I firmly believe that my summer romance with Sophie, as steeped in magic as it seemed, changed everything about the way I wanted relationships to be. I think the fact that being away from home, I was able to break free of the personality I had adopted among my peers at school, made a difference. I no longer had to act a certain way, I could be anyone I wanted to, I could be the real me. I learned that I was a pretty cool guy and that the label I had worn at school was dated. I learned that kissing wasn't a sport, that girlfriends weren't badges of honor, and that being with a girl should feel comfortable and fun.
Would I have learned all this without this summer fling? Probably. Would it have had the same impact in my memory? Doubtful. There's something about being outside of your normal life that makes you better able to make changes in yourself. Like Danny with Sandy in "Grease", I set a side of myself free when I was with Sophie. She didn't know me the way other people did, she probably would never see me in my everyday life, I had nothing to lose by opening up to her the way I did. And I'm glad I did.
Summers of Love are like mini vacations from yourself and the world you normally live in. Even if you have a summer romance in your own home town, you will learn something new about yourself and the way you think of the opposite sex. Because, by their very definition, summer romances aren't meant to last very long, because they aren't "open ended", there is a sense of urgency in them that there isn't in regular relationships. It is like rushed intimacy, you have so little time to get to know the other person that you don't play the usual games. Not to mention the fact that your entire memory of any summer romance will have taken place in that initial "honeymoon" phase that marks the beginning of all relationships. That time when the other person is totally fascinating and can do no wrong. It makes the summer fling seem magical, even perfect. It makes the "love" seem ideal.
Should you have a summer love affair? I think it is a must for every teen to have at least one. As long as you handle it responsibly and you aren't cheating on another person, a summer fling can give you wonderful memories, memories unlike any other. Not better or worse than the memories you will keep of other loves at other times, but different. Different and magical!