Holiday Flings: The 4-1-1 on the H-O-T

With a month off between fall and spring semesters and neurotic parents that drive you absolutely crazy after three months of freedom in the dorms, many students opt to take a winter break vacay. Whether it’s a road trip to the closest city, or a flight to the tropics, finding romance is a great way to de-stress after finals (and Christmas dinner with the entire extended fam). Looking for a super New Year’s Kiss? Here are some tips to get your blood rushing, even in freezing temps.

By Kari

The most important rule for finding a fling is to open yourself up to opportunity. Hell, even if you’re stuck in your hometown, you never know if you’ll hit it off with a former high school classmate who grew up (in more ways than one) while away at school. If you are traveling, be outgoing! Talk to the bartenders, the hotel staff, everyone. They can probably give you advice on the hottest hangouts for the locals, and perhaps even introduce you to some of their fine friends. Besides, if things go sour, you can always jet back to school and pretend it never happened.

That said, be spontaneous. What happens in Vegas…. right? If a cute guy compliments you on the street, it’s okay to talk to him. Just be sure you have a friend or authority figure in sight. You can even agree to meet up later, provided it’s in a crowded, well-lit venue. Yes, there are sketchy peeps out there, but there are also plenty of friends you haven’t met yet. Trust your gut, and give it a chance…again, in a crowded, well-lit venue.

Of course, you can always take the reigns and flirt, flirt, flirt. Choose a man in uniform (hey, he’s obvi been through a background check), and ask him for directions, about the city, what kind of underwear he prefers, whatever. At the very least, you’ll get a thrill from saying things you might not whisper to the dude in chem lab. At most, you might find a tour guide… and a makeout partner.

Do be careful, however, before you shack up with someone with stellar sex appeal. If you’re the visitor, you are at the disadvantage; banging the bartender might be a crazy sex story for you, but it might be the norm for him. And while you can leave him behind, any STD’s he might give you will cross any time zone.