“A life without love is like a year without summer.”  -Swedish Proverb

It’s hard to say precisely how, but summer—with its sunshine, extended days, and slower pace—changes us in some small way. Whether we’re traveling the world or exploring the backyard, the carefree days of summer seem to foment some of the most memorable romances.

Splendid as it is, summer love often ends as quickly as it begins—if it ever manages to get off the ground in the first place—but no matter what, it’s impossible to forget. From surf dens and summer camps, to pools in Thailand and boardwalks in New Jersey, here are ten accounts of that sometimes tragic, sometimes sweet phenomenon: summer love.

I Like You More Than Friends, The Awl

My Platonic Sweetheart, Harpers

In Which We Endure Days in the Summer, This Recording

The Night that Sex Saved Our Lives, Matador Network

What I Didn’t Do on my Summer Vacation, This American Life

I Flipped For a Surfer, LA Times Magazine

Navigating in a Long Distance Affair, New York Times

Tourist Snapshots, Design Observer

A Love For the Ages, but Which One? New York Times

Suddenly That Summer, Vanity Fair

Image: Tumblr

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