Colorado is a beautiful state and Aspen is supposed to be one of its most pleasant cities to live -- so, why is Aspen's divorce rate nearly double that of the rest of the state?
In fact, Aspen ranks sixth in the nation when it comes to divorce rates. This has plenty of people speculating about why the people in one small area seem to have such a large problem staying married.
Could it be stress?
Aspen isn't a cheap place to live. If you are wealthy, it's wonderful. If you have limited resources, however, career opportunities and affording housing can be hard to come by.
That could put a lot of stress on the average marriage and make it harder for couples to handle the normal problems that come with marriage. The additional stress could be enough for some couples to throw in the towel rather than keep trying.
Could it be "Peter Pan Syndrome"?
Wealthy couples fare just as badly, however. It's possible that something known as "Peter Pan Syndrome" may be to blame. Essentially, Aspen's atmosphere of fun and play could encourage high-asset couples to take too cavalier of an approach to marriage.
In other words, it can be easy to fall in love amidst the romance of Aspen, but hard to stay married when the fairy tale fades and the real work of a relationship settles in. Fun-loving, devil-may-care attributes that seem engaging and thrilling in a budding relationship often don't work as well inside a marriage, especially once kids come along.
Could it be a problem with honesty?
A lack of honesty, in this sense, doesn't mean that people in Aspen deliberately deceive each other before marriage. Instead, it has more to do with the fact that the high-energy lifestyle in Aspen tends to encourage everyone toward a happier, relaxed "persona" when they meet. That mood can be hard to sustain after a while when the adrenaline rush of romance wears thin. Unexpressed wants and needs can rise and up and become toxic to a marriage.
What's the best thing to do if you want a lasting relationship that doesn't end in divorce? Maybe taking your romance slowly can help you get past the initial relationship phases to see if you still feel the same once the glamour of Aspen wears off.
Source: The Aspen Times, "She Said, He Said: What makes Aspen the divorce capital of Colorado?," Lori Ann Kret and Jeff Cole, accessed June 01, 2018
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