I just moved in with mine

So, how's this: My newest coworker is a sweet, young girl from Kentucky, who moved out to Arizona to be with her boyfriend. (She also happened to be deeply enmeshed in the industry of my magazine, so she just called my boss and asked if there was a job for her, and she got hired. But that little bit is neither here nor there.) The girl is nice and intelligent. And I found out today that she has her own apartment. I am intrigued. I have several questions.
The first being, how the heck is she affording an apartment in Scottsdale, and eating and going to the gym, on a salary that I hope is less than mine? How is she doing that? And then I thought, well, her parents are helping her; duh. The life of a young 20-something.
Then I'm all, hold the phone. She moved out here to be closer to her boyfriend who has a job in Phoenix, and got her own place? They're not living together? Honestly, that may be one of the bravest things I've ever heard. There is little to no commitment there on the part of the boyfriend, and all the optimism in the world for her. Sure, he moved his television and PlayStation 4 into her place over the weekend, but really, that's not a whole lot when it comes to sharing stuff. And he did it, apparently, because he said he spends more time at her place than his. But really, why not just dive in and get a place together? Why not see if this is really a good idea at all? Well, she's been quite sheltered all her life (her words, not mine), and I assume her more-religious-than-not parents would probably frown on that. But still, moving all this way and then not getting a place together? That's ballsy.
I admire her chutzpah on that one.