Don't Sweat Your Summer Relationship

Maintaining a relationship during the summer should be no different than trying to maintain a relationship during the fall, spring or winter. But what does make a healthy relationship?

The obvious one is trust. You have to be able to trust your partner on all levels. When entering into a relationship each person should lay out his or her boundaries. If you haven’t, then maybe you should have that conversation with your partner. This can range from whether or not you think flirting with other people or speaking to ex partners is wrong. Whatever your boundaries are, your partner should know them clearly. If you cannot trust your partner, then maybe you should reevaluate the relationship.

The second thing is communication — another obvious one. This does not mean calling your partner every five minutes to see where they are and whom they are with — that is stalking. A big no no! Just simply let your partner know how you feel about them. This goes hand in hand with trust. Although you shouldn’t feel the need to, but you should be able to say that you can tell your partner anything. There should be no secrets at all. This prevents arguments early on in the relationship.

It is very easy to fall into a routine when in a serious relationship. Something you should keep in mind is spicing things up. What does that mean? Do something different from time to time. Just like when you are in school from kindergarten all the way through high school, and you go on the same trip every year. (For me it was the Museum of Natural History.) It makes school boring -- you don’t want that in your relationship. There is nothing wrong with being comfortable, but you don’t want to be so comfortable that you are bored. So try something new — what better time than the summer? Go for a picnic, go for a boat ride, see a movie that neither of you would have thought to go see for perks — whatever it is, try it.

For those in long distance relationships — for example a couple that attends the same college but live in different cities — it is important to visit each other. Take some time off and go visit your partner; this will make the relationship more real than just something you have at school. If you live significantly far away from each other (like Los Angeles and New York City) then try to have constant Skype dates. It’s nice to hear your partner’s voice on a regular basis, but it’s even better to see their face. If you have the ability to travel to go see your significant other, by all means do it. If you can’t, then try to minimize the idea of how far apart you really are.

Lastly, give each other space. It is summer and you want to make plenty of memories, but what makes being together so special is knowing that you missed your partner. Smothering is not a good thing. As I said earlier, it becomes routine and it becomes more of a drag than excitement when you see your partner. Make memories with your friends this summer! It’s great being in a relationship, but don’t forget the people you hung out with before your partner came along!

Summer is about having fun and making the most out of the scorching hot weather, so don’t spend it in painful arguments. Go out have fun and build a strong, healthy relationship!

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