My story is I bought my coins at around $100 but then sold them all before they hit $200... then bought back in much later.
Lesson #1 bitcoins always look like they are going to fast. In a market like this, it is always best to buy and hold.
I agree with you about getting into other cryptocurrencies, bitcoins aren't invincible, but the market as a whole is. I finally got some litecoins, had I not waited a week to finally get around to buying them I could have got them at a third the price

(watch it crash tomorrow...)
I think ripple coin is a good idea. Although there seems to be a lot of hate going around, at the end of the day, I think they could represent the best compromise between what exists and cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin fans have to remember that what the general population wants or likes is (unfortunately) not what we want or like. That being said, I have yet to buy any.
I'm also considering Peercoin but I don't know.
I personally would avoid all other currencies unless they start to challenge the top 3 or 4.