Our Story
How did we get here?
August 21 - 24, 2025 | Tuscany, Italy
A Very Florida Love Story
Michelle and Mike met back in the summer of 2015 at yes, a waterpark in Orlando. We worked many shifts together as lifeguards and we quickly became fast friends. Mike was the funniest guy I had met. When we went back to FSU in the fall we kept in touch and starting officially dating the day before Halloween of sophomore year. We continued dating through college and made it through summers apart while we both chased our dreams with internships in Denver and New York City. Many of our college memories are together, including football games, nights out with friends, and cramming for exams.
These were indeed the good old days.
The Post Grad Days
After we graduated from Florida State, Mike moved to Philadelphia while Michelle moved to Washington D.C. Although we wished we could live in the same city, we made the absolute best out of it. We took turns visiting one another on weekends and in the meantime built our careers and made long lasting friendships. Long distance was a test but through our commitment to one another, we made it through.
The Big Apple
After a year and a half of long distance, Michelle took a risk and moved to New York with the hopes that Mike would join her. After Mikes lease was up in Philly, Mike moved into Michelle’s studio apartment in Jersey City (thats right folks, a studio) and shortly after, the Pandemic hit. Mike and Michelle spent the Pandemic partially in Denver with Michelles parents and partially in that cramped studio. In 2022, Mike and Michelle decided to take another cross country Pandemic road trip where we spontaneously picked up the little lady you all know as Murphy. At the time, we had no idea she would be the best thing to complete our little family.
For the next two years, we had the time of our lives living across the river from New York City. We moved to the tiniest but the best apartment, we ate and drank our way through the city. That is not an exaggeration, I can confidently call Mike and I foodies after our time in NYC. Here we made the most amazing friends and memories that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.
Oh and course, in June of 2023 we got engaged in Hawaii!
Our Expat Era
And finally comes our latest chapter, our expat era! In 2023, Mike received an offer through work that would take our little family halfway across the world to the company’s global headquarters. During the last months of 2023, we packed up our lives in Jersey City and prepared for our move to Munich. We found the best apartment we could have hoped for, Michelle quit her design job, and we started our new lives here in February. Now Murphy has her own balcony and goes on daily walks through the Englisher Garten, Mike skis and mountain bikes through the Austrian Alps, and Michelle takes in the rich history of Munich while also re-learning her first language.
All is good.
And for our next chapter, Marriage! We cannot wait to celebrate with everyone we’ve met along the way.
