 Josh Rivenbark - jrive | All Comments |
Comments | |
| 31st October 2009 Auntie R | - From: I had to do it Josh, How cool! I'm jealous, but you better save a little bit of heart for the Eastern Shore and the Chesapeake Bay!!( AND ME) |
| 31st October 2009 Toni | It's good to follow your heart wherever it leads you, Josh! - From: I had to do it Go wherever your heart beckons you, Josh... for those with free spirits are caged butterflies if they cannot roam... and never fear that your heart has a finite capacity for love... I think you will find that the more you embrace your passions, the more your heart will expand and grow to accommodate all that you love. Have a wonderful trip... I can't wait to hear all about it! Lotsa' luv, Toni xoxoxo |
| 31st October 2009 Batista | - From: I had to do it Wow. Can I use this when I teach Humanities next semester? |
| 28th August 2009 Hung | Amazing writing - From: Reasons I'm Madly in Love with Saigon Hi Josh, I've read a couple of your blogs and wow, you're an amazing writer. Your writing is full of depth, soul, insight, earnest, humanity, reflection, worldliness, understanding, poignancy, sincerity, and much more...Not sure what you're studying at Iowa State, but I sincerely wish you all best wishes. |
| 13th August 2009 Angel | - From: Some of the Small Things Josh, you are just simply amazing. That's really the best way I can put it! Your writing is vivid, poetic, and as close as I'm ever going to get to SE Asia! Though I would love to kidnap you to my little St. Louis suburb, roaming the world is where you truly belong. : D |
| 9th August 2009 LiseTom | Thailand - Bangkok - From: An Epic Adventure in Transit/Paranoia in Thailand Is it really that bad? I'm leaving for Bangkok next Monday with my girlfriend. I've spoken to people who have been there and they said it wasn't that bad. Enjoy your stay at Ko Tao =) |
| 9th August 2009 Angel | speedpony14@sbcglobal.net - From: How to Have a Tropical Paradise Getaway I made it back to St. Louis today, which means that I no longer have my picturesque mountain backdrop calling my name. This beach paradise of yours is now very tempting.... |
| 9th August 2009 Angel | - From: Sunday in Saigon: Why I Travel Wow, Josh. That's really all I can say. You write with such truth and vividness. Reading these makes me feel as though I'm there with you, and I love that. You're amazing and it sounds like you are having an amazing time. By the way, I think you would make Anthony Bourdain proud. ; ) |
| 8th August 2009 jrive | recipe - From: Happiness Is Sadly I did not get the recipe... not sure they're willing to give away that sort of secret but I do happen to have half a day in Singapore on my way to China, so I might just have to return and try and get it :) |
| 7th August 2009 auntie R | crabs,crabs,crabs - From: Happiness Is Did you get the recipe? |
| 7th August 2009 auntie R | envious - From: How to Have a Tropical Paradise Getaway I think you both are having too much fun by yourselves...I want to be there too!!!! The island sounds absolutely Ma Va Lous. Continue having fun you guys. Be safe. Love you lots Auntie R |
| 7th August 2009 jrive | camera - From: Reasons I'm Madly in Love with Saigon Glad to know you're reading it! Sadly my sister doesn't even really have a decent camera so I have no choice but to take more pictures this time... I'm gradually getting used to it though. |
| 6th August 2009 Leah | Camera? - From: Reasons I'm Madly in Love with Saigon Sounds like Paradise at Lake Kivu! Sounds like there is plenty of variety in everyday life..just like the way you are both soaking all that in! Is your camera also hidden on this trip? |
| 6th August 2009 Leah | following - From: By the Way.... Josh, Glad to read your Blog. You and Rachel seem to be having lots of fun! Your observation are trully classic. I really laughed at your observation of the global citizen you describe at the end of the blog. Enjoy the trip! |
| 31st July 2009 Tracie | Mmmmm crabs. . . - From: Happiness Is Hi Josh! You know, I had never really given any thought to visit Singapore but your incredible experience and writing ability has me thinking I must eat some of these before I die - kind of my own "bucket list" of gastronomical delights! Glad you are having the experience of a lifetime. Take care, Tracie |
| 31st July 2009 david | good choice - From: Happiness Is Hi, good recommendation from the taxi driver!! this is one of the place where Singaporean like me enjoy great crabs!! Cheers. |
| 30th July 2009 auntie r | food,food,food - From: ...and then there was food. O.K. I'm jealous already. My stomach will live vicariously through the both of you. My hair is growing just thinking about the humidity. Please be safe and have lots of fun Love you bunches, Auntie R |
| 29th July 2009 Jason | - From: ...and then there was food. that was fun to read, keep blogging like that and you could just write travel books for a living |
