We all seem to have that one cliche summer where we fell in love with a random person in a completely unexpected way, at a seemingly perfect time that only ended up in a very disillusioned heartbreak. If you've never spent a summer away from your house, met a person from a completely different life than your own, and unexpectedly "fell" for them, then this won't apply to you. But, if you have, here's something for you to sink your teeth into or feast your eyes upon. In the midst of winter, an open letter to the summer love that wasn't quite love.

Dear Once Upon A Summer,

I would just like to start out by saying that this isn't a piece filled with unrequited love or some long lost, deep rooted feelings of regret for the way that things turned out. However, I was always better at expressing myself through words, so here are just a few. I hope they find you well. I hope they find you happy.

Once upon a summer, you came into my life and completely took over my world. From constantly texting and talking on the phone, to sneaking around to see each other, every aspect of our relationship was just one unexpected event after another. And for that, I couldn't be more thankful. You took a girl who played by the rules and allowed me to be myself in a space that was totally new. I didn't have to worry about the misconceptions that followed me throughout school or being judged for someone I used to be, because you simply didn't know all of the parts of me. I got to escape my little corner of the world and re-invent myself in a new one.

Things did not go as planned and I am so grateful for that. It's funny how, in the throws of summer and the new-ness of a different person, you can just throw caution to the wind and start making these life-long plans. Even if they were short-lived (and didn't pan out anyway), you made me a dreamer and a lover of the future. You gave me things to look forward to in a time when I had no idea who I even was.

I hope that you're happy, and I hope you're in love (for real, this time). Being in love is such an amazing feeling, one that I didn't know with you, but I found without you. And while we may not talk, we may not be friends, I hope that every goal and dream you ever planned for yourself, works out in the end. I hope you end up with the white picket fence, a wife, kids, and a dog, somewhere warm, somewhere safe, and somewhere that is even better than you ever could have imagined it being.

I hope that you've learned to live without regret and take the time out to count your blessings. The hardships you've overcome, the adversity you've faced, the highs and the lows have all led you to the person you are today. And while nobody is perfect, I hope you look at yourself every morning and know that you are a better person than you were the day before.

While we may not be friends, I hope that at some point, we can think of each other fondly, the summer that changed everything and the winter wind that whisked it all away. Stay you, have faith that things will work out, and know that even if we don't speak, I always wish the best for you.

Sincerely,

A Summer Fling.