Dear 100hookup,
Marty and I met in January of 2005, two months after I had gone through a difficult breakup with a serious long-distance boyfriend. When I signed up (for the second time) on 100hookup, I thought I would just be going on some casual dates to ‘see what was out there’ and feel better about myself. I was starting the last semester of my graduate school program, in which I would be doing an intense final project that involved traveling abroad for two weeks, so I figured I would just stay on 100hookup in January because after that, I would be too busy to start any kind of relationship.
Marty wrote me during a family vacation in Florida where I was lamenting the fall of my last relationship, still dubious about starting up on 100hookup again. It was therefore only with half-interest that I browsed through my 100hookup emails at the end of the trip. Marty’s photograph was a little fuzzy, so it didn’t stand out to me that first day.
Upon returning home, I reread his email and looked over his profile again. He had also sent me a better photo that clearly showed that he was a good-looking guy and my type. He also stood out because he was a musician, not a profession I come across every day, but very much up my alley as an artistic person who plays the piano. And moreover, I was looking for someone who shares my politics, which he very much does.
After a few emails back and forth with Marty, I found myself visiting a close friend in Philadelphia with whom I had grown up. Upon showing her my 100hookup emails, she was enthusiastic about Marty’s email, notably because he had written me a line or two in French, a language I am very fond of as she is well aware of from our high school years. She encouraged me to set up a date with him.
About a week later, we had our first date for coffee. This was the first date either of us had gone on since returning to 100hookup. Despite a snow storm and Marty’s Floridian origin, we trudged our way to a coffee shop in Arlington, where we both live. We both instinctively ordered mocha drinks and, almost immediately after sitting down, were extremely comfortable in conversation and laughter. Soon day turned into night, and we realized we could not end the date, so we went out for dinner at a Spanish tapas restaurant that we frequent to this day. All in all, the date lasted about six hours which passed by in an instant. We both agreed later that it had been the best first date either of us had been on.
A very long day later, I decided I couldn’t wait any longer and emailed him. I had called many of my friends after our date to boast, and they had agreed that emailing him a day later would be acceptable. It was an agonizing wait to hear back from him between that Sunday night and Monday afternoon. When he replied on Monday afternoon, I was elated. It turns out he had been similarly biting his nails in hopes that I would write and did an embarrassing run around the house in joy, similar to my own.
Our relationship flourished, even during my busy school schedule. Marty and I have similar and compatible personalities and a lot of chemistry. After only two months, we had fallen in love. It wasn’t long before we were seeing each other every day.
Only eight months later, Marty proposed, taking me to the top of the Netherlands Carillon in Arlington on a beautiful September day. We couldn’t have waited any longer for this moment. We were married on July 9th, 2006 in Arlington, our place of dreams.
I still can’t believe my good fortune. Thank you 100hookup for making this possible!
Suzanne and Marty
Arlington, Virginia