The Golden Bachelorette star Joan Vassos has been open about her hope to move to New York City, but I’ve changed my mind about Joan’s potential decision to move to Kansas to be with Chock Chapple. While Joan’s relationship with Chock, which began during The Golden Bachelorette season 1, has been something to watch closely for Bachelor Nation, there’s been a lot of mystery surrounding what their future plans are. Joan and Chock shared that they’d be looking for a place to live in NYC after the show came to an end, but after some unsuccessful searching, many are confused.
Throughout the last few months, Joan and Chock’s potential New York City move has appeared to be put on hold in a way that’s been off-putting for fans. Chock, who’s originally from Wichita, Kansas, has been seen in his hometown more often than not when he’s not on a trip with Joan. Rather than traveling around in the way Joan’s been, going from Kansas to New York City and then back to her home of Maryland, Chock has been staying put at home, seemingly putting his foot down about a potential move. While the couple’s conflicted on what’s next, Joan may choose Chock over everything else.
Ultimately, I think Joan values her relationship more than the location it’s taking place in.
Joan’s NYC Dream Wasn’t Necessarily Chock’s Dream
She Was More Excited About New York
As Joan and Chock moved through their relationship after The Golden Bachelorette season 1 finished filming but before it finished airing, it was clear the couple took stock of what they wanted their lives together to look like. Joan and Chock’s relationship may have been a bit more complicated than viewers expected, and Bachelor Nation wasn’t shy about their criticism for the Kansas native. Chock was said to have extreme red flags that viewers weren’t happy about, but Joan’s connection with him held strong and the couple worked through whatever issues came up in their young relationship with adult maturity.
When Joan and Chock announced they wanted to move to New York City after The Golden Bachelorette, I wasn’t sure we’d see any movement on that front at all. I was shocked when the couple actually took to NYC quickly to begin searching for real estate, but it appeared that Joan was more adamant about the Big Apple than her newly minted fiancé. While Chock remained supportive, Joan was doing a lot of the searching and updating, which made me wonder if NYC was more Joan’s dream than Chock’s. As time’s passed, it seems Joan was the more interested party.
I Think Joan Is Hoping For A Change In Scenery
She May Not Be Totally Attached To NYC
I’ve had the feeling that Joan’s been the one pushing the New York agenda throughout her public relationship with Chock, and even with her dreams keeping her going, she might just want a change of scenery. Joan’s Maryland home has emotional significance, and when she and Chock announced that they wanted to make the move to NYC, it became clear that leaving her home behind would be difficult. Though the couple seemed to want to keep both of their personal spaces for the moment being, Joan was mostly focused on proximity to her family when discussing NYC as an option.
Sharing during The Golden Bachelorette finale that she was looking to be close enough to her family, primarily her grandkids, to be able to pop in with just a few hours notice, Joan seemed sold on New York as the closest option. While she was interested in moving to the big city, Joan didn’t necessarily seem to need New York specifically to fulfill her desires. Instead, it seemed like Joan would be satisfied with a change of scenery and a new place for her and Chock to explore, as long as her family was close enough to reach fairly quickly.
Chock Is Hoping To Stay In Kansas, But Seems Open To Travel
He Doesn’t Want To Be Far From Home Forever
Although Joan has been doing more traveling since her and Chock’s relationship went public, Chock has been more content in his Kansas home. Wichita is an important place for Chock, who appears to be a generally popular business figure in the area. While Chock’s work has always been a big deal to him, things have changed since his time on The Golden Bachelorette, and he cares a lot more about the way he looks to others than before. With Chock being local in Wichita, he’s been able to secure partnerships for his new influencer portfolio that will help his business.
On top of his desire to keep his profile up, Chock’s happy to be in Wichita because of his stable lifestyle. It appears that though he’s enjoying his time at home, Chock’s open to traveling a fair bit. After taking a few trips with Joan already in 2025, Chock has been able to move around with his fiancée quite freely, which is a luxury he only has because he’s the owner of his business. Staying local to Wichita may not have been in Joan’s initial plans, but it could be the best choice for Chock, which may change her mind.
Joan Is More Open To Kansas Than Bachelor Nation Thinks
She’s Willing To Do What It Takes To Make Things Work
While Joan was originally quite adamant about the fact that she didn’t want to leave Maryland, when her goal post changed to locating a place in NYC, Bachelor Nation had to accept her decision. Much like her shift in mentality, I think Joan is probably a lot more open to moving to Wichita to be with Chock than Bachelor Nation thinks. While a life in New York would be a luxuriously fun time for Joan and Chock, Joan may be having a change of heart. Ultimately, I think Joan values her relationship more than the location it’s taking place in.
Though Joan’s reasoning for moving to NYC is valid, so are Chock’s reasons for wanting to stay in Wichita. While Joan may be ready to leave her family behind in Maryland for NYC because of the proximity, at the end of the day she may be considering Kansas as a viable option so that she can be happy with the man she loves. Joan’s likely willing to do what it takes to make things work with Chock because of their genuine, sweet connection. While I’d love to see The Golden Bachelorette couple take on NYC, Joan may choose Chock’s Wichita.
