Mitch Johnson and Marcia Ratliff are two hopeless romantics that met at Winona State University. These former students love kindled during a coffee date discussing poetry. They bonded over shared hobbies and continue to prioritize healthy living together.

How did you two meet?
We were both English majors at WSU, and one fateful semester our schedules aligned for one very important class: British and American Romanticism. Though Romanticism is an era in literature, not a primer on successful relationships, the name bears a neat resemblance to what happened to us. I had seen Mitch around Minne Hall a few times, but I was unaware that he had surreptitiously started sitting behind me in class. One day he asked me if I wanted to get coffee at the Blue Heron and talk about poetry. This was strategic on his part because I love poetry. I also thought he was cute. So we got coffee.

What are your hobbies?
We both like reading and hiking. Mitch likes cooking. I like distance running. We also enjoy gardening, listening to live music, and eating great food.

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day?
Wouldn't you like to know? ;)

How do you two practice healthy heart behaviors (ex. Exercising together, cooking healthy meals together)?
We try not to eat processed food, so we make most of our food from scratch. (Except for an ever-present bag of tortilla chips, which we eat almost every day.) Cooking from scratch keeps us aware of the ingredients in our food, and helps us moderate portions. (Don't tell the tortilla chips I said that.) We also try to eat locally produced food whenever possible, which naturally limits how much meat we eat, because meat is expensive. We think of meat as an accent to a good dish rather than the focal point. As for exercise, we prefer walking over driving if the weather permits. This builds in moderate exercise sessions throughout our days, ten or twenty minutes at a time. So even when we're really busy and don't have time to hit the gym, we get lots of sneaky exercise.

 

What is your favorite part about Winona, MN?
We love that we can hike, bike, paddle, and scramble some rocks all without driving anywhere. We can just step out the door of our apartment near St. Stan's and be at the bluff trails in 30 blissful minutes of walking.


Winona's Healthy Habits highlights Winonans who have adopted healthy habits that are helping them to lead a better life. Information provided should not be taken as medical advice. 
If you would like to be featured for your healthy habit, please email info@livewellwinona.org