Meet Mel Ripp

I grew up (and now live there again!) in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin—the only city in Door County, Wisconsin. Door County is very much a “vacation paradise” in its own right—300 miles of shoreline, more lighthouses than you can throw a bunch of seaglass at, and plenty of cute shops, restaurants, and art galleries to explore. It’s a huge draw for people from all over Wisconsin, as well as visitors from all over the midwest.

It’s a beautiful place to grow up and be a kid—but travel was never part of my language growing up. There wasn’t a ton of money for travel, and it wasn’t something that was super important to my family at the time. What WAS part of my language was my trusty set of World Book Encyclopedia. I’d pour over the pages that talked about Africa, Asia, and South America, wondering if I’d ever be the kind of person who gets to go to those places. Eight-year-old Mel would be BESIDE herself knowing all the places we’ve been.

I went to China in 2005—a guy who I’d been dating for about three months asked me if I wanted to join him half-way through a month-long adventure, and…well, of course I did.

My first piece of advice: don’t go to China with a guy you’ve only known for three months. I flew over to meet him, and he promptly got food poisoning at our first meal together, so I essentially toured the country by myself, which was terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure for all the reasons you’d expect.

This was the trip that opened my aperture, ever so slightly. It made me want to travel to the “hard” places. It taught me how resilient I actually was—I could have stayed in my hotel room, but I insisted on being in the mix of the country every day. It’s also where I learned the term “retrospective appreciation.” Sometimes you’re in too much culture shock when you visit a place to enjoy it while you’re in it—and then you come home and realize you’ve been savoring every memory. That’s what China was to me.

No idea—probably that I’m a big weirdo that has NO shame about her weirdness? I also hope people find me funny, because I think I’m hilarious. ;) 

All kidding aside, I’ve been told that people appreciate my curiosity, and how I make them feel heard and seen by bringing them into conversations. I’m also vulnerable to a fault—ask anything about my life story, and you’ll get the unabridged version (be warned!).

Oh, wow—how much room do I have for this? I’m a gal that loves her craft projects—I’m a writer for a living, so I’ve been having a ton of fun making really bad visual art, because I can. I’m very opinionated about fancy candles and can give you at least five brands you should purchase, along with their best scents for every season. I’ve got the best sticker collection of any 45-year-old that you know. I’m also the person searching for the weirdest stuff on trips—roadside attractions, Atlas Obscura detours, street art, you name it. I can sniff out beauty in the dankest parking lot.

Tarot cards. I can’t remember a recent trip I’ve been on that I haven’t put a deck in my bag. I’m just learning, and very new at all of it—but if you want a reading, I’ll give you one!

Are we talking about what we HAVE sung at karaoke, or what we’d like to dare to sing?

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’ve only sang karaoke once in my life. It was in China, and I got way too drunk on low ABV Chinese beer and made my way through “Africa” by Toto—honestly more for the drum parts than anything. People literally lost their minds—I felt like a mild celebrity.

If someone dared me, I would gladly sing “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” for a karaoke song. I mean, Gordon Lightfoot is a treasure (rest in peace!), and as a kid that grew up on the Great Lakes, we learned about the Edmund Fitzgerald wreck before we learned about the American Revolution.

Music is a huge part of my life, and I am the person who has been known to curate playlists based on road trip destinations and times of year. I just returned from a roadtrip to the Hudson Valley and the Finger Lakes, where my soundtrack was half-split between female indie singer-songwriters (Waxahatchee, Phoebe Bridgers, boygenius, Sierra Ferrell) and a weird mix of hip-hop and rap (Nas, Wu-Tang, Jay-Z, Jurassic 5, Hieroglyphics, De La Soul, King Geedorah, MF Doom). I’ve also never met a yacht rock playlist I didn’t like (Yep, I’m a big Steely Dan fan. I’m sorry in advance.)

I have a weird stomach. I'll mostly leave it at that—but the short version is that in both Morocco and Kenya I've had to make the travel van pull over so I could sprint off somewhere and handle things before…there was a SHITuation. 

I used to get super embarrassed about this, but hey—bodily functions get really strange on international trips. Blame it on the different time zone, the different food, the different everything. Your stomach might have opinions about all of it, and as a trip leader, I will be VERY empathetic to your tummy struggles.

The condiment is easy. Butter—preferrably French salted butter. The other things are the world’s most intricate and large needlepoint project (if I’m gonna be on a deserted island, might as well embrace my old lady craft tendencies), and my journal. If I get off the island, you better believe I’m going to turn those words into a New York Times bestseller.

Not a whole meal, but two words: Malanga Fritters in Cuba. I’ve had the pleasure of having these twice, and chances are if you sat next to me, you had to guard your plate. These fritters are served with this oil/vinegar dipping sauce with fresh herbs, and OMG my mouth is watering just thinking about these. 

Also, I still think about the very first Moroccan tagine I had in 2023. It was chicken, preserved caramelized lemons, and green olives. My olive-loving, umami-obsessed taste buds have still not fully recovered.

This might sound strange, but I don’t do a lot of homework. Sure, I research weather, and if I need to get a visa or if there’s something that I could pack that would make my trip easier, but I’m not out here cramming on the history and culture of a place like I’m going to get quizzed on it. 

I’ve always been of the belief that too much knowledge can keep you from relating openly and authentically to a place. I like to remain a tiny bit ignorant about a destination I’m traveling to—it helps me arrive with fewer expectations.

For Morocco, one of the things that took me a bit to get used to is how behind-the-scenes women are. It's usually a man checking you into your riad, or serving you at a restaurant, or selling you something at the souks. Now, this varies greatly depending on if you’re in an urban or rural area, but the lack of gender equality can be a little unsettling when you start to realize it. 

