Advice to singles looking for love

Oliver believes that it is important to meet people with common interests and values "because those are the things you are attracted to. If you meet someone at a party the only thing you really have in common is that you like to drink."

How do you know you have found the one?

"We both always wonder how we are so lucky," Oliver said. Glowing with happiness, Jenny adds, "He's the best person I've ever met and I miss him when I'm not with him." Oliver agrees, with one reservation, "I don't know if Jenny is the best person I've ever met. I did hear Nelson Mandela."

SANDY & DANNY*

Falling in Love

Sandy and Danny dated pretty casually in the beginning of their relationship, but Danny coyly admits that "I discovered that she was, 'The One' when I went home for Thanksgiving Break." She had sent me a Smilogram that said something like, 'I hope we take more walks together' or something cheesy like that. Over Thanksgiving, when I took out my wallet and saw the Smilogram, I realized that this was not random anymore--it was a regular relationship." Danny still keeps the Smilogram in his wallet.

Most romantic moments

"Last fall, right after the summer, we went to Gloucester and stayed in a motel/bar with rooms above it. The motel was filled with old sailors drinking beer and playing pool at one in the afternoon. It was still a lot of fun and romantic though," Sandy jokes. "I guess we just don't do anything conventional!" The funny thing, Sandy says, is that all our friends now "equalate Gloucester and sex. Equalate...is that a word?"

Also, Sandy remember that on Valentine's Day freshman year, he took her out for French cuisine: ABP. According to Sandy, Danny, "being the jackass that he is, didn't make reservations." Valentine's Day sophomore year was even more romantic. Danny remembers that "we went to the Science Museum and saw Life Under the Sea. Once again we're just not conventional." Danny excitedly recalls that he had planted a picture frame in Sandy's room of both of them as babies. "I actually called Sandy's mom and put it together. I got a lot of points for that." Sandy also remembers that it was cute that she taught Danny "how to ride a bike because he had a demented childhood where he never learned."

What qualities draw you to each other?

Sandy adds that she loves Danny because he is "goofy and immature in a good way--like fun. Also, he's really good at balancing things; he gives good advice. I don't know, he's just good like that. We just kind of complement each other pretty well. A lot of things I don't have, Danny has. It's really healthy. We have an open relation ship almost to a fault."

Pondering what draws him to Sandy, Danny admits that he loves how she is "outgoing. She gives off a happy aura--she's just pleasant. Also, when she smiles it's like her whole body is smiling." Danny also explains that, most importantly, he thinks Sandy is a 'manhole,' a girl who is able to get along really well with guys because she has the personality of a guy." This is what he finds truly attractive. Suddenly realizing the sappiness of what he is saying, Danny says, "I'm gonna be kicked out of my room!"

LESSONS:

What have we learned from these three tales of real-life romance?