Life + Arts

Spring into successful dating

Going on a picnic, to the zoo or for a run through the park makes for an excellent springtime date. If you’re thinking about asking someone out, the month of March is the perfect time to do so. | Photos.com

The month of March is the time of spring break, the first day of spring and of course, everyone’s favorite time to celebrate Irish heritage with green beer.

However, what most people don’t even realize is that March is also the best time of year to begin dating someone.

Most people associate romanticism with cold winter nights and seasonal lights glowing down city blocks, but this isn’t necessarily so. Sure, there’s heightened romance in the winter (mostly because that’s the way winter is sold to us — when it’s cold outside, you stay warm with your love.)

Then there’s summer — the most cliché time of the year for relationships. The idea of having a summer love goes back decades; Olivia Newton John and John Travolta even sang a song about it in my least favorite musical, appropriately titled “Summer Lovin.’”

But the spring months are almost always forgotten about when it comes to relationships and dating.

First and foremost, it’s best to start dating someone in the spring (more specifically, after St. Patrick’s day) because most, if not all, major holidays are behind you in this time of the year. Unless they have a birthday in the spring and summer months, you don’t have to worry about buying gifts or meeting families — a situation that is always more awkward than anyone is willing to admit.

If you start dating someone in autumn or winter, it’s almost as if you’re locked in that relationship until after Valentine’s Day. However, if sparks fly with someone new after St. Patrick’s day, you have little to no obligation to stay in the relationship. Think about it — if you break up with someone right before Thanksgiving or Christmas, you’re defenseless when people claim that you’re a jerk. You also don’t have to worry about buying (or handcrafting, if you’re the creative type) the perfect gift for the significant other you’ve only been with for a couple of weeks.

Springtime is also more conducive to the start of a fantastic relationship because you’re not confined to the four walls of your apartment or dorm room due to weather that’s uncomfortably cold.

Seasonal depression can affect a lot of people, and thus put the kibosh on relationships that start around the time the winter settles in. However, around the middle of March, the sun starts to shine and Texas is in bloom, which provides a host of things to do that are outside.

For example: instead of being stuck inside watching movies evening after evening, you have the option to go on a picnic or take a trip to the beach (though Galveston might not be the best place to be at night.)

You and yours could also go on a bike ride or a jog after dinner if you and your significant other are more athletic.

Besides the benefit of breaking the monotony, most of the aforementioned are free, which is a great thing to hear for a college student.

With the change in weather also comes a change in attire. For men, this means less concern about outfit planning or having to give away your only jacket to your girlfriend who didn’t bother to bring her own, leaving you jacketless and susceptible to pneumonia.

For your female counterparts, the good news is that you have more clothing options without the hassle of multiple layers. In the winter months, it’s always a risk to decide between wearing too many layers and sweating or wearing too few and being cold for an entire day.

When the weather heats up, the clothing choices for women expand greatly. There are colorful sundresses, shorts, blouses and skirts — among other things — that take over her wardrobe and break the streak of wearing black knits for three months out of the year.

Since St. Patrick’s day was just last week, now is your time to strike. The best and most important part about starting to date someone at this time of year is that it allows you to take your time and feel things out with the other person. Doing so will keep you from making a commitment that you wouldn’t have normally made.

Dating in the spring is arguably more casual than any other time because you’re not obligated to have a serious romance influenced by the holidays.

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