If you translate the term „Wanderlove“ into German, it means something like „hiking love“. If you follow the dating trend, people have apparently become more open to relationships and travel again. You don’t always have to meet people who live in the same city. At least, this was the result of a survey. Wanderlove, then, refers to the dating trend of meeting people who live farther away – either another city, another country or even another continent.
A 2022 survey found that just under 39% of singles polled would be willing to travel to another city for a flirt or love. TV dating shows in particular have shown that you should also look beyond your own city once in a while when it comes to things romantic.
Wanderlove as a new dating trend
Looking at the phenomenon globally, one in three people is willing to enter into a relationship with someone who lives in a more distant city. In Germany, as many as 44% are willing to do so. Presumably, conclusions can be drawn here about the newly gained flexibility with regard to working life. There are also more opportunities to be more flexible when it comes to dating and love.
In addition to the place of residence, which is becoming increasingly irrelevant in terms of partnership, appearance is also no longer quite as important to some people. Rather, every third person stated that they also date a type of person who does not fit 100% into their external image. But what exactly are people looking for? With 63% of those surveyed, a majority of people place more emphasis on emotional maturity than on physical characteristics.
Is Wanderlove a new kind of long-distance relationship?
For the record: Wanderlove has nothing to do with meeting the love of your life on any hiking trails. It simply means that most people are more open to having a love affair with someone who lives farther away. Love knows no boundaries.
When you get right down to it, Wanderlove is a lot like a long-distance relationship. The difference is that with Wanderlove, you’re not necessarily looking for the love of your life, but simply want to make new, casual contacts that are outside of your own city.
Nowadays, you are also no longer obliged to perform your job in a single city. That’s why no one has to think about moving to another person right away. After all, the newfound freedom in working life can also be easily transferred to dating. After all, thanks to this flexibility, it is also possible to work from your partner’s home.
What Corona has to do with it
After working from home has gained a lot of popularity, virtual dating is rather not so popular. For many months, traveling and dating were simply impossible, and right now the urge of these two components seems to be all the greater. Obviously, the need to be able to move freely is now much greater than the fear of becoming a victim of desire.
But then, it is precisely this „lack of closeness“ and the spatial distance that is probably the attraction that Wanderlove brings. Wanderlove rather stands for a casual form of dating, although it does not have to be ruled out that something solid will come out of it.
Further meaning of Wanderlove
„Wanderlove“ is a novel written by Kirsten Hubbard. It was published in 2012.