StoryCorps: the first kiss

Kelsey Ingmundson and Ross Wollen of San Francisco met in Middlebury, Vermont, where they went to college. They sat down in the StoryCorps booth at the San Francisco Contemporary Jewish Museum to talk about when they first ... well, we’ll let them tell the story.

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ROSS WOLLEN: Well, at this point we hadn't kissed or anything...

KELSEY INGMUNDSON: I remember we'd be sitting next to each other in that loveseat that Brian had, and your leg would touch my leg, and I would be like, "Wait a minute. Ross is touching me." And then, I was like, "Wait, I've never thought about that before because it's just Ross!" But there was a turning point when it just felt like maybe he likes me, maybe I like him. (laughs) And then we went on that trip.

WOLLEN: What did we do? It was Friday night, we came down...

INGMUNDSON: It was either Thursday or Friday night cause it was fall break so we had a day off, I think.

WOLLEN: Oh, we had watched “Iron Chef!”

INGMUNDSON: Oh yeah! At your mom's place.

WOLLEN: On like a Friday night...

INGMUNDSON: Yeup.

WOLLEN: ...we were watching “Iron Chef”...

INGMUNDSON: ...cause we got there late, we watched “Iron Chef.” (laughs)

WOLLEN: And then my mom went to sleep. And we went out onto the terrace. The apartment that I grew up in has an incredible terrace that looks over the East River and has a great view of the Manhattan skyline...

INGMUNDSON: Were you planning to make your move?

WOLLEN: That's where I made my move!

INGMUNDSON: (laughs)

WOLLEN: And we were sharing a blanket cause it was chilly, cause it was October...

WOLLEN: And Kelsey was like, looking at me with like, the eyes that girls make when they want to be kissed for a long time! It took a while for me to make a move...

INGMUNDSON: (laughs) I did! I do remember that.

WOLLEN: I actually went to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror and was like, "Come on! Do this!"

INGMUNDSON: (laughs) Did you really?

WOLLEN: Yeah! I think.

INGMUNDSON: You were nervous, you were really nervous. And I was, I was giving you the eyes cause I didn't want to be too forward!

WOLLEN: You were the girl that I'd had a crush on for a year, so that's pretty, it's not easy to just...

INGMUNDSON: Go for it?

WOLLEN: ...to just go for it. I don't know, but it happened!

INGMUNDSON: Yeah, it did happen. I remember thinking it was really nice. I definitely had the like, nervous stomach, nervous energy. Actually this is funny, I remember coming back to Middlebury and was like, "Okay, what was that? Does this mean we're together? I don't really know!" And I don't remember how you felt exactly about that, but I do remember that you tried to kiss me again when we came back, when we were at school, and...

WOLLEN: And you backed away!

INGMUNDSON: ...and I backed away! I wasn't sure, I was like, "Well, what's going on?" And you were like...

WOLLEN: "Can't we kiss?"

INGMUNDSON: "Why can't we just make out?" I was like, "Oh, I guess we can!" I don't know, I wasn't sure. (laughs) But you were very matter of fact as you often are…

WOLLEN: It took only about 10 days before we were a couple, but there were a few false starts...

INGMUNDSON: (laughs) There were!

WOLLEN: ...in those 10 days!

INGMUNDSON: I think I just wasn't sure, I didn't know.

WOLLEN: It seems very quaint, this story. A little old fashioned. Most of the college hookups probably aren't like this. Most of them involved more alcohol and impulsive moves.

INGMUNDSON: Well, maybe that's why we're getting married.

WOLLEN: It worked out.

INGMUNDSON: It worked out okay!

This story originally aired on December 15, 2009. You can click here for more information on the StoryCorps booth in San Francisco.