mjripple's Guestbook

Thoughts about.....The Firetruck
To say I have enjoyed your postings and thoughtful/intelligent/empathetic/funny/humble/slightly sarcastic(!) insights is an UNDERSTATEMENT. It has been a joy to be included, even as a bystander, in your experiences. I have been blessed with bystander status for the last 16 years. I was there for the pre-getting on the firetruck years! I always knew - and frequently expressed the sure knowledge - that you would make it on the firetruck. I just didn't realize you would OWN it when you were done. Nice job. All my love, Ms. Donna

never doubted you
remember our conversation on the phone? every time i start to doubt myself about what i'll be doing in the fall, i think of the things you've said, but more importantly what you've done in the past 2.5 months. so i think i have a "thanks to you" in order. 1. london is one of my favorites, if not my absolute favorite - been there twice, would go back innumerable times - in the words of mark j ripple - lets go. 2. if there is any way i can afford going with you next summer and i wouldn't be that little kid sister thing, count me in. and dont underestimate my ability to rough it. 3. i can already see some difference. : ) it'll be nice to have you home. (even if you're not ready to be)

vive l'italia!
i forgot to ask you this when you called, do me a favor - whenever you use an italian word (which i would guess would be - grazie, prego, scusi, etc.), you must, and i mean MUST exaggerate the italian accent. : ) have fun and keep in mind those favorite places! i'd love to go back and visit them myself! love you!

This is probably my favorite blog of yours from your trip! I figured you had grown a lot on this trip, and now I'm sure you have! I'm so happy to see that you pushed yourself when you wanted to give up and ended up looking back on it positively. I can't even imagine the places you've seen. Enjoy the last leg of your journey

WOW!
hey michael! after reading your whole blog (and sending it to my mom and talking about it with sajid) i have to say i'm truly inspired by you and your adventures. can't wait to see even more pictures and hear even more about the world when you get home! best of luck on the rest of your journey!!!

It's da Heat
Sounds like you're stuck somewhere between those two famous west-India cities, Yulbesari and Smelsobad... To paraphrase what your classmate said ... "If you've gotten to the point where you can smell yourself - well then you fit right in in India" Those red dots on Indian women's heads are actually thermometers; the dots turn blue (like the beer label) when they reach the right temperature. Ever notice that you never see blue dots? Hang in there, it can only get cooler... Dad

I got cut off....read the other one first
Just a random fact for you: Mosquitoes have forty-seven teeth. They do not use these to bite, however. Instead, they have a proboscis, which is a tubular appendage.

Time to Return
So I'm reading the latest blogs and checking my schedule to see if we can hook up again in Rome, or Vienna or maybe you'll just let me carry your backpack if I promise not to hold you back too much this time or get in the way and I really can do without AirCon and boom-boom massages and a good map, but then I realize you're two thirds of the way home and it's too late for this trip but maybe next trip next summer when you return to New Zealand to really explore the south island, or perhaps the next trip should be some place really exotic like Gabon or the Seychelles or you might change your mind about MedSchool and I'll figure out what I really want to do for a living and decide to teach Shop with GPa at Delgado and get three months a year off and your Mom can get a twelve-month job and we'll live off the fat-o-the-land and eat roasted crickets and Indian goat crap and then we can do this every year! (McGannon would be impressed to see you diagram that sentence structure- did I ever tell you about my Intensive Writing class?) Keep the cards and letters coming in; no more Caddyshack or Airplane quips, time to move up to the top of the list: Office Space, and if you feel worthy, The Jerk. Dad

I like the spur of the moment moves to do the more interesting things. Seems to have paid off nicely. Keep us up to speed on smells of the area and foods you eat. Those comments have been great. I think that one goat was winking at the camera or was that the Spanish girl.

surely, you must be joking...
sounds amazing...looks amazing...so much of me can't even believe you're doing this. now we have written proof you're becoming dad, surely not? do me a favor - when you get to london, if you visit abbey road, walk across it barefoot. i got to cross it, but cars were lined up waiting for us to cross. enjoy it- trips like this only happen once....but of course, you'll probably do it again NEXT summer, too? :)

Monkeys & busses & snow.. oh my!,
Gorgeous pics - fabulous stories - and I love your long hair. Missing you.

keep'em coming..
Shelly told me about this today... I really enjoyed reading about your trip.... can't wait for the next update!