The summer holiday pitfall …

How to avoid summer romance heartbreak

We’ve all done it, gone away on holiday, swore blind that it’s only about fun in the sun, cocktails and enjoyment, and then bam! You walk into a restaurant, and there he is – Mr Tall, Dark, Handsome and utterly charming. You swear blind again that you will not fall for this dude, but give it two days and again, bam! You’re totally enamoured.

Stop right there!

I have experience here, I can advise quite well, both from my point of view, and from that of a friend who has seen their best friend do exactly the same thing. Yes, I am going to give this advice from a girl’s point of view because, well, that’s what I am, but you could bend it slightly to fit the other gender – we’re not that different, are we?

The best advice to give?

Enjoy, take it for what it is, and walk the hell away. Do not try to contact them upon your return, and never ever go back to that place just for them. This is a bad move!

Okay, let’s look at this truthfully.

Holiday romances rarely last

This is a 99% truth. Yes, a very small amount do turn into something more, but for those that end up with a successful outcome from their summer fun, they often spend the rest of their time in the midst of a long distance relationship, which causes heartache and misery, and more paranoia about what their other half is getting up to in the sun than you can imagine. I know this, I’ve seen it, in fact I’ve done it myself, and I certainly wouldn’t recommend it!

As soon as you’re on the transfer coach, he is probably looking at someone else

Harsh, yes, but actually very truthful. The moment he or she waves you off, and your coach has taken a turn around a corner with no view back, he’s checking out the newbies arriving on the next coach. Sorry, the truth hurts.

On the very small off-chance this works out, you would have to give up your life

Depending on where your new love is from, depends on whether you can go and live there or whether they can join you in your country of residence. Visas are difficult to get, and in many cases, that throws up a whole other mix of trust issues, which we won’t go into. If you do manage to make it work, someone is going to have to give up their life, their job, their family and friends, and quite often that will be you. Can you do this?

The grass isn’t always greener

Mr Tall, Dark, Handsome, and utterly charming is doing a job. He is trying to get customers into his restaurant/bar/club to please is his boss, so said boss will give him commission and another job next season. Yes, he may like you genuinely, but how could you ever be sure? Again, this is where you’ll send yourself doo-lally wondering, and really, can you deal with that? I’ve seen enough strong people go under from the paranoia and stress of a long distance holiday romance they tried to make into more than it was, and believe me, it wasn’t pretty.

So the next time that utterly gorgeous stranger smiles at you and your stomach turns to jelly, remember you’re on holiday, and really this whole one week or two weeks isn’t reality. Enjoy it by all means, in fact really enjoy it if you must, but at the end of your break walk away with your head held high, and a secret smile on your lips.