I’m not ashamed to admit that having a summer fling is something that has been on my bucket list since I was in middle school. But the fact that I live in my town in the summer made it difficult considering I know every guy from my town way too well. Well, it finally happened this summer.
He was a wildland firefighter on a crew stationed near my town. Classically, we met on tinder, but we had to wait a couple of weeks to meet since he was on a fire. We actually got to know each other pretty well over Snapchat, so I felt comfortable with him on our first date and it went really well! We got ice cream and drove around for hours.
It was honestly everything I imagined it could be. Dating is just so much more fun in the summertime. We went swimming in lakes, watched sunsets, went on drives, and stargazed while drinking wine. He took me rock climbing outdoors for the first time, and I loved it! We spent way too much money going out to eat, but it felt right to spend a little of what we were working so hard to make. He gave me something to look forward to during the long hours at work. Of course, he would have to leave on fires for weeks at a time, but we tried to make the most of the time we had while he was in town.
As the summer went on, I realized that I really liked this guy. He got along really well with my friends and things felt natural between us. And that was precisely the issue. I knew at some point the summer would end. The thought of having a long-distance relationship was not exactly ideal for me. When I romanticized having a summer fling, I never considered that I would have real feelings for the person. I only pictured fun under the sun with no strings attached. I suppose that’s the catch!
The end of summer eventually came as I dreaded it would. We decided to stay in touch and just see how things go. Regardless of what happens, I’ll always be able to look back on the great memories we made this summer and smile.