Dear 100hookup,

Samara and I would both say we had wonderful experiences on 100hookup, even before meeting each other.  And now, of course, we owe a great deal to your site.  So, thank you!  And since you asked, here is our engagement story (which follows Samara finding me on 100hookup and awkwardly asking in an email if we had spoken before…which of course we hadn’t, but this was just her way of getting the conversation started):

Part I and Plan A:  I was in London on business and wrote to Samara’s father letting him know we had important matters to discuss, and asking if we could talk on the phone due to my travel schedule.  If he had simply responded yes, Plan A was to propose to Samara at LaGuardia Airport (or on the car ride home), where she would be picking me up after my week away.  But, her father is a former NYC judge, and a very serious guy, and his email response was short and direct – “Kiva, I know exactly what you want to discuss with me, and I’d rather we meet face to face.” 

Yikes!  He later said he thought by signing the email “Warm Regards,” I would know he was going to say yes.  Truth is I really had no idea, and during the rest of my week in London, I had convinced myself he was going to say no.  So I spent the week working with my family (by phone) on objection handling.  But, when we met at the restaurant on Friday upon my return from London and I asked for his blessing, he was wonderfully sweet and loving, and immediately welcomed me into the family.  He then began to introduce me to the wait staff as his son-in-law.

Part II and Plan B:  Knowing I was going to have to meet her father in-person before asking her to marry me, I decided on Plan B – rent a Bed & Breakfast in East Hampton, and propose there.  So that was my decision, and I rented a room at a beautiful Inn called, The Baker House 1650.  However, with the proposal place set, I had to think of a plan and I couldn’t come up with anything good.  While I was in London, I had a dream.  And during my dream, I was taken to a beautiful farmhouse where I was going to stay for a week.  And when I got to the farmhouse, the innkeeper showed me the grounds, the amenities, the wonderful animals and all of the other things one might want to see upon arrival.  And then he handed me the keys to my room.  And I woke up in the morning with my arm outstretched, as if I were holding keys.  It was a strange dream because it was so life-like, but other than that, I didn’t think much of it. 

When I told my colleague about my dream in the taxi on the way to our meeting the following morning, the cab driver immediately pulled the car over to the side of the road, turned around, and said, “Sir, I don’t mean to be eavesdropping, but I just heard you tell the story of your dream, and I need to tell you:  something wonderful is about to happen to you…something very special.  And you’ve been given the key, now all you need to do is open the door.”  I immediately got chills, and knew what he was referring to (though I didn’t say anything to him or my colleague).   When it eventually came time to propose to Samara (over champagne and strawberries brought up by the B&B host), we each made a toast.  Her toast was to a lifetime of loving each other no matter what happens physically or mentally to either of us (appropriate considering she didn’t know she was about to get engaged).  Then, I told her the story about my dream, said the ring was my key and that I’d like to open the door together.

Thank you, 100hookup! 

Kiva and Samara
New York, New York

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