Keeping your Summer Fling Alive
After a hot summer romance, the return of fall can bring some tension to relationships. As schedules start filling up with new projects, school and family events, it’s hard to keep the flame that you had over the summer alive.
Before you even consider embarking upon a fall relationship, make sure that the other person is still interested in staying together. Sit down and have a conversation about schedules and possible time frames for seeing each other. This is important because there is always the chance that you have assumed that the other person was looking for a long term relationship but maybe your significant other really did just want a summer romance.
Communication is key
Once you have established that both of you are on the same page about moving forward, try to communicate with your partner frequently. You don’t have to contact them on the hour each and every day, but try checking in with each other once a day. With busy schedules, many times we can become overwhelmed and forget that our loved ones are also becoming increasingly busy. Ask how his or her day went and listen. The last part is always tougher, but if you take the time to listen, you will notice that the communication between the two of you will become much more effective.
Although you should keep constant communication, this does not mean completely overhauling your life before a relationship. During the summer, friends take vacations, you may have been in and out of town and things are just different. Summer is a transient time. However, when fall hits, we find ourselves locked into schedules, deadlines and needing to carve out time for our friends, family and significant other. If you have set in some traditions with your friends or are accustomed to seeing them a couple of times a week, don’t change this just because you have a relationship. You will begin to resent the person for whom you rescheduled and changed. Additionally, your friends will not appreciate it.
Schedule time in for each other
Even though you should try to keep your life relatively similar to the pre-relationship stage, try leaving one day a week for your significant other. This will ensure that you are devoting some time to each other. Although this may turn out to be the same day each week, keep things interesting. If the two of you are spending a night in each week or going to the same restaurant, you’ll become bored and will look to turn over a new leaf. Try checking out a new restaurant or a new show at one of the many theaters in D.C. Ask your partner if there’s anything that he or she has never tried, but has always wanted to do and see if you can do that together. Embarking on new activities is a great way of keeping things fresh.
In the end, things may or may not work out. Sometimes summer relationships do not translate into long-term relationships. And that’s okay. Keep in mind that relationships take dedication and time, but don’t put pressure on each other to make things work. If one or both of you decides to move on, just know that you tried and that there are many other potential mates out there.
Dating and Relationship blogger, Sara Maldonado is a writer and social media guru currently navigating the sea of men while having an affair with the city of Washington, DC. She enjoys coffee, laughter, and a good hair day.