Captivating Couples 2016: Part 1

Meet 10 adorable duos and learn their secrets to enduring love

Hannah & Arlene – Santa Clara, CA
 
Hannah Cui, 34, HR business partner
Arlene Nelson, 31, IT business analyst
 
Arlene had been living as an expat in Doha, Qatar, for three years before she decided it was time to seriously look for love. She was planning a visit to New York to see her friends, and wanted to find a date while she was there. “I thought it wouldn’t hurt to start my search early,” she says, “so I created an online profile.” When a cute girl’s profile caught her eye, Arlene decided to make the first move, sending Hannah a message on Christmas Day 2012. It didn’t take long for Hannah to respond, and the pair quickly “became virtually attached at the hip.” Their Skype connection was electric. Arlene noticed how attentive Hannah was and how comfortable she felt talking with her. Hannah was immediately struck by Arlene’s “kind eyes and gorgeous smile.” After three months of Skype, email, Facetime and WhatsApp, Hannah flew to Doha for a first date. And when she returned to New York, Arlene came with her. “It was the greatest international U-Haul ever,” Arlene jokes. They’ve lived in six countries and eight states combined. Three years later, the newlyweds’ jet-setting romance has continued and they’ve recently relocated to the Bay Area with their maltipoo, Edie. Through it all, they’ve learned that “love has no boundaries.” Hannah admits that her friends and family “thought I was crazy to fly halfway across the world to a foreign country to make a commitment to someone who I’ve never met in person.” The “trick,” she says, “is to find someone who is equally as crazy and go all in.”

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