Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty
Just askAdam Rippon.
“The time apart is hard,” he tells PEOPLE of his relationship withFinnish real estate brokerJussi-Pekka Kajaala,which Rippon confirmed in April. “But we have a lot going on, so we make it work.”
The pair, who first connected on Tinder last fall, do eventually plan to be in the same city: Rippon, 28, says Kajaala is working to relocate permanently to Los Angeles, where the atlete lives.
And while Kajaala’s dream has long been to move to L.A., Rippon says, he has been “trying to make it happen a little bit faster” since their relationship blossomed in the spring.
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Paperwork is an obstacle, of course — “it’s a little harder than you think,” Rippon says of the bureaucratic process — but for now he and Kajaala are spending time together when they can. Kajaala, who can work remotely, will usually spend a few weeks at a time stateside.
“He’s been going back and forth a lot,” says Rippon, who recently joinedthe upcomingDancing with the Stars: Juniorsas a judge.
One thing that isn’t on the horizon? Marriage bells. Rippon tells PEOPLE the couple is more than happy going at their own pace.
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When they’re both free, the two have been spending time on the red carpet — they made their couple debut in June — and double-dating with Rippon’sDWTSpartnerJenna Johnson, or else (shirtlessly)enjoying the sunny outdoors.
Often Rippon is working, but he brings Kajaala along when he can.
“He can kind of see what I’m doing,” Rippon says of his boyfriend, adding, “I love to have him be a part of that.”
source: people.com
