The Golden Bachelorette: "Winter Wonderland?": Joan & Chock's Holiday Plan Meant Time Apart Before Christmas (Signs They'll Drift Away From Each Other In The Future)

The Golden Bachelorette stars Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple decided to spend time away from each other before Christmas, and it could be a sign that they're already drifting apart. It's disappointing because 61-year-old Joan and 60-year-old Chock seemed genuinely happy when they got engaged during the final rose ceremony. They'd spent the season falling deeply in love, and they were excited to transition their relationship into real life. They spent Thanksgiving together at Joan's house in Maryland, and the holiday seemed to go well. Then, they decided to take a break before spending Christmas at Chock's house.

Joan made her television debut as a contestant on The Golden Bachelor season 1, and was later cast as the Bachelor spin-off's first female lead. The Golden Bachelorette season 1 premiered with Joan meeting 24 single older men, and Chock stood out from the beginning. She liked him so much that she gave him the highly coveted first solo date. From her first solo date to her last solo date, Joan gave Chock her final rose. They got engaged and left the show to start their lives together, but was their holiday break a sign that there's trouble in paradise?

Joan & Chock Weren't Together Before Christmas

They Took A Two-Week Break

Since getting engaged on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan and Chock have continued their whirlwind romance, and it must be exhausting. After spending Thanksgiving together at Joan's house, the couple decided to spend the next couple of weeks dealing with their lives. It must be very difficult to step away for months to film a television show, and Joan filmed two of them. She probably had a lot to catch up on. They did end up spending Christmas together after their two-week break, so they're still very much engaged.

Before joining the cast of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Chock was an insurance executive who owned his own business in Kansas. Being on the show took Chock away from his work, so it's possible that he needs a couple of weeks to catch up on work he's missed since going public with his engagement to Joan. Though there may be good reasons for Joan and Chock to step away from each other briefly, two weeks seems like a long time, especially right in the middle of the holiday season.

Joan & Chock Have Had Other Issues

Different Communication Styles

Maybe they needed to take a relationship break because Joan and Chock have been spending too much time together. They've been together almost constantly since The Golden Bachelorette season 1 finale. No matter how much they love each other, it may be too much time to spend together early in the relationship. Joan recently posted an Instagram video of her and Chock cooking together, and, when Chock goes to cut slits in the piece of meat for the garlic cloves, Joan snaps at him, telling him he's not doing it correctly.

Joan and Chock bickering about garlic placement may be a clue that they need a break, but it could also be a bad sign for the future of the relationship. The first part of a relationship is generally the happiest and easiest, and if Joan and Chock already need time off, it could be a sign that they won't live happily ever after. The post has over 7K likes so far, and Joan's caption reads, "Our first cooking video together..." If they constantly need space from each other, maybe they won't make more cooking videos. They might split up instead.

Joan Still Misses Her Late Husband A Lot

She May Not Be Ready To Move On From John

Many people who appeared on The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette are widowers, and Joan is no exception. Joan was married to John Vassos for 32 years before he passed away in 2021. Joan loved John dearly, and he will always have a piece of her heart. Joan may love Chock, but she may never be ready to move on from John. It's possible that Joan needed a few weeks alone to process her emotions, because life has been quite a wild ride lately.

The Golden Bachelorette season 1 can be streamed on Hulu.