| 11th October 2008 Toni | - From: I love this city What an incredible introduction to Edinburgh, Josh... your pictures are amazing, & I loved your personal commentary, along with the description of the area! I'm with you... the castle is captivating... as are the pictures of the Scottish Parliament, the Royal Mile, & Calton Hill. I'm so impressed with your History of Art class meeting in the National Gallery... that would be so fantastic to have a class like that. Your "roomies" sound terrific... what a diverse group... it's great that you all get along so well!!! The soccer match will definitely test your allegiance to your Norwegian roots, Josh... :0} ... but I'm with you, since you'll be in a Scottish pub with people who've probably "enjoyed a bit of the ale", it might be wise to root for the "home team". Ha! Take care... so glad that you're loving Scotland! Love, Toni xoxoxo |
| 6th October 2008 auntie R | - From: Paris at Last Hi Josh, With every blog I get more jealous/envious. What a wonderful experience. I love the photos. You are doing a superb job taking us along with you. I am sooo proud of you taking this semester abroad. Good luck with classes (but I know you don't need it) Much love to you, Auntie R |
| 26th September 2008 Arthur | Voltaire - From: Paris at Last I believe one of the sites I would really like to see would be the French Pantheon where Voltaire is buried. He was one of the most amazing and interesting intellects ever. Rousseau is also buried there, and much of Jefferson's writings and personal philosophy were influenced by him, but I don't think he has endured nearly as well as Voltaire. Isn't it fun seeing all that art that you have seen in pictures or heard of all your life? Those museums hold the cultural iconography of Western Civilization - and you can walk right up to it! The Mona Lisa is, of course, just a small panel, but it is the Mona Lisa - probably one of the most universally recognized artworks in the world! And - if you look closely - you can see Leonardo's very brushstrokes! It has been hypothesized that the wet paint captured the sound waves that hit it as it was applied just as an analogue record/wax cylinder does, and - if we could only figure out how to "play" them - we could hear the sound of Leonardo's voice. They moved Napoleon's body to the Chapel of St. Jerome where it is now in 1840, and found it to be almost perfectly preserved. That has been attributed to the high levels of arsenic due to environmental and medical exposure, and has led to all the conspiracy theories about the British poisoning him. |
| 25th September 2008 Tracie | Soon. . . - From: Paris at Last Hi Josh! You have had the same feelings I do about Paris. I cry at Notre Dame every time - been there in the evening for Mass without all the tourists - very cool. I love eating at a cafe on the sidewalk watching Paris walk by. The first museum I went to was the Orsay in the old train depot - love my Van Gogh! You should walk up the towers of Notre Dame and see the city from there - so cool. Have fun in Edinburgh - study hard. We have corn waiting for you!! |
| 21st September 2008 Tracie | FINALLY! - From: Pictures! Hi Josh, thought maybe you were just hiding down the hall to get out of work and pretending to be in Europe! Everything is how I remember and see it when I'm there - just incredible. I will be in France Sept. 30-Oct.7 to give my third seminar in less than a month. Am spending time at the Bay of Somme and staying in a chateau - very cool. Most of my time will be in Lille at university. Hope classes are going well. |
| 21st September 2008 Toni | Awesome pictures... :0} - From: Eastern Europe could be it's own continent LOVED ALL THE PICTURES, JOSH... can't wait for the next ones to arrive... so fun to see what you described in your blog!!! |
| 20th September 2008 Rachel | Yay!! - From: Pictures! Pictures!! Yay!!! |
| 18th September 2008 Rachel | Yay!! - From: No, I'm not actually dead You are alive!!!! Yay!!!! :) |
| 10th September 2008 Rachel | Tour? - From: Where can we find a night train? Joshua! Was the tour as amazing as expected?!?! |
| 10th September 2008 Rachel | Touring - From: Where did all this grease come from? Hey Josh, I like the part in your story where you talked about the brother and sister traveling, but my question for you is, why didn't you take your sister?! |
| 9th September 2008 Toni | I think that it's the unexpected events of your trip you'll remember most... :o) - From: Where did all this grease come from? Dear Josh ~ WHAT AN INCREDIBLE ADVENTURE YOU'VE HAD!!!!!!!!! I howled when I read about how you improvised "sleeping among the bicycles on the train"... "getting scarcely a drop of grease on you". HA! =+} I could relate to your frustration of not always having all of your plans work out precisely as you'd envisioned... yet, these "misadventures" have been some of my favorite parts of your blog, Josh. They gave me a window on your "inner-workings" (who you genuinely are): your incredible sense of humor "when life throws you a curve ball", your ingenuity when "in a pinch", & your adventurous spirit to venture beyond the run-of-the-mill "touristy" vacation spots. These are the wonderful tales you'll share with your grandkids someday... when "papa" was a "carefree lad exploring parts unknown". I've loved envisioning Europe through your eyes, Josh, as well as through your taste buds (ha!) ... can't wait to hear about "the next train stop". Much love, Toni xoxoxo |
