About Us
Mike and I met at Ball State-my sophomore, his senior year. We were both working at Courtside, a sandwich shop (dining service) in Lafollette (a residence hall). We were acquaintances, and then friends, due to being co-workers and having a mutual friend, Bryan. We would hang out in a group occasionally, besides making the sandwiches together!
Mike graduated that May and moved back home to South Bend to work. I was still at Ball State (with too many years to go!). During my senior year (the best year!), I was renting and sharing the cutest little yellow house with a couple of great girlfriends. I would get updates on Mike, here and there, from Bryan. In February of 1999, Mike came down to Muncie to visit Bryan and other mutual friends. I hadn't seen Mike since May of '97. When Mike and Bryan stopped by (our cute little yellow house), I felt myself looking at Mike a little differently. At that time I knew Mike and a lot about him, but mainly through Bryan. It was on that night that I thought, hmmm…..wow! I really want to get to know this "mysterious" guy better. My best friend/roommate, Lara, saw this in me almost immediately.
So, following that visit, Mike and I began e-mailing mainly. Then, talking on the phone…a lot. What I remember most about that time is how much I laughed during those phone conversations. Lara always wondered, what the heck do you guys talk about that's so funny? Just "stuff"...but gosh, he had a way of making me laugh (a quality about him that is so important to me to this day). Anybody who knows Mike knows how quirky he can be and I got to know so many of his quirks and ideas in those phone conversations.
Eventually I visited him in South Bend in August of '99 on one of my visits home to Michigan City. This was our first one-on-one contact time together, crazy! As we look back, we think it was our first date, but at that time we didn't know what the heck it was! It's so hard to cross that line from friends…to more…not knowing exactly how the other person feels (worrying about losing such a great friendship if the other does not feel the same way). He opened doors and treated me to a nice dinner that night.
After the "non-date," we kept our phone calls up (still strictly friends, remember?) and talked about taking a road trip together during my Fall Break. Neither of us had ever been to Mackinac Island, MI and wanted to visit. So, we planned this trip together. My roommate, Lara, said I couldn't come back if Mike and I hadn't revealed our feelings to each other. It was quite a trip-very cold up there at the end of October (definitely not necessarily the season to go), but we had the best time. My nerves were sure going strong the majority of the trip. We were having so much fun, yet we were trying so hard to "read into" the other's statements, actions, etc. The last night we were there, we stayed up until 3 AM just talking and laughing. Finally, I could NOT take it any longer. I took the plunge…and kissed him-SO unlike me. Ask any of my friends. I was so worried about what kind of response I might get from him, aaah! Luckily, he pulled me toward him and was happy I made the move-haha!
Mike and I have been together ever since that chilly night on Lake Huron in October '99. I had another year of grad classes left and made frequent trips to South Bend and him to Muncie, often every other weekend, or so. Leaving Mike to go back to school on Sundays, following fun-filled weekends, was always SO difficult for me. In December of 2000, I moved home to do my student teaching. Then, I did my medical internship at Memorial Hospital in South Bend. It was during this time that we got to be together more and our relationship really developed.
We decided to move in together in July of 2001 (best decision we ever made) after I got my job in Goshen. Things just started falling into place for us from there. We got engaged that December 21st (first day of winter-the shortest and typically most depressing day of the year for me-but Mike changed all of that-thank you, honey). We were looking and looking to buy a house this past summer and finally found the one we call home in September. We moved in October 11th. We love it-our very own. Now, we're getting married on June 21st (the first day of summer, believe it or not)-funny how that worked out. This is a great time in our lives.
2008 Mike and Amy Focosi
