Interesting (and methinks somewhat short-sighted).Afraid this doesn't compute with me. Realistically, a trans-continent relationship is beyond most people's budgets. Let's say you want to see one another once a month minimum. One flight per month might be $300-500. That would be $3,660-6,000 annually just for the travel. Of course if you alternated trips or shared in the cost that would be half as much. Some of us, like this starving marine biologist, do not have 6 figure incomes (unless you count the ones to the right of the decimal point). I might add that dive professionals are usually money challenged as well.Any person that cites distance as a reason for not pursuing a relationship is copping out. Period. In this day and age of instantaneous long distance communications, physical distance is getting to be less meaningful than it used to be, and if the feelings are there, distance be damned. As one who has done it before, strong attraction doesn't work like gravity: it doesn't diminish with distance. And if the attraction is there, I'll find a way to overcome the distance; the sacrifice of driving, the often hectic time together, and the all-too-soon partings that these types of relationships are characterized by are worth it, even if it doesn't work out in the long run. I've never regretted spending time with someone that I was attracted to, regardless of the cost that time entailed.
And for those of us with strong environmental concerns, burning gas for frequent long round trips doesn't cut it. Of course we could take public transportation to reduce the environmental impact.
Of course I'd never rule an LDR out, but there are practical considerations for many of us regardless of where our hearts may be (my doctor is still trying to locate mine... and one of my ex's says I'm heartless so that may be the problem. Just kidding).
My understanding of this *LDR* concept is that hopefully, if all goes well, the *LD* is eventually dropped. If you truly believe this person is the one for you, isn't the goal to live together and share in each other's lives?
I need my *space* and *quiet time* and just overall independence, but if I ever found *the one*, I would do what needed to be done in order to be with him. Of course, he'd have to make compromises, too.