Anthony from Jacksonville asks…

A woman from LA saw my profile picture where I was fishing and thought we could start an online relationship.  Isn’t that a bit far to think it’s even worth keeping in touch?  I’ve never been to LA and I don’t think it’s smart to just travel and see a stranger.  Should I keep in touch?

You ask a great question: Is it worth starting a long-distance online relationship?  Of course, only you can ultimately answer that question, but I’d love to share some advice on the matter that may sway you a bit.

First of all, remember that you have to go through points A through Y (emailing, perhaps talking on the phone, a Skype call or two) before you decide whether it’s worth meeting and eventually pursuing a relationship (point Z).

It seems that you are getting ahead of yourself, assuming that you will want to see each other, and then envisioning the difficulty in making a relationship work… all from a comment she made about your picture!  Take it one step at a time.  I always advise keeping doors open until you decide you’re ready to close them.  In this case, you could close the door simply by not responding, or you could keep the door open via a few emails to start and then decide to close the door if you still want to.

And maybe leaving the door open will lead you to the love of your life… on the West Coast!