Summer is rolling in and wildcats are rolling out, heading toward home or the highway for 16 weeks of sunshine. Whether you’re packing for a summer abroad, taking an internship in a faraway city or returning home for some R & R, you’re probably wondering how your love life will handle the trip. With everyone going their separate ways, it can be hard to decide when to leave love behind and when to take it with you. Being single for a summer has its perks, but be wary; you may need to make a tough decision at the end of your two-month stay. As a girl who’s tried everything from summer flings to long-distance relationships, I’ve got a few words of advice before you head for the door. Flying Solo Summer is the ideal time for romantic exploration, especially if you’re heading to a new city. Those movies where the young, single intern snags a date with the stud from the public park are not all fantasy. You’ve just got to put yourself out there. If you’re living in an apartment, keep your eyes peeled for cuties in your building and find an excuse to say hi, even if you’re pretending to need to borrow a power tool or something. If you’re spending the day at the beach or park, plant yourself near a lonely looking guy within your age range and give him the occasional glance from beneath your book. You never know when he’ll look back. And most of all, don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation. Most people enjoy talking. A little small talk can be just what you need to kick off a summer of adventurous dates and casual sex. Don’t know anything about the city you just moved to? Find someone to show you around. Don’t have air conditioning in your apartment? Find somebody who does. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make new friends. And if you do, just be careful not to let it get too serious. Let your fling(s) know early on that you’ll be leaving in September so as not to lead anyone on. With any luck, you’ll head home feeling sexy, accomplished and ready to get back to the books. Traveling with baggage Long-distance relationships are hard. When you don’t see each other everyday, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay connected emotionally. This is why I strongly advise against this option unless you’re talking about the real deal. If you’re in a new relationship or an old one that’s been in a rough patch for a while, you may want to use the summer as a chance to shake it off. Moving to a new place will mean lots of new people and experiences, and if you’re not very much in love with your significant other, you may feel tied down or unable to resist temptation. Think about the experience you want to have abroad and decide whether your current relationship will fit into that experience. If not, you should cut the chord and give the heartbroken party a summer to recover before running into each other next year. But if you’re serious about your on-campus relationship and can’t see yourself with anyone else, there are definitely ways to keep the spark going while you’re apart. First off, set definite parameters for communication. Decide if you’re going to talk twice a day or twice a week. If one person is attempting to get in touch more frequently than the other, someone’s bound to feel short-sided or forgotten. In addition to regularly scheduled contact, trying instigating something relationship-specific, separate from your daily routines. For example, plan to watch the same movie on the same night and g-chat while it’s playing, or read one chapter of the same book each week and then discuss it over the phone. Even little things, like a picture message or a YouTube video, will remind your partner that you’re thinking about them even if there’s a lot going on. Little things make the difference between success and failure. No matter what you decide, summer loving is going to be a little tricky. But keep your head high and your lines of communication open, and it should be a breeze. Keep it hot.