It’s the dating project that everyone’s buzzing about online. Two good friends, Jessica Walsh and Timothy Goodman, found themselves single at the same time in New York City. Having both struggled with opposite relationship problems in the past, they decided to date each other for 40 days as a social experiment last spring. Every day, they privately recorded their thoughts on the relationship and now, they’re sharing their posts from each of the 40 days on their blog. New posts are added daily from July 10 to August 16th. You can check it out here.

We took some time to interview Tim about the experiment. Read on for his responses…

Why do you think dating is so difficult, especially today?

Online dating is in a lot of ways amazing and beneficial in today’s age. At the same time, it can be detrimental to our generation. It makes dating feel like online shopping. It’s even harder in metropolitan areas where people feel like there are so many other options out there.

What has the reaction online been like?

It’s been really touching. From the start, we knew our stories weren’t that much different from what a lot of people are going through. Our story is one that’s real, and that’s why it resonates with so many people.

What was the greatest challenge?

You know, there were quite a few challenges. The whole thing was difficult. It’s hard to commit to seeing the same person every day for forty days, as an experiment. It started off as a partnership around a project as friends, but it quickly became very emotional as the relationship progressed.

How does it feel to document every day of the relationship and make it public?

It was hard for Jessie and me to put the blog out in public, both professionally and personally. We wondered what it would do to our reputations and careers. We did this social experiment back in April/March, and it wasn’t hard to journal about the relationship then, because no one was reading about it. Now, we feel like we’re reliving it all as one post a day is released.

What surprised you most about the whole experience?

Jessie and I never read each other’s blog posts during the experiment last spring, so we’re reading what the other wrote about each day for the first time now. It’s funny to look back and see how a man and woman can experience and interpret the same day two different ways.

Have any of your past ex-girlfriends contacted you since they saw the blog?

Yeah, actually both Jessie and I have had our exes comment on it. One of my ex-girlfriends wrote to me about how much she liked reading the blog.

Does your mom read it?

Yup. Both our moms, actually. My mom thinks it’s fascinating. My grandma might be reading it too. I tried to warn her that this is going to be very contemporary.

Any advice for others who are struggling with relationships?

Don’t be afraid of relationships. Of commitment. Just go for it!

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