Relationships
4 Reasons To Swipe Right On Your High School Crush, Even If Prom Is Long Over

Going home for the holidays can come with a lot of nostalgia. Some of that can be good, and some of the reminiscing can be not-so-good. High school memories can often seem to fall into the latter category. But what if I told you that it could be fun to swipe right on your old high school crush on Tinder? That's right, when you see that familiar face on your phone screen, I am here to recommend swiping right on them. This may sound weird, and you definitely don't have to swipe right if you're not on good terms with them. However, temporarily revisiting your past could teach you a lot about your present. Plus, holiday hookups with no-strings-attached can be a great way to let off some pent-up stress.

Whether you dated your crush, went to prom with them, or pined for them from a distance, seeing this person on Tinder this holiday season could send the butterflies in your stomach flapping away. It has definitely happened to me too. Long story short, I wasn't out as bisexual in high school, because I didn't really understand my sexuality at all. Because of this, there were a few girls that I had a crush on that I never told. A while back, I saw one of them on Tinder and I swiped right faster than you could say "mistletoe." We ended up matching, and it was super validating to realize that someone I liked a lot in high school liked me back. This is all to say that matching with a high school crush could have a lot of unexpected validation in store.

If you're not entirely convinced, don't worry. I sat down and came up with a list of reasons to swipe right on your former high school crush because temporarily revisiting your past could be pretty rewarding, and maybe even a little hot.

Revisiting your past could teach you a lot about yourself.
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A past crush from high school could give you insight into how they saw you, and it might be really surprising. For instance, they might explain how they thought you were smart, funny, beautiful or all of the above. Having insight into how a crush saw you in the past could be reassuring.

I don't know about you, but I tend to be hard on my past selves. I am always saying that I was super weird in high school. Which is a little bit true, but being weird isn't bad! And there were a lot of other great things about high school me as well. And the same is true for you. Sometimes, it just takes a little outside perspective to fully understand that.

If you're 21 or older now, you can get drinks.
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Whenever I interact with people from my past, I always forget that the same rules from back then don't apply to me now. For instance, if you match with a high school crush, you can be straight-forward and ask them to meet you for a drink. Something you couldn't really do in high school. This is also a pretty casual way to catch up, and it could lead to a swoon-worthy night.

It could be a hot hookup.
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The holidays can be stressful. Not only is there a lot going on, but you probably don't have the same schedule, or level of privacy, that you're used to having. Hanging out with an old flame for a night could be just the thing you need to de-stress from the buzz of the holiday season.

It's an opportunity for closure.
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If you fell in love during high school or fell hard for a crush without telling them, this could be your chance for closure. Not all romantic connections need closure, but a casual date where you disclose how you felt about each other could be soothing to your heart. It could feel good to get off your chest, and who knows, maybe they have been feeling the same way.

Swiping right on a high school crush can be thrilling. It can remind you of what it was like to be a teenager in high school again. This could make you nostalgic for a different time, or remind you how happy you are to be passed that stage of life. Either way, gaining perspective from your past can be really helpful when it comes to informing your present. And what a gift that can be this holiday season.