“In so many ways, Matt and I feel like we were meant to be together.”

Matt and Jenn

It was October 2003 and I had been using Yahoo! Personals for two or three months to meet people and go on occasional dates. I was having a lot of fun. I had to take a break from dating when a bicycle crash left me with a cast on both arms.

When I could use a computer again, I logged on and found a new profile on my Yahoo! Personals home page. Clicking on it, I read a great profile about someone who was always willing to help out, was successful in life, and who had many of the same hobbies and interests as I did -- hanging out with small groups of friends, canoeing, hiking, games, photography, and cycling.

I sent him an Icebreaker, and his return email launched us into a flurry of Internet conversations. I really didn't know where it would lead. Our first date -- dinner -- didn't go so well. He was quiet and hard to get to know. I was stressed, and the loud restaurant didn't help me concentrate on our conversation. We talked as if we were in two separate worlds and two parallel conversations. When dinner ended I felt anxious to leave and get on with my evening's errands.

A bicycle magazine

Thankfully, Barnes & Noble and specifically a cycling magazine intervened to ensure a second date. Walking by the bookstore, Matt said he needed to stop and pick up a magazine he wanted. Trying to be polite, I followed him in, and he showed me the magazine, where the back cover advertised a very high-profile bike race in Minneapolis. There, in the middle of the full-page ad, in the photo of the race finish, was Matt.

We wandered to the coffee shop with our purchases, and in the quieter atmosphere, really talked together. Several times Matt mentioned things he intuited about me that were right on the button, things that shocked me that he had realized about me in such a short time! Then and there, I knew there was more to this man than I originally thought. First impressions aren't everything!

Our second date was a wonderful evening watching TV at my house, and late into that night's conversation we realized that we had a common mutual friend. A sure sign, I thought! We planned our third date for lunch at a neighborhood cafe and hiking at a local waterfall. Again, the day seemed magical. We simply loved being together, and couldn't part.

After the hike, we got coffee, went to a movie and went to sit near the fireplace at Matt's house. I met his sister and brother-in-law. We ate pizza. The next day, after Sunday breakfast and another movie, we realized that we had spent the entire weekend together on just the third date!

So little time had passed

What was even more remarkable was that so little time had passed. We looked into our computer records and realized that only four days had passed from my Icebreaker to our first date. Then only a week and a half had passed between our first date and our first weekend together!

As of Valentine's Day this year, we will have been together a year and four months. It has been the most rewarding, comfortable, and promising relationship either of us has ever had! Matt helped me overcome my worries about getting on a bicycle after my accident, and now we both are involved in the cycling community, riding with our teams and officiating at local races.

Oh, remember that mutual friend of ours? Not only did we travel to Las Vegas with him and his fiancée but also a couple weeks ago we were part of their wedding.

In so many ways, Matt and I feel like we were meant to be together. Without a doubt, he is the greatest thing to come into my life in a long, long time and I couldn't imagine my life without him. I've connected with my soul mate -- the man of my dreams -- something I never through possible on the Internet!

Success tips from Jenn

• If you start off with huge expectations they could diminish the fun and social aspect of dating. Keep in the back of your mind that you could meet the person of your dreams, but also enjoy the experience of meeting new people and trying new things.
• Take the time to write a profile and get the right pictures that really capture who you are.
• Be active in emailing others and responding to the emails you receive.
• Remember, as my story demonstrates, first impressions aren't everything!
• Use Icebreakers, they're a nice way to let someone know you're interested!
• First date: We went to Big Bowl, an Asian restaurant, and then to the bookstore.

Do you have a love story to share? Let us know!

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