"I wasn't really sure what to expect. I had tried a couple of other dating services before and honestly none of them really went anywhere. So part of me thought this might just be another attempt that probably wouldn't go very far.

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After talking with Anna though it felt a little different. Instead of just sending profiles right away she actually asked a lot of questions about my lifestyle, what kind of personality I usually get along with, what I was realistically looking for. The conversation took a while. It didn't feel rushed or automated.

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A little later she mentioned Tatiana. She had recently moved to the US from Russia and was still adjusting to everything here. Anna thought our personalities might match and suggested we meet.

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So we set up a first meeting at a small cafe in the city. I got there a bit early and ordered coffee while waiting. I remember feeling that usual awkward nervousness you get before meeting someone new. But when Tatiana walked in and we started talking it actually felt pretty easy right away.

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We ended up sitting there a lot longer than I expected. At some point I realized we'd been talking for almost two hours without noticing. She told me about moving to the US, figuring things out in a new country, and I told her about my work and life here. Somehow the conversation just kept going.

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Over the next few weeks we started seeing each other more often. Nothing dramatic. Just normal things. Dinners, walking around the city, trying random places neither of us had been to before. Sometimes just coffee.

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Tatiana was focused on building her life here and I had a busy schedule with work, so the pace worked well for both of us. No pressure on where things had to go.

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Anna checked in every once in a while to see how things were going, which I appreciated. But mostly it was just us getting to know each other at our own pace.

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I came in pretty skeptical. That part didn't last long."

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— Morgan, 62, Chicago