Looking for something to make you smile? Then read this! Since Valentine’s Day is on everyone’s brain right now I thought it would be appropriate to write an article about love.
So I interviewed couples from all over the region, asking them questions about their relationships and what made them crazy about each other. Give in to your mushy romantic side and read on!
Karin Mick and Eric Woodside of Valparaiso, IN
How did you guys meet?
Eric- "We met on Match.com. Despite knowing many of the same people, it took the Internet to bring us together."
What was your first date like?
Karin- "At the beginning I wondered if he was going to be a crazy person. My friend made me give her all his info, including car make and model, before the date in case anything happened. It turned out that he was really cute and sweet . He gave me a single yellow rose –which I still have, and opened the car door for me. We met some of his friends at a restaurant and that put me at ease. Then we went to a play at Chicago Street Theater where Eric sometimes ran sound for productions. It was a very good date."
What’s one thing that you love the most about Karin?
Eric- "Can I choose more than one? I love her eyes. I love that we can make each other laugh and I love her personality."
Any advice on how to keep the love alive?
Karin- "Laugh with each other and try not take things too seriously. If you put a lighthearted spin on things, conflicts will be easier to solve. If you take life too seriously then you’re going to be unhappy."
Sarah and Dan Hallberg of Valparaiso, IN
How did you meet?
Dan- "I want to VU for my undergrad and I was in the Cambridge program to study abroad. I was on Spring break and doing a tour of Europe."
Sarah- "We bumped into each other at a hostel in Belfast. He says I smiled at him so he followed me into the Library. He was reading Emma and I was reading Pride and Prejudice. Then we got to chatting about the things we did in London and around the UK and then he asked me out for a pint of Guinness."
When did you realize that Sarah was the one for you?
Dan- "I don’t know. People talk about there being a moment where you absolutely know and other people experience it slowly over time. I think it was the latter for me. I never had an “Aha moment”. One morning, I don’t remember when, I started thinking about my future and instead me going forward I thought of Sarah and I going forward."
You mentioned that you maintained a long-distance relationship before you moved here, Sarah. How did you both do it?
Sarah- "Long distance was rough for two years, but we certainly made it work. At one point Dan mailed me a cookbook that he also had a copy of and we cooked together on Skype."
Dan- "I can understand why long-distance doesn’t work for a lot of people. You have to treat it like a regular relationship. You have to block off time just like you would in a relationship where you see someone face to face all the time."
What do you recommend for couples not to do?
Dan- "Don’t cheat. That’s an easy one. Also, a relationship is give and take. You’re going to compromise a lot. So don’t be dug in too much."
Sarah- "And people who want to be in relationships can be so picky that they’re missing out on other great people."
Carrie and Brad Martin of Valparaiso, IN
How did you meet?
Carrie- "Brad and I met over 20 years ago at Inman's Bowling Alley in Valparaiso. Brad was with a friend of mine, and he introduced us. My first impression of him was that he was "hot", but then I noticed his eyes and smile. Our first date was to the movies to see "Unlawful Entry". I remember when he picked me up at my house my mom and aunt were there and I told them to cough if they thought he was cute! They did!!"
When did you know she was "The One"?
Brad- "We dated for five years before we were married. Somewhere between the fourth and fifth year we broke up for about a month. During that period of time I realized how much I missed being with her and remembered all of the good times we had during the years. After taking that month or so off from the relationship, that is how I knew she was "The One". About a month and a half after we got back together...I asked her to marry me...and we just celebrated our 15 year anniversary in Costa Rica a couple months ago."
What could you not do without him?
Carrie- "Something I could not do without Brad would be to raise our three daughters. He is such a wonderful father and the girls love him so much. Every day when he comes home from work, no matter where they are in the house, they always run to give daddy a hug and a kiss."
What, in your opinion, keeps a relationship strong and alive?
Brad- "Carrie and I both think what keeps a relationship strong is to always make time to be with each other. At least twice a month we have a date night where we will go to dinner and a movie or something else fun that is just her and I. We also try to take one vacation per year...just us... to get away and relax. With our kids being older now, we are able to make that happen with less hassle. Hanging out with our friends is another thing we do both together, and separately. It keeps the feeling of being "locked down" in family and work life at bay, and allows us to have some fun outside of our relationship. We love our kids to death, but these are some things that we think make our relationship strong and alive."
Travis Kleca and Samantha Lane of La Porte, IN
How did you meet?
Travis- "We met at a wedding but we talked before through Facebook from friends setting us up together."
What was your first impression of him?
Samantha- "My first impression of Travis was that he was a sweet, charming, and attractive man that I knew right away I wanted to get to know more and more."
How did you know that she was “The One”?
Travis- I"t was love at first sight. She was and is a beautiful and sweet woman. How I knew Samantha was the one for me was when we first met I felt something inside my heart."
What do you love the most about Travis?
Samantha- "What I love the most about Travis is how he's always here by my side whenever I need him whether it’s his support or just his company."
How do you keep the love alive?
Samantha- "How I keep the love alive is I like to talk out our disagreements and consider each others views. And every once in awhile I will prepare a candle light dinner just because."
Travis- "How I keep our love alive is by showing her my love and affection and also spending every moment with her."
Maureen and Neil Davey of Valparaiso, IN
How did you guys meet?
Maureen: "We met in high school. We had an English class together freshmen year."
Neil, When did you realize that Maureen was the woman for you?
Neil- "We started hanging out frequently during our senior year and we became best friends. We would kid and tease each other in a flirtatious manner and everything was totally platonic. Then one day I invited her over and when I opened the door and saw her something clicked. She was wearing a navy blue shirt and she looked very nice. I don’t know, it was something magical."
What do you love the most about him, Maureen?
Maureen- "It’s hard to pick one thing, but I love that I can tell him anything. He always listens."
What to you is the most important thing to remember when trying to keep a relationship strong?
Maureen- "Honesty. There is no point in hiding something from anyone even if things are going to end badly it’s better that you talk things out and figure it out."
Neil- "You’ll hear a lot about people that have been married for 80 or 90 years get asked in interviews what kept their relationship going, and the husband will jokingly say, 'Yes, Dear.' I think that’s half the answer. It’s not the man doing whatever his wife wants. What that means is don’t take things too seriously. Open communication is important and if there happens to be a disagreement you have to remember that your relationship is much more important than the temporary issue at hand; that it rises above the problem."
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