You don't need to travel to the other party's state to participate in the courtroom proceedings.  You can participate in the courtroom proceedings by telephone.  A telephone appearance is at the discretion of the judge.  Check with the court clerk to find out which forms you need to file to request a telephone appearance.  Also, ask the court clerk about the filing deadlines for the forms for requesting a telephone appearance.  The forms and filing deadlines vary from state to state.  If you don't file the appropriate forms by the deadline for requesting a telephone appearance, your request for a telephone appearance will be denied.