Amy Michelle

Amy Michelle and her beautiful daughter, Isabella

I have a lot of friends named Amy.  I decided when I first started my blog I wouldn't use last names.  I'm not sure why, but I do try to be consistent (and of course I reserve the right to change my mind later!).  Amy Michelle (isn't that a lovely combination?  I love the "m" sounds...very T.S. Elliot) and I met in Germany.  Both our dads were in the Air Force, and both were stationed at Geilenkirchen NATO Air Base.  I met Amy my first day of my sophomore year.  German buses picked up all elementary, middle school, and high school students and brought them to Geilenkirchen (G.K.).  They dropped off the elementary kids at G.K. elementary school (the school only went up to 5th grade), and the rest of us loaded up on three buses that took us across the border to AFCENT International Middle and High School in The Netherlands.  Our bus came a little before 7 A.M., and we got to the high school a little before 9 A.M.  Talk about a long bus ride! 



Rob, Amy, Suzanne, Laura, Shannon, Tammy

My first day as a sophomore, my brother and I walked down the street to catch the bus and then were transported to G.K.  When it was time to load onto 3 buses, I sat next to Amy.  She was the friendliest, genuinely nicest person, and I was so grateful to meet her!  The 20 minute drive across the border passed quickly.  Amy was very easy and fun to talk to!  I do remember being disappointed to learn that she was a grade level ahead.  I had hoped to meet someone in my grade level.

 

I don't think we ever had a class together.  She knew she wanted to be a nurse and took a ton of advanced science and math classes...my least favorite classes.  She loved art, and she was very talented.   She even helped design the Fine Arts Festival logo one year that was used for flyers and t-shirts.  

She was on swim team and experienced the joys of travel by bus.  She was always willing to share an ear bud with me when she was listening to her music.  She had such a generous heart.



Amy, Christine, Tracy, and Tammi at their baccalaureate.

Amy loved to have fun and was constantly smiling.  She loved The Police and would turn up the volume whenever "Roxanne" was playing.  We watched Pretty Woman on VHS.  She loved the line where Vivian said, "Let's veg.  You know.  Lay like broccoli."  She would always talk about the SNL sketch where Dana Carvey would play the piano and sing "Chopping Broccoli." 
 

We enjoyed riding our bikes through the different German villages.  (You have to understand that you couldn't drive in Germany until you were 18 years old.  High school students rode bikes or mopeds...or walked.)  Once we stopped at a tiny local restaurant to grab a bite to eat.  Everyone turned to look at us when we walked inside.  We instantly felt like outsiders as a hush fell over the crowd.  We sat down and tried to ignore the awkward silence and blatant stares.  I was wearing my letter jacket which screamed we were both Americans.  The Germans in the northern part of the country generally weren't as hospitable and welcoming to Americans as they were in the touristy southern region of the country.  We laughed and tried to make the best of it.  I think we took the disposable German coasters with us when we left--a silent snubbing if you will. 


Amy, Serena, Tammi, Jisca, Suzanne, Helen

Amy was nice to everyone and earnestly tried  to bring people together.  Whenever events were planned, she would always make a point to invite as many people as possible.  She wanted all her friends to be present for the fun!  Her mantra was the more the merrier. 

She had beautiful naturally curly hair that drove her crazy.  Her brown eyes were always shining.  Her room was meticulous.  She encouraged me in ways she will never know, and she chose me to be her friend even though she was surrounded by masses of people clamoring for her attention.

 



Amy and her brother, Tim.  They are truly
two of the nicest people I know!

I loved talking with Amy.  She was open and honest and so encouraging.  She shared her hopes and dreams for the future and wasn't afraid to laugh at herself.  She had experienced heartache as a child when her mother passed away, but it made her stronger and, at the same time, more tender-hearted to others.  She was very bright and always seemed to be working on homework.  I admired her determination to get good grades and to learn all she could.  She was extremely self-sufficient.  Amy was not afraid of hard work.

Amy and her husband, Fabio, holding 
gorgeous Isabella  

Her first year of college, she went to school in Munich, Germany.  When our swim team traveled there for championships, Meg (read more about Meg here) and I visited her at her apartment with her roommate, Shannon.  Amy's boyfriend, Fab, (now hubby) played guitar and sang oldies but goodies.  We had a fun weekend.  Amy was the perfect hostess. 

 

Amy married her college sweetheart, and they now live in California with their two beautiful daughters, Isabella and Olivia, who were born two years apart on the exact same date!  Through a lot of hard work and determination, Amy earned a degree in nursing and financed it completely on her own.  She continues to be the best nurse ever, and I can't imagine how wonderful she is to her patients and how she makes them feel at ease and well taken care of.  I would trust her with any of my relatives and have no doubts that she would give them only her very best care and medical expertise.

Amy is still one of the most gracious, sweetest, kindest people I know.  I am so thankful for her friendship in high school.    What a lucky girl I am to know her and call her one of my fondest friends!  She made long bus rides bearable, lunch more fun, and demonstrated the qualities of a true friend.