My
Holiday
Romance
How to survive a holiday romance...
...Ah, holiday romance: it's beautiful, it's exotic, it's exhilarating… And it's usually bound for disaster. Sure, there are success stories. There are those who've met that random guy or girl in a hostel or a bar somewhere overseas and managed to turn that exciting fling into something long-lasting and beautiful.
More types of holyday romance...
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It’s not really a frolic abroad unless you’ve had some sort form of holiday romance.
You’re in a far away land, full of mysterious people, and you’ve got your holiday wardrobe on, so you feel sassy. And suddenly everyone around you starts looking a lot more attractive than they would if you bumped into them in your local Tesco. Holiday romances are fun, often commitment free, and definitely give you something a bit more memorable to remember the trip by. And even if it goes terribly wrong, no worries, because you never have to see them again.
1. The one-night stand Ah, the classic and most common form of a holiday romance. You lock eyes across some sort of badly lit dance floor, and after a few attempts at salsa dancing, you find yourself inviting this stranger back to your hotel to continue the festivities. They’ll either have disappeared by the morning, or you will have to sit through an awkward breakfast with them.
2. The desperate one You didn’t even fancy this person, but as all your mates had all coupled up, you somehow managed to find someone too. You end up having a few kisses, and then it gets too much and you have to put an end to it. You pretend to feel sick, and make a quick exit
3. The flirtation This one is intense, because nothing actually happens. Your eyes meet, a few drinks are shared, and a lot of wild flirtation. Brushes of the leg, stroking of hair and whatnot. But nothing actually comes of it, yet you still classify it as one of the most intense meetings ever.
4. The love of your life You are made for one another, the only problem is that neither of you speaks the same language. You communicate via hand gestures and Google translate, and if it wasn’t for the language barrier you are certain that they were the one.
5. The great kisser This person kissed so passionately, that it made the back of your knees sweat. The kissing style is like what you see in great romantic scenes, it was so good you felt like you should have paid them for it. But that would be weird.
6. The holiday date You met someone, you actually get on with the person, so you end up arranging a few holiday dates and doing all the tourist stuff together. You’re probably still in touch.
7. The serious one This is the most dangerous one. It starts out with a kiss, and then it ends up turning into something much serious that neither of you were banking on. A few months later you find yourself flying back to where you met to spend more time together.
8. The sleazy one Arms like an over friendly octopus, mouth whirring away like a washing machine and saliva everywhere. Avoid the sleazy one at all costs.
9. The romantic one This is the stuff of those old battered romantic novels your gran used to take out of the library. This person goes all out, buys some flowers, gets a few scoops of ice cream and even sprinkles rose petals on the beach. Unfortunately they are doing the same with several other people also.
10. The one you forget Apparently, according to friends you hooked up with someone really cute last night, but you just don’t seem to remember. There is no photo evidence, no numbers exchanged, and you’re not sure if your friends are lying to you. You make a silent vow to never consume several fishbowls ever again.
11. The mistake We’ve all been there with the mistake. The mistake seemed like a good idea at the time, but then results in some sort of unfortunate STI.
12. The club rep You weren’t in the mood to hook up with a local, or a fellow tourist so instead you went down the shameful path of the club rep. The club rep is the type to be loud, noisy, promise you free drinks and never deliver, sleep with you and then compare you to other tourists they have also slept with. Nice.
13. The emotional one You decided to swap numbers with this one, and after one kiss they are now bombarding you with text messages and getting a little too emotionally attached for your liking. Block immediately, you’re on holiday for care free fun, not an emotional commitment.
How to find out if your holiday romance was a fling or real thing...
"First impressions are nearly always correct. If they seem too sure of themselves and too good to be true, they generally are,” she says.
“Lots of people reinvent themselves on holidays and become the person they wished they were rather than are.
“Everything gets glorified and inflated – and the longer the fling goes on, the more likely they are to slip up and let the truth come out.”
Tracy also says other warning signs include one (or both!) of you being on the rebound, or not acting yourself in fear of putting them off.
If you’ve fallen for a Brit or someone from a nearby area to where you’re from, another red flag is that they make no forward plans to meet up or introduce you to their friends when you get home.
However, not all holiday romances are dead ends, with thousands of people settling down with someone they drunkenly snogged on a foreign jaunt every year.
Tracey advises connecting on as many social media platforms as possible so you can find out as much as possible about their real lives.
Then, if the first proper date goes well - and you don’t suddenly realise you were wearing beer goggles for the entire holiday - then make sure to take things cautiously.
Tracey believes that the first month of dating when you get back home is crucial when it comes to establishing if it was just a fling or something more substantial.
She says: “Stand back and have a good look one month back from your holiday.
“How's it going? Are your enthusiasm levels waning a little? Do you get on best when you reminisce about the holiday and conversation falters when you switch to something else?
“This generally means it was a holiday fling that should have been left as one. But if you've met each other's friends and family and are getting along even better than you did away, it's around the one month mark that you can relax.”