Chris,
When I first started studying with Larry Tatum I was living in Anchorage, Alaska and my good buddy Tony Martin, was living in England. We would both save up some money then hop on a plane and go to class.
When Tony and I first started going to Larry's we slept on the same mat at night as we worked out on during the day. Eventually Tony and I both moved to California, but not before Tony came to my studio in Alaska where he lived in the locker room and slept on a hide-a-bed for six months.
During this same time I traveled from Alaska to South America and from Hawaii to New York in search of Kenpo. When you love and want Kenpo you will do what ever it takes to get it.
When I moved to California, my wife (Barbara Hale) and I were living in Ojai (about 85 miles from Santa Monica) but it didn't keep us from being regulars at Larry's Thursday night class.
If you're 75 miles from your studio, find something that is closer to home and let the teacher know that you're a student who needs a local studio to work out in. If he, or she, doesn't welcome you there under those circumstances, you don't want to go there anyway, just keep looking.
I agree with everyone else - you need bodies first, videos second. But try not to settle for just any system - look for a Kenpo studio, club, or workout partners that are close to home, then visit with your teacher every chance you get.