A tale of two cities.
We met up for drinks after matching on Bumble. Ben “extended” the match in hopes of Mala messaging, and she totally took the bait. A modern day love story.
It was August 2nd, 2018 and Ben had boldly suggested meeting at Dalva, a dive bar in the Mission District of San Francisco where Mala was living at the time. Mala assumed he meant the cool, speakeasy cocktail bar in that back of Dalva…but no, he did not. Regardless, Mala appreciated the date location for its convenience and deep down, she prefers dive bars anyway.
Mala was smitten after the first couple dates. Ben was unlike any guy she had ever met - incredibly kind, generous, and honest. He was actually friends with his neighbors! He brought pastries to his dry cleaner! Ben had the ability to make anyone he met feel at ease and Mala knew he was the one she was meant to be with. So when Ben announced on their third date that he was moving back to Los Angeles for a job opportunity, she didn’t want the relationship to end there.
Thus began a year of long distance dating. With every trip down to LA and a couple trips up to SF, they grew closer. Ben learned that she loved to cook (and he loved to eat her cooking) and had the uncanny ability to fall asleep anywhere. Mala learned that his love of cars actually bordered on obsession and vowed to never go on a “canyon drive” with him again. Eventually, together they made the decision that they wanted to be together in the same city and that city was LA.
In July 2019, Ben helped Mala move out of her Mission District apartment and into her apartment in the Palms neighborhood of LA. Shortly after, Ben moved into that same apartment. Fast forward to February 2nd, 2021, on Mala’s 32nd birthday and after a year of quarantining together, Ben asked Mala to marry him as the sun set in Joshua Tree National Park. Mala said yes and that night, they looked up at the stars from their tiny house in Joshua Tree and talked excitedly of their future.