Couple Season.

It's couple season, and it's family season. It's the season where you're dying to cuddle up in blankets and duvets with a hot water bottle. I once read in an article that summer is the season to be single; you have loads of free time to be with your friends, have a holiday romance abroad, work and go out dancing. You feel free and the hot weather lets you able to do what you want with your time.

In juxtaposition this time of the year is when the wild parties and smiling group pictures have turned into a scene at the end of Love Actually. Firstly in this situation the couple would meet maybe about September/October/November, which corresponds with the start of school/tech/uni. I have found this to be very true, as most of the people I know were single at the beginning of term but now seem to have paired off with each other. This means when the really cold weather comes, when the snow falls people have somebody to share it with romantically. When Christmas comes people are buying each other cinnamon lattes at coffee stalls and eating boxing day sandwiches with leftover turkey. When New Year comes they have somebody to kiss on the bridge under the fireworks, and hold hands waiting for the new year to bless them with more time together. When February comes they head to Clinton's and buy an over sized teddy bear holding a heart and go out to dinner.

Couple season can be nice and can be sparkling. But something about it seems a bit overdone, a bit desperate and dare I say it... a bit pathetic. We define our relationships by how long we've been together, how many times we say 'I love you', how much time we spend together. I just think that the best way to define a really good relationship is being strong enough to challenge each other, experience each other and see the world. We shouldn't get into relationships because it's convenient, or because if we're not we'll feel worthless or unattractive.

We've already been in relationships, we have to be realistic and realise our next relationship will have the butterflies but it will have elements of annoyance, jealousy and days of wanting to be single all over again. It's important to not get caught up with the lovey dovey tripe that's sometimes translated over to us and think about a realistic relationship we might someday get ourselves into.

And remember to always to keep dancing, and keep your spirits up. Or the New Year months will tear you apart.