Save the Date: So You're Dating an Astronaut

Week 4

By MATT MAIORANO and STEPHANIE NELMS

Updated 1:19 PM EST, Mon, Dec 29, 2008

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Just when you thought your new found relationship was going great and it seems like it's about to soar to new heights…All of a sudden, “Houston we have a problem!”—you get the “we need to talk” line. What was about to take off is now in standby mode. Grounded, because the powers that be, sense something doesn't feel right. They are too afraid to call the whole thing off completely, just in case that funny feeling inside is careening them in the wrong direction. What can we say…you can't argue with NASA—NEED AMPLE SPACE ALONE. So what do you do when one person decides, it’s time to explore the option of space? Have no fear, remember dating isn’t rocket science…

Matt:

Okay there Mission Control. If you really like this person, treat this as a delay instead of a cancellation. Give them the space they want. Heck, give them the whole solar system. But as hard as it might be to do, express to them that you'll cut off all contact (phone calls, emails, and texting) and will start back up when they are ready.

Give it two weeks max. It will give both of you enough time to realize if it were in the stars that you should be together or your exploration of space has reached the final frontier. If so, then shut it down, move on there Buck Rogers and eventually you'll find someone else on this planet who’ll have your heart racing towards the moon. Over and out.

"Save The Date" bloggers: Stephanie Nelms & Matt Maiorano.

Steph:

Hold up there Scottie before you go beaming up to space at warp speed. Don’t just assume that because one party in the relationship needs a little alone time he/she has abandoned the mission altogether.

Depending on what stage you’re at in the relationship is the determining factor of how long to wait. If your relationship has just launched and you haven’t reached the constellations quite yet, then give it a week at the most for that person to come around. Why wait around any longer when you don’t have that much invested. Cut your losses, and get on with your next destination.

On the flip side, if you’ve been dating for a few months and the NASA talk pops up, back off and give each other enough time to sort through things so that when it’s time to get back into the shuttle and orbit the stratosphere, everything will be A-Okay.