How did you meet?

(Sara) We met on the internet - Craigslist.com to be exact. I put up an ad one night with the hopes of just meeting somebody to go out with that particular Saturday night. I wasn't really looking for anything beyond meeting somebody new and getting out of the house. I got quite a few responses, and actually met a few of the other guys, who were major duds. Daniel actually responded the next day. What stood out about his reply was that it was very down to earth with no BS. The other thing that stood out was that he mentioned he liked opera and was actually looking for an opera date to see the show that my best friend was performing in at the time. Men who liked opera AND were straight were hard to come by, so I promptly wrote him back and told him about my interests in music and theatre. As it turned out, we had lots of common interests and after several more emails, we were talking on the phone and making arrangements to meet each other.

Where was your first date?

(Sara) We met for drinks at Rock Bottom Brewery in Campbell. I think it was a Friday night. Because of lots of bad dates resulting from internet meetups, I usually took the approach of keeping first meetings short, just in case. That didn't turn out to be a problem. He was quite handsome, and very witty. Though I had been thinking prior to our meeting, that he would probably just be an activity buddy, meeting him shifted my mind in to date mode. And although he had said he was only looking for a friend, I got the impression early on that the attraction was mutual. So, though I wasn't nervous about meeting prior to that evening, I had butterflies the whole time we were together. We found lots to talk about, and the time passed very quickly. Neither of us wanted the evening to end, so we decided to go to a late movie. We saw the Motorcycle Diaries (an excellent movie btw). I was pleased that he enjoyed independent films as did I. Afterwords, he drove me back to my car, and gave me a hug goodnite. Not long after I got home that night, there was a very nice email from him, which confirmed that he liked me too.

Have you been to many operas?

(Daniel) Glad you asked! We've appeared in about the same number that we've seen together. Sara has performed on stage for several years—and I had unknowingly seen her in at least one show before we met . Although I had previously sung for an audience, and enjoyed opera, I hadn't considered auditioning until Sara pointed out that the Stanford Savoyards really needed men to sing. Eager for a chance to impress my new-found girl, I signed up. The rest is documented in the programs.... Over the last year we have performed together in two Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. And yes, sometimes we can get comps, but you have to be really nice to us.

Who proposed and how?

(Sara) Daniel proposed to me in early August. One Saturday, Daniel convinced me to go geocaching. I thought it kind of strange but decided to try to keep an open mind. We found two geocaches in Soquel , and then went to La Selva Beach in Aptos to search for a third one. We searched high and low, and never found the cache that was supposed to be hidden there. Daniel got tricky at one point though. He stood on a hillside, intently studying his GPS. Then he looks up, points, and asks if I've checked in a particular bush that is a few feet from where I am standing. I couldn't remember, so I checked it again. To my surprise, I pulled out a small red jewelry box, and before I knew it, Daniel was by my side, on his knees proposing. Without hesitation, I answered yes!

Will Sara take Daniel's name?

(Sara) Yes, though I'd always hoped I'd get a less common name when I married :) Seriously though, I am happy and proud to share Daniel's name.

Where will you go for your honeymoon?

(Sara) We are going to Bermuda. This was a compromise between Daniel and myself, as he wanted a sunny island type getaway, and I wanted someplace with historical and cultural interest.

Where will you live after the wedding?

(Sara) I will be moving into Daniel's place in South San Jose, as he owns his home and I have been renting.

Copyright 2005, Sara Thomas