| 8th September 2008 Katie | - From: Where did all this grease come from? We're loving these these blogs, Josh! Thanks so much for letting us in on it all. We're enjoying every one. Can't wait to see the pictures...cathedrals, castles AND greasy bicycles! It all sounds amazing! Extreeeeemly amazing! Keep it up... |
| 5th September 2008 Auntie R | Italy - From: A taste of Italy Josh, I am soooo jealous. Every place sounds wonderful. But...Milan is "My Kind Of Town". Suits, great clothes, Vittton. Everyone looking gorgeous. I'm sorry, I'm very shallow!!! Not that I would 't want to be riding through the air in the Alps and enjoying every place you have been. Enjoy--school starts soon!!! Love, Auntie R |
| 28th August 2008 Nana | London & Germany - From: Chateau Hopping in the Loire Dear Josh - I will start at the end of your earlier blog - we love them and hope they continue! In fact, one came today and I will save comments until later! I am sorry we have not written sooner but we have had company from MD, old neighbors who now live in Florida. They always wanted to see Story Ctiy and we toured (what there is!) completely, had dinner at the Cottage, etc. They were impressed with Ames and Iowa State and then saw Riverside camp also. We had a very good visit. We went out to the country and Carl took many pictures there. Your mom and Jeff joined us at the Cottage for dinner. Now - on to the first part of your trip. We hope to be better about responding in the future! It is all so interesting, and we are learning a lot from you. We have been to many of the same places - one place you enjoyed so much we never have seen and that is Prague. Hope to visit there some time - everyone seems impressed with it. London is also fascinating! Aunt Thel and i enjoyed it and then at at earlier time, Grandpa and I had been there. I loved going to Shakespeare's birthplace and his area. There is so much to see in london and we were amazed at how friendly the British were - and helpful as Aunt Thel and I looked lost. We did see a play in the Globe Theater! The atmosphere in London was great - and we enjoyed the theater in London also. When we were in Germany, we stayed with IBM friends and they took us to great places to eat, a tour of the Rhine River, and much more. This is all for now - and I will comment on your lates Blog next time I write. Sorry to wait so long - we think of you and Rachel often - and I wrote her a letter yesterday! We will look forward to your blogs wheneever you have time to write. You have been great about keeping us informed so far! Miss you and Love you, Nana and Grandpa P.S. - Aunt Thel and I had fun shopping (looking) at the department store, Harolds! We had tea there also, which many visitors do! |
| 28th August 2008 Rachel | Stamps?! - From: Chateau Hopping in the Loire Wait!! You bought stamps?!?! Are you sending me something?! :) have fun in France Joshua!! :) |
| 26th August 2008 Claire | - From: Mind the gap on the way to Piccadilly Hi Josh I hope you will be able to give more details next time ! especially about your impressions about France. Yes it was a French holiday last Friday so French had a 3-day weekend. Enjoy ! |
| 25th August 2008 Liz | - From: Mind the gap on the way to Piccadilly AHH! School started today...I miss Europe SOO much...and maybe you :D Sadly they worked out the whole ticket mess so I kind of had to get on the plane after all. Keep the good times rolling though - I cannot wait to hear all about glorious France!!! |
| 23rd August 2008 Tracie | Eastern Europe - From: Eastern Europe could be it's own continent Sounds like much more fun than Iowa right now. Never been to Germany or Czech Rep. but all I can say is "wait until Mont. St. Michele" |
| 23rd August 2008 Colleen | - From: Eastern Europe could be it's own continent I'm really enjoying reading your blog. Josh & Kristen will be there soon. I'm going to keep track of your travels by reading your blog so keep up the good work! Oh, and stay SAFE! (Coming from a mom, of course!) |
| 23rd August 2008 Batista Simpson | What a writer! - From: Eastern Europe could be it's own continent Thanks for the great updates. The description of the glass case of empty bookshelves worked. I'd like to be there! |
| 22nd August 2008 Toni | Deutschland is magical... isn't it? - From: Deutschland has Surprised and Stolen Me Sooo fantastic to read all of your blogs, Josh! Isn't Deutschland a magical country? The boarding school I went to as a child was about 1 1/2 hours out of Munich and had 2 incredible castles nearby that we visited numerous times. I'm with you, Josh, castles are captivating... they transport you to another world... another time/place... almost into a fantasy world. :o} Mike's mom & dad took a 7 day barge trip up the Rhine and said that it was one of the most beautiful trips they'd ever taken... that was saying a lot since they'd been in nearly every part of the world. Can't wait to hear about your next adventures... thanks for sharing your experiences/insights with all of us. xoxoxo Luv, Toni |
