How To Have A Hygge New Year's Eve

The temperature is below freezing and the roads are icy, but I had planned on staying at home for a Hygge New Years Eve anyways. 

Hygge (pronounced hue-guh not hoo-gah) is a Danish word used when acknowledging a feeling or moment, whether alone or with friends, at home or out, ordinary or extraordinary as cosy, charming or special.

I first heard this term when visiting Copenhagen and didn't think much of it, but now it's a thing spreading all over the interwebs and was infinitely more appealing than going out and getting wasted. 

My personal hygge themed evening started with this relaxing, restorative winter yoga practice. 

Then I baked a simple, vegan blueberry cobbler and let that cool while I took a long, luxurious hot shower. (I truly never take hot showers for granted - more on that later.) 

Next I coconut oiled up and shimmied into my favorite flannel pajamas, wooly socks and fuzzy slippers paired with a slice of that cobbler and signature sleepy tea: herbal tea with a splash of apple cider vinegar and spoonful of local honey. I learned this tea recipe from Tim Ferriss and as far as I recall, I have always gotten amazing sleep post-consumption. 

Oh and I went to bed well before midnight because I intend to recalibrate my circadian rhythms so that I naturally wake up at 5AM and have ample time to enjoy my morning rituals and hour of screen-free serenity each morning. 

Sweet dreams and see y'all next year! 

I'm A Bad Blogger

Hey y'all!

I'm a bad blogger, by conventional standards anyways. I've been neglecting this one for months and when I do post, it's sporadic and the topics are all over the place. I don't post on a regular schedule and I can't stay on a single topic or niche. And I refuse to use Oxford commas. (SUCH superfluous punctuation.) 

Been there, blogged that. This is maybe my 5th or 6th blog since those first fledgeling livejournal days in college. I've tried being like those popular, successful blogs that are consistently scheduled and perfectly curated. But it's not for me. I often get distracted by shiny things, doubt myself, excessively edit and often put too much on my to-do list. So I'm going to try being more Miranda. What does that mean? I don't even know but I'm excited to figure it out. 

I've had a lot of life changes the past few months and although none of it has been reflected here, I have been writing almost daily in my private offline journal. Yep a real old-fashioned book with blank pages now filled with words written by my hand. (My right hand to be exact but I wish it was my left hand. I am oddly and unexplainably envious of left-handed people.) 

Let's see, I enjoyed an amazing family trip to Montana in June, started working as a creative consultant at the Earth Fare corporate office, moved to West Asheville, went to Switzerland to meet my new nephew and started a side business called Namaste in Nature for which I lead meditation, hiking and yoga for people around these beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. 

Yep, life is pretty good except for a couple recent wrecks.

The first wreck is literal and my beloved Mirazda literally saved my life and sustained all the damage. I was commuting home from work a bit jet lagged with a slowed reaction time and collided at an intersection with an SUV. This was the first real car wreck I've ever been in so I was distraught. Everyone that's seen pictures says something along the lines of "It's a miracle that neither of you were injured" and I'm incredibly grateful for that. However, I had to say goodbye to my perpetually excited-looking Mirazda with the Cheshire cat grill (total loss) and had less than a week to find a replacement. Say hello to Rocky Red, who somewhat resembles a disgruntled hamster. 

The second wreck is emotional and I did actually get hurt. I started dating a guy here that I really liked and we were having a great time but he was all like "Monogamy's not my jam right now so let's be friends while I bang random girls from tinder and bumble." ...a few weeks later... "JK, actually I do want a monogamous relationship now, just not with you. Oops." (This is clearly the abridged version.) 

Lessons learned: Don't waste precious time, energy, emotion and sacred creativity on anyone who doesn't truly want and appreciate them. And don't drive jet-lagged. 

But back to the bloggings. I have so many thoughts, ideas and ramblings to share on a variety of things that interest me like minimalism, creativity, sustainability, entrepreneurship, yoga, eating plant strong (somewhere between vegetarian and vegan), nature & outside things, travel, books, happiness, mindfulness and life's variety of adventures.

I guess the common thread is that it's all part of my journey and I'm trying my best to enjoy every bit of it. 

So stay tuned if I've piqued your interest. Or move on to one of the other (approximately) bazillion and one blogs out there. (How many zeros are in a bazillion?) I've decided to keep writing whether anyone reads it or not. And also, this website ain't free so I should invest some time in it to justify the money invested. 

Enjoy the Journey! 

A Perfect Day To Paint

Hey y'all!

After months of design and planning, my buddies at BannanBlasko are starting on another beautiful mural for a local University in dowtown Spartanburg, SC. And I get to help! 

[Start]

Public Art has been a side passion of mine for a while now. 

I was on detail duty. 

This is our fourth project together. Seriously, these guys are so great to work with.

I'm so grateful to get away from the computer for a bit and spend time painting and socializing in the sunshine.

The weather was perfection; a pleasant temperature and cloudy skies. And scaffolding shade is always nice! But don't get me wrong - I still got plenty sweaty.

We spent seven hours today start to finish. We got a lot done, but there's still lots left to do! 

[Finish]

Enjoy the journey!

My Story: Enjoy the Journey

So after a month long hiatus (aka digital identity crisis) I'm back to editing my weekly videos. 

The goal was to create a new trailer that sums up all the past, present and future videos on my channel and this is the result. 

Travel is still the majority of my content but minimalism, mindfulness and yoga have impacted my life/journey as well so there will be more of that in the near future. 

I realized I was overthinking this whole project and taking it way too seriously, trying to be internet ideal of perfect instead of just being myself. Which - it turns out - is much easier said than done. 

So my new mantra "Enjoy the Journey" is intended not only to be inspirational to others but also to keep me and my doubts and insecurities in check. 

That's about it for now. 

Enjoy the Journey! 

Trying To Do All The Things

4:16 PM: "If you have more than three priorities, then you don't have any."

To be completely honest, I don't know who this guy is and I haven't read his book. But this is one of my favorite little wisdom nuggets I've ever stumbled upon. I don't remember how I found