Full Timing without your partner

Distance makes the heart grow fonder.

If folks are willing to spend so much time apart, other than work related separations, what's the point in being married?

Jim,
I'm an 'oldie' and I sure do not understand the ways of many of our younger citizens.
But how you consider your relationship to the lady a 'marriage'??

I've spent 238 nights in my camper since buying it in 2012. My wife has been there for 4 of those nights. Camping is not her thing. We knew that when we married. She totally supports my wanderlust and is fine with my taking trips without her. This summer, we met up in St. Louis. I got there in time to pick her up at the airport. I took her to the airport when she was ready to fly home and went back to my camping trip.

When I retire at the end of this school year, I plan to take month long trips around the country. All of that will be solo. She may fly into some place and join up with me for a few days, but most of my camper travels will be by myself.

For 20+ years, our lives' priority has been others, mostly our children. Now that they are grown and gone, we are enjoying our "us" time again, very similar to how it was when we were first married and independent before the children came. We did what we wanted, went where we wanted, and enjoyed our relationship. Now with being retired, we don't have to worry about work or a goofy boss either.

I can't even imagine doing an extended trip without my spouse or full-timing without her. That time may come when one of us passes on, but hopefully not for a long time and our camping days may be behind us by then.

I always thought it would be a good idea until recently I had to go and spend 7 days with my elderly parents. I sure missed my guy and couldn't wait to see him. We haven't spent much time apart in 32 years.

We would never even consider it. For us, being united in marriage was and still is a full time commitment to each other. 43 years later nothing has changed that. ;)

IMHO, you need to have either a very strong marriage or a very weak marriage to make it work on a "full-time" basis.

A very strong marriage because then you would have complete faith and trust in one another to keep doubts, threats, and misunderstandings from tearing you apart when you're separated.

A very weak marriage because then you wouldn't care enough for those doubts, threats, and misunderstandings to tear you apart.

It's the average marriage in between those extremes that would have the most difficult time. I would say if you have strong communication skills between you, you argue on a regular basis (which psychology shows is the healthiest marriage because it means you ARE communicating with each other and not avoiding tension and problems), and you are not joined at the hip (or in other words, overly dependent upon the other to manage your day to day life), then you could most likely handle it on a part-time basis - maybe a month at a remote park this winter, then come home, then go back out. i would keep your first year or two of "outings" to either easy locations for her to visit or for a shorter duration in one spot with a couple weeks inbetween for realigning your relationship.

The ranger we worked with in July has done mostly that for several years. Me, i told the wife that if she did not want to go with me I would go alone. Life has not been the same since.

Yes, me. And if we do travel, she has her own. Main reason is she's a hoarder.