Dear 100hookup,
How it all began
Our story begins in late September 2003 on 100hookup. I noticed that Peter had read my profile, so I looked at his. We both had very down-to-earth profiles with many similar interests. He also had a few adorable pictures, which was an added bonus. Since he had not contacted me, the only way for me to contact him (for free) was through Flirts. So I sent him one. When I received an email back, I subscribed, and that's how our communication began.
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
We emailed numerous times and then moved to the phone, and I discovered that not only did we have a lot in common, but he told me things that were very appealing.. On my profile, I wrote a thorough list of my favorite things. I soon found that among many things, Peter was willing to talk on the phone for hours, loves to travel, has a huge camp background, can navigate through NYC, wants to own a big dog, and hates football. Needless to say, he won me over without even meeting him. Unfortunately, the hookup holidays got in our way, so a few weeks went by before we actually met.
When You Know, You Just Know
Our first date took place on October 11, 2003. It was a Saturday night, and I met Peter for dinner after work at Pappardella on the Upper West Side. I was so nervous that day, and I remember coloring with one of the kids at work, which calmed my nerves. Once we met and sat down in the restaurant, I felt better. Actually, I think Peter was even more nervous because he was talking a lot, but that was helpful to me. After dinner, we walked around for a long time, making stops at Barnes & Noble and Starbucks. We both did not want the date to end. Peter asked if he could call me the very next day, despite the official dating rules. I accepted. We met on Sunday at Palisades Center Mall for dinner at Stir Crazy and saw "Intolerable Cruelty." During the previews, we saw the trailer for "Love Actually," in which Rowan Atkinson plays a small part. I recognized him as Mr. Bean and pointed that out. Peter, being a fan of British humor, was highly impressed. I think I earned major brownie points that night. Our fourth date was very significant. We decided to go apple picking. It was a very romantic date, and we basically had the whole orchard to ourselves. When I got home, I called a couple friends and told them "I am going to marry this guy." In retrospect, we both decided that this date was the one where we both fell in love.
Can We Travel Together?
Things progressed, and we became very serious as we got over the dating stage pretty quickly. We had both fallen in love in less than a month. Because the gym was very important to me, Peter traveled endlessly to and from Oakland during the week just to spend time with me. I would spend the weekends in White Plains. In early December, we took the first step of traveling together by heading to Atlantic City for one night. It was a great success. A few weeks later, we headed to Miami with my family for a wedding. The two-night trip passed the test. We decided that we were ready for a week-long vacation. In February 2004, we ventured to Club Med on Paradise Island, Bahamas. We had an amazing time! I think we knew then that better things were yet to come...
We Are In It for the Long Haul
By springtime, we had talked about moving in together. On Memorial Day in 2004, we were at my house in Oakland, and I said to my Mom, "Today is the day. I am moving out." She was in shock because I had not given her as much preparation and notice as she would have liked, but it was time. I moved to Peter's apartment in White Plains, which we now both call home. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. We were (and continue to be) so happy and in love, and it was only a matter of time before we were engaged!
Cori & Peter
Oakland and White Plains, New Jersey