distance makes the heart grow?

You've heard the stories of long-distance relationships in which every second spent apart seems to torture both partners.

But what if you lived far away from your significant other and liked it...while loving your monogamous relationship at the same time?

This advice column from Salon tells of a married couple who live four blocks away from each other -- and are happy. An excerpt from the wife's letter:

We also have many differences in interior design, how we spend time, when we sleep, interests, etc. So, living separately resolves all those issues. When we choose to spend time together, we're together. My husband usually comes to my place five nights a week and either stays over or not, depending on his work load. He is also a snorer. So, I prefer him to sleep at his place if I have a big day ahead of me. But we do have some common interests and our sex life is still strong.

The other day I blogged about things people hate most about dating. Here's another one of mine: The belief that the more time you spend together, the more you're in love. I don't think that's true.

I think there are people who are naturally "loners" and prefer to vacation alone, and even sleep alone. They're still perfectly capable of loving someone. It's just that there's a limited number of people who can tolerate being in a relationship with them.

Maybe marriage is a different story, though.

Do married people have to live together?