However, this is actually one of my favorite things about Type 2 Travel—there’s a lot of emphasis on visiting and supporting women-owned businesses, having female guides on tours when possible, and partnering with non-profits that give back to women.

In no particular order: Mary Oliver, women business owners and entrepreneurs (my “day job” is as a business owner who helps women find their voice and get it out into the world with written content), so I think women business owners are the smartest people in the world, Beyonce, anyone who has the power to get out of a cult (BIG cult documentary lover over here), and my late Gamma Bernice who was always scared out of her mind but did the thing anyway,In no particular order: Mary Oliver, women business owners and entrepreneurs (my “day job” is as a business owner who helps women find their voice and get it out into the world with written content), so I think women business owners are the smartest people in the world, Beyonce, anyone who has the power to get out of a cult (BIG cult documentary lover over here), and my late Gamma Bernice who was always scared out of her mind but did the thing anyway,In no particular order: Mary Oliver, women business owners and entrepreneurs (my “day job” is as a business owner who helps women find their voice and get it out into the world with written content), so I think women business owners are the smartest people in the world, Beyonce, anyone who has the power to get out of a cult (BIG cult documentary lover over here), and my late Gamma Bernice who was always scared out of her mind but did the thing anyway.

Reading: I love a weird, culture zeitgeist moment book. This year it was “Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke, last year it was “All Fours” by Miranda July.  I read “Summer Sisters” by Judy Blume and Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” at least once a year, too!

Watching: I’m the gal who watches the same five documentaries over and over (“Wild Wild Country” and “Three Perfect Strangers” are at the top of my list), but I also love some trashy TV (“Love After Lockup”, anyone?). 

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Into: Craft kits from Craft Club and Flax & Twine, meticulously tending my container gardens during the summer, the New York Times crossword, trying to find a decent skincare routine, and hanging out with my cat, Poseidon.

Traveling has taught me a lot about being completely present in the moment I’m in, and it’s one of my favorite things about it. When you don’t really know where you are, something overrides your usual autopilot. There are so many trips I remember so vividly, and I think it’s because I didn’t have the usual distractions of comfort. 

The other thing I’d say is that traveling exposes you to alternative ways of working, living, and being. You see how people define happiness—and how it can often be different from your own definition. Stay open and curious, and travel will be an incredible experience for you.

I’m not sure if they miss it entirely, but I’d say that ATV’ing in the Sahara Desert is something that’s worth the cost of the trip alone. There is something very, VERY special about zooming through this expansive place that seems to go on forever, and quite literally being the only people out there in that particular part. I cannot convey the sheer coolness of that. In a world where it seems like humans have inhabited EVERY SINGLE INCH, this part of the itinerary is a great reminder that nature still reigns, big time.

There are so many words I could use to describe the city Chefchaouen: Magical. Whimsical. Photo opps for DAYS. Blue…oh so blue. But seriously—this city was hyped up so much for me before I traveled to Morocco, and it MORE than lived up to the hype. 

The reason why Chefchaouen is called “The Blue City” seems to be a combination of things: spiritual origins (it’s said that Jewish refugees fleeing the Spanish Inquisition in the 15th century and later those escaping Nazi persecution in the 1930s painted the walls blue to mimic the sky and heaven for a spiritual reminder to lead a holy life), pest control (insects don’t like water or bright reflections, and temperature control (the blue paint reflects harsh sunlight and helps cool building in the city). The more you know, right?

On my first trip to Morocco in 2023, we had a free afternoon, and I spent mine at Jardin Majorelle. It’s this incredible garden in the heart of Marrakesh, and everything about is just STUNNING—the bright blue and yellow Cubist architecture, the fact that is was owned and completely renovated by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge in the 80s, and of course, the gardens. 

On a long list of favorite things from that first Morocco trip, this was—and will always be—a highlight.

I was first drawn to Morocco as a little kid—the Sahara Desert, specifically. I just could NOT get over the fact that there was this place on the other side of the world that was 3,600,000 square miles and spanned across the entire part of North Africa. My mind couldn’t comprehend it. Still can’t, actually—and I’ve now been there!

What ultimately drew me to a Type 2 Travel Morocco trip is that I was going with a group of people. My husband Zack loves to travel, but Morocco has never been on his list, and I knew for the first time I wouldn’t go alone. I signed up the first day I was made aware of the trip— and now I won’t shut up about Morocco to anyone who will listen.

One of the most impactful moments on a past trip was my first trip to Cuba in 2025. I was talking with Andres, our Cuban guide. Andres had been trying to leave the island with his husband and get to Spain to lead a better life. He told us, “Cubans don’t often have doors—we have windows.” Meaning, they don’t get to leave, but they do get to see out. 

It made me realize how much I think about how I’m limited—by where I live, the past decisions I’ve made—and here was this guy who hadn’t left his country of origin—EVER—in 38 years. I don’t think I’ve ever felt such empathy for someone. Andres is in Spain now—and I can’t wait to go visit him there someday!

Bartering in the souks, to be honest! I am not a confrontational person, and frankly, I usually just like knowing what the price of something is. But if shopping is an art form in Morocco (and it certainly is), your ability to barter is your paintbrush. I’ve realized from my trips to Morocco that this is part of their culture—if you want to purchase something big like a rug, be prepared to drink a few cups of tea and settle in for the show. Also expect to go a few rounds in terms of “your final price.” ;) 

I personally lose all sense of reality in the souks—just ask my wallet—but I will say that I LOVE bartering now. It’s all part of the dance, and it’s all in good fun (and most of the time, you still get a deal).