Distance might not make the heart grow fonder: 4 hours and 59 mins is the maximum time the average New Jerseyan would be willing to travel to be in a long-distance relationship.
- Almost half say that a long-distance relationship would be more appealing if their partner lived in an attractive location such as Miami or Hawaii!
- 42% do not consider long distance relationships as ‘real’ relationships.
- Infographic showing how far Americans will travel for love.
Ridgewood NJ, you can’t help who you fall in love with. In a big country like America, there’s a possibility you might find your soulmate in a totally different state from yours. Long-distance relationships can work, but they need regular maintenance – calls, emails, Valentine’s Day cards – and, of course, in-person meet-ups. But how far would you be willing to travel if your loved one lived somewhere different?
Mixbook, an online design platform for creating one-of-a-kind stories with photo books, surveyed 3,000 Americans to find out, and discovered that, on average, 4 hours and 59 mins is the maximum time the average New Jerseyan would be willing to travel to make a long-distance relationship work (compared to a national average of 6 hours and 12 mins). That sounds do-able – not too far, as long as you factor in a couple of coffee stops along the way, with of course the thought of a beautiful reunion to keep you going!
Broken down by state, it seems as if couples in Alaska are the most willing to go the distance for their loved one, happy to travel for 7 hours and 30 minutes (more impressive considering the state of the icy roads there!). But willing to travel for love less are New Mexicans, who only want to give up 2 hours and 15 minutes to get to their (perhaps not-so) special someone.
Infographic showing how far Americans will travel for love
Mixbook also found that over half of respondents (51%) said that they don’t believe long distance relationships would not have worked as well before the advent of video calling technology. It’s true that being able to actually see your partner, rather than just speak to them over the phone, or communicate via email or letter, is a much better prospect.
Over half (54%) think the most important virtue in a long-distance relationship is trust; you have to be able to be sure that your partner is going to stay faithful to you when you’re not together regularly. Twenty-six percent said it was communication – so, talking, video-calling or emailing regularly; 10% said patience (especially if your partner is on a slightly different timezone, or works different hours); 6% said independence is important – after all, you can’t put your life on hold for someone else, you have to be able to get on with things and enjoy yourself; and 4% said emotional support.
VALENTINE’S DAY ON THE LAM https://theridgewoodblog.net/valentines-day-on-the-lam/
44% say that a long-distance relationship would be more appealing if their partner lived in an attractive location such as Miami or Hawaii! That way, each meetup becomes like a mini-vacation. And half (of long-distance daters) say they have written physical love letters to their partner, which is delightfully old fashioned and romantic! However, despite all of this, 42% do not consider a long-distance relationship a real one!
“Long distance relationships can be challenging. The lack of physical connection can lead to feelings of loneliness, and make it difficult to maintain the emotional connection and intimacy that is important in any relationship. Communication can also be a challenge, with time differences, work schedules, and other obstacles making it difficult to stay in touch. For some, the cost of travel can also place added strain on the relationship”says Leslie Albertson, Director of Marketing at Mixbook. ‘Sending thoughtful, personalized gifts or creating a photo book filled with shared memories is a perfect way to stay connected, show your care, and express your love in spite of the distance.”
