Here's to summer flings

The sun is out and I just got a new bathing suit; school is over, I have no more morning commitments and have more time to meet new people. This only means one thing: Right now is the perfect time for a summer fling.

Leave your baggage at the door and save commitment for your daily workout routine. The flowers aren't the only things blooming, and suddenly there is plenty of eye candy to keep me busy.

Is it really the weather that makes us more socially curious? Or do we just see things more clearly in the sun?

A handful of my friends have broken up with their significant others. They joke that I started the trend first when I split with my long-time honey -- but breakups shouldn't be as shocking as people make them out to be.

Over the past three years in college, I have grown a little wiser about relationships and dating. The most important thing that I've gained is that timing is everything.

Just like a dependable car, relationships aren't meant to last forever unless you invest in them. This summer, I'm test-driving.

Why not? It's completely natural. We live in a consumer society with the mentality that there is always something better out there for us. If he is too short, I'll find someone taller. Hey, maybe I'll get a deal and end up with someone not only taller, but also cuter and smarter.

Just like the bargain-shopper that I am, I'm holding out for the best. I don't mind putting in the extra effort to search through the stack of candidates. I don't believe that there is such a thing as the "perfect" person or "the one" that I will ultimately live happily ever after with. So to all the singles out there, work on perfecting yourself this summer, instead of finding someone to complete you.

If everything were neatly set up for us, where would the thrill be?

This summer, I'm risking loneliness, which is fine with me. Maybe I'll find out what I really want to invest in this summer. More likely, I'll probably be blinded by the sun or blurred by intoxication. But there is hope. I'll find out what it is that I don't want, and that takes a lot less effort.

Don't be fooled by the tan or washboard stomach. Six packs don't last forever, and soon the party's over. Then fall rolls into winter and the butterflies are gone. Then it's back to the comfy cocoon full of cuddling and rental movies -- signs of our winter security blanket.

Summer flings are a cycle full of heartache and heartbreakers. That is why one must remember that these convenient friends or "study buddies" are exactly that -- convenient and temporary. I don't plan to go all in unless I'm going to win the grand prize. Playing the game safe and knowing the rules will keep everyone happy.