Can you turn a fling into happy ever after?

At some stage or other, most of us have experienced a romantic holiday fling. Whether it’s a cocktail fuelled love affair on the beach or a guy you met on a school ski trip, it’s one of the most intense types of romance. But can it ever turn into more than just a fling?

Be realistic
Do you have anything in common? Or are your memories based on midnight beach parties and looking lovingly into each others' eyes? Because without a friendship to fall back on your relationship won’t have a leg to stand on once you get back to the cold harsh realms of reality. If you got on amazingly well and swapped phone numbers, consider having an online relationship for a while so you can get to know him a bit better. If you think you can handle long distance it’s worth a shot.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
If you fell in love on holiday, the realistic chance of things working out is pretty slim. By all means give it a go but try not to pin all your hopes on this. Don’t consider giving up your life or job and moving elsewhere until you know him much better. If you take things slowly and it doesn’t end up being the magical relationship you’d hoped for, you haven’t lost everything.
Keep in contact
If you want to make things work, you’ll have to make a real effort to stay in contact with him after you leave and go your separate ways. If he seems just as keen to reignite the romance it’s a good sign. But if he’s reluctant to call you back or never texts or emails you it might be best to call it a day and see if you can find a new love in your home town.
Manage your expectations
If you do try to keep things going at home, don’t expect the giddy romance to last forever. Without the sunsets and sea water, the relationship can quickly slip into ‘mundane’ just like any other partnership. If you’re happy to let this fling become a real relationship, that includes dirty underwear on the floor and fights over who’s going to do the washing up.
Be yourself
If you’re going to give this a chance, you need to be yourself when you get home. Chances are your sparkly, happy holiday self doesn’t reveal your full persona. If he’s going to fall in love, you’ll have to be honest with him and share the more ‘real’ aspects of your life. If you feel like he’s the kind of guy you could call in an emotional crisis (as well as mixing a great beach cocktail) then you may be in with a chance.