| 19th August 2008 Travis | WOW! - From: Deutschland has Surprised and Stolen Me I hope you got tons of pictures of that Dom! I really want to see this thing! hope your having a great time! |
| 19th August 2008 Arthur | - From: Deutschland has Surprised and Stolen Me You were writing about how old the town of Rothenburg was - 12th Century. It is interesting to remember that 1200 years before that, that area was the frontier of the Roman Empire. The Rhine River town of Trier, I think, has a particularly well-preserved Roman building, but where the antiquity of Europe really hit me was in London. I came out of the Tower of London Underground station and could see the White Tower - built in c. 1080 - over 900 years old. In the foreground, near the entrance to the Underground, was the Roman wall that had run around the original City of London. It was almost 1,000 years old when the Tower was built, and is still there! |
| 18th August 2008 Arthur | Bratwurst and Strudel?!? - From: Arrived! It sounds as if you're in downtown Milwaukee! |
| 18th August 2008 Toni | I can taste the streudel now... :o) - From: Arrived! Congratulations, Josh, on your arrival in the New World... if you just got a partially completed email from me, please delete it as my computer went crazy and sent it before I was done typing. :o{ Christopher Columbus would be jealous of the wonderful cuisine you're enjoying in your "parts unknown"... streudel and bratwurst... it brings back sweet memories of fantastic German meals I savored in Munich when I was small. Be sure to try all the wursts... they're all very different, but delicious! Also, if you get the chance, sample their potatoe pancakes and home-made kraut or pickled red cabbage... mmmmm....soooo gooood... and the most fantastic dessert I remember was something called Black Forest Cake with dark chocolate, tons of whipping cream, and brandied cherries (to die for--- literally--- ha!) :o} Keep eating your way through Europe, and we'll all close our eyes and imagine dining at your table with you. Love, Toni xoxoxo P.S. Hope you can get some "shut eye" tonight... |
| 18th August 2008 jason | - From: Arrived! hope youre havin fun man |
| 17th August 2008 Katie | Yeah! - From: Arrived! Hi Josh - SO glad to hear you've arrived safely and we're so excited for you and love getting these blogs! Don't give up on that German keyboard, enjoy every bite of streudel and get some sleep! |
| 15th August 2008 Tracie | Bon Voyage!! - From: Let's Fly Away I'm stuck at the bench watching buffer drip through a column so I don't have much time other than to say I'm extreeeeeeeeemely jealous!! I know you will have so much fun. Eat lots of bread, cheese and chocolate for me when in France. |
| 14th August 2008 jrive | Thanks for the advice! - From: Adventure Overview Thanks for the advice everyone! I will definitely look into visiting all those places, and give reports on which get the best reviews! (Also - I'm a huge da Vinci fan, so I am excited to get to see where he spent his last days in Amboise) |
| 12th August 2008 Travis | Thankyou - From: Why? A Little Explanation... Hey Josh thanks for adding me to your travel blog. It will be good to hear what your doing, in all those places! Good luck! |
| 11th August 2008 Arthur | Itinerary - From: Adventure Overview When you get to London - find out when the places you wish to see open. Get there by opening time, and you'll avoid the lines and be able to spend much more time on the sites. This is especially true in the Tower (Very Old Castle - crown jewels - and recreated Medieval Palace c. Edward I). I think Leonardo da Vinci was buried in the abbey at Amboise (now a ruin - the French Revolution was tough on those places). You can take the train from London out to Windsor - awesome castle - and Hampton Court - another awesome castle although only a few of the main areas are still Tudor. |
| 11th August 2008 Toni | We will see your "brave new world" through your eyes, Josh... we can't wait for your next blog! - From: Adventure Overview Hello, Bonjour, Ciao, Hallo, Josh! We're sooooo incredibly excited about the wondrous journey ahead of you!!! I lived in Germany for over a year and in France for a summer, when I was a little girl. We visited many of the places you're about to see --- they're awesome --- it'll be so fun to hear about your adventures in each of them. Mike fell in love with London and wants to return there once I retire... let us know which places are your favorites. :0) We almost think that the "trip before the true destination" will be as much fun as arriving in Edinburgh (but Mike says that you've got to go up to the castle... it was one of his favorite spots in Edinburgh, with gorgeous views of the city). He also said to tell you to visit Glasgow & Inverness, if you get the chance... these were favorite spots of his. Best wishes for a fantastic flight over... Lots of love, Toni & Mike xoxo |
