four tips:

Check out an outdoor movie screening in your area, like this one in Bryant Park.

• Buy a new, flirty colorful sundress that you love. It will boost your confidence, not to mention the fact that men love women in sundresses. 
• Use this time to get back into that exercise routine that you let slide during the winter months. Try  joining a biking club, join a softball game, or even just walk around your city with a smile on your face. You will feel better about yourself, more fit and you might even meet someone this way.
• Keep an eye out for fun summertime events happening in your area, such as outdoor movie screenings or concerts in the park (check out Summerstage or the Bryant Park Summer Film Festival if you're in NYC). The more places you go, the more chances you have to meet someone great.
• Sign up for a group trip or outing to someplace you have always wanted to go. Best case scenario, you meet someone on the trip and worst case scenario, you make some new friends and get to see that place you have been dying to check out.