Valerie Bertinelli revealed the "three-week rule" that she has established with her new boyfriend.
During a recent interview with People magazine, the 63-year-old actress gushed over her "mature, kind, thoughtful, patient" beau, who is an East Coast-based writer 10 years her junior.
Bertinelli, who lives in Los Angeles, told the outlet that their relationship is "unlike any connection I’ve ever felt" and shared how the pair make their long-distance romance work by visiting each other every three weeks.
"We never go longer than that without seeing each other," the "One Day at a Time" star said. "After all, it’s about finding the joy in life and sharing it."
VALERIE BERTINELLI MOVES ON WITH NEW BOYFRIEND AFTER DRAMATIC DIVORCE FROM EX-HUSBAND TOM VITALE
Bertinelli recalled that her boyfriend, whom she has not named, first caught her attention a few years ago when he commented on one of her Instagram posts.
"I thought he was interesting," she remembered. "It was strictly platonic, but there was something about him that I connected with that felt familiar. A comfort level. He felt like a kindred spirit."
The two kept in touch via social media with Bertinelli noting, "Every few months he would DM me." However, the couple's connection deepened in January after they had their first phone call.
"I was very guarded, as was he," the two-time Golden Globe winner said. "His voice had the most beautiful timbre. I was like ‘Oh, I can’t talk to this man right now because that’s really sexy.’"
"We both had strong feelings, trying not to admit them," she added.
Bertinelli explained that they were both hesitant about embarking on a long-distance relationship but as their feelings grew, they decided to take a chance.
"We finally said, ‘Why are we doing this? It’s going to be challenging, because it’s long distance but why not?’" she recalled. "You only live once."
The couple met in person for the first time on a romantic trip to New York City in March.
"I’m driving up to meet him, and he’s already at the hotel standing outside," Bertinelli recalled. "I just jump out of the car, and I run to him, and I hug him. It was the best hug. I immediately felt like I was home. This is where I belong, in this man’s arms. It all feels incredibly right."
Bertinelli told People that the two pledged to not go three weeks without seeing each other from that point on.
"I’m glad it’s happening. But it’s like, what the heck is happening? It’s a seesaw of emotions," she admitted.
Earlier this week, Bertinelli told People that she was "in love" again after imagining herself remaining single for the rest of her life.
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"I want to be clear that this process has taken a long time," Bertinelli said. "I got more intentional about my healing. "That meant a lot of walks with [my dog] Luna, a lot of therapy sessions, a lot of learning that I deserve to feel good."
"First came the work," she continued. "Why I thought I didn't deserve to be loved. Why I was using food to numb my feelings. All the drama and trauma I hadn’t dealt with — with Ed and my last marriage."
"Ed" refers to Eddie Van Halen, her first husband and the father of her only child, Wolfgang Van Halen. Her last marriage was to financial planner Tom Vitale — she's been open about the difficult times she experienced in their relationship.
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In an excerpt from her upcoming cookbook, "Indulge," excerpted by People, she wrote, "The more I let myself cry, the better I felt. I wasn’t trying to be happy or sad or thin. I wasn’t trying to be anything other than who I was."
"The cookbook was an offshoot of the emotional and mental healing I‘ve been doing," she explained in her interview, later adding, "I know we’re talking about a cookbook, but this cookbook got me through all of it."
After doing so much emotional work, she learned to love herself again, and in doing so, she was able to open herself up to being loved by someone else.
She admitted, "I’m in love … I was adamant I was never falling in love again. I was supposed to die with my six cats and my dog, and very happily live the rest of my years alone — I'm good alone."
Fox News Digital's Emily Trainham contributed to this report.
