In some way or another, a significant number of couples all around the
world have been compelled to enter into long-distance relationships. It
might be a chance encounter on holiday you can’t help but continue when
you get home, no matter what the cost or the size of your carbon footprint.
Or perhaps a long-term business opportunity comes along that you can’t
turn down, leaving your partner miles and miles away. And despite their
inconveniences, long-distance relationships continue to grow in number,
helped along by various new ways to communicate – dating websites, for example, help people find their soul mate, even if they happen to live on the other side of the planet.
But how do attitudes towards these kinds of relationships change over
time? As we get older, are we more or less likely to enter into a
long-distance relationship? Here are a few factors that no doubt affect
the way we see these types of relationships as we age…
Cashflow
There’s no doubt about it – long-distance relationships are expensive.
Ten-page-long phone bills, travel costs, sending surprise presents – it
all adds up. But when you’re a bit older and settled into working life,
the strain on the wallet isn’t as great, and you generally have a bit
more cash to play with. In this respect, long-distance relationships
work better when you’re older – you can see each other more often, spend
longer on the phone, meet up in various romantic locations that lie
midway between the two of you, or turn up on their doorstep on a whim.
This flexibility means the relationship is less stressful and becomes
ultimately more workable.
Responsibility
On the other hand, long-distance relationships seem to suit the
care-free, unattached lifestyle of the young. It’s all a bit of an
unpredictable adventure, which may not fit the need for stability we
tend to adopt as we get older. Getting deeply involved in a career,
children from a previous relationship, long-term friendships – all of
these things make jetting off to a far-away place to see the boyfriend
or girlfriend a bit more difficult. These responsibilities and ties to
home life also mean we’re less likely to take the final jump into
commitment and move away to live with our partner and get married.
Conversely, when we’re younger, we may not have established ourselves
quite as stubbornly and are more open to life-changing moves.
Practicality
When we’re younger, we also might be inclined to think more impulsively
and romantically, meaning that we’re more prepared to risk the
impracticality of a long-distance relationship. As we age though, logic
and practicality tend to take precedence over love. This might lead us
to avoid long-distance relationships altogether. Conversely, those
looking to remarry and find true love the second time around might be
even more impulsive, willing to find their true soul mate even if
they’re in Manchester online dating and find their lifetime partner in Manhattan.
Long-distance relationships can happen to anyone – no matter what their
age. The length of time they last, however, could definitely be affected
by how old we are, our attitudes and our lifestyles.
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