Valerie Bertinelli Describes 'Butterflies' from Doing Long Distance with Mike Goodnough (Exclusive)

"You just want to see each other all the time," the celebrity chef tells PEOPLE at the Daytime Emmys

Valerie Bertinelli is breaking down the pros and cons of embarking on her long-distance relationship with Mike Goodnough!

During the Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday, June 7, the One Day at a Time star, 64, caught up with PEOPLE about her bicoastal relationship with Goodnough — and how the duo intend to spend their summers together.

"In the middle of making [summer plans], we'll see what happens. You know, but it is long distance and we'll just rack up some more miles," the celebrity chef said, before describing the pros — and the cons — of living so far apart. Goodnough lives on the East Coast, while the celebrity chef resides in Los Angeles.

"Well, the biggest pro is that every time you see each other, especially when you haven't seen each other for a week or two, it just feels great and all the butterflies kind of kick in again," she said.

"And [the] difficult [part] is, you just want to see each other all the time. I mean, I hate being apart from him."

Related: Valerie Bertinelli Cozies Up to Boyfriend Mike Goodnough During Their Red Carpet Debut at the 2024 Daytime Emmys

Goodnough, who made his red carpet debut with Bertinelli at the event, added that it "feels great" to support his partner at the Daytime Emmys. "I mean, there's really, there's very little better than seeing somebody you love get the recognition, get the roses, it's just, it's a great night," he said.

Bertinelli was nominated for two awards this weekend for her work on her now-canceled Food Network series Valerie's Home Cooking and explained to PEOPLE what it is that enables her to stay vulnerable with her audience.

"I just feel like whatever I say, whatever I do, this is me now. I mean, it's always been me, but I'm just a little bit more relaxed in who I am," she said. "So, I'm super appreciative that people have welcomed me. So, I'll just keep being who I am, as authentically as I can."

Goodnough, also known as Hoarse Whisperer on social media, previously described his thoughts on doing things long distance with his partner.

Alongside a post on Instagram on April 30, Goodnough shared that "the problem with long-distance relationships is, well, you know… the distance. Hard to be far when you just want to be close.”

“On the bright side, it makes the time together that much more valuable," he added.

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The duo first connected online and messaged each other on Instagram years before making things official. They later spoke on the phone for the first time in January 2024. As the cookbook author shared with PEOPLE in April, there was "something about him that I connected with that felt familiar."

Goodnough and Bertinelli later first met up in New York City for a romantic date in March, a time when Bertinelli shared that she felt “at home” with Goodnough.

They've since established a “three-week rule” to ensure that they make time for visits. “We never go longer than that without seeing each other,” the actress previously said. “After all, it’s about finding the joy in life and sharing it.”

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Read the original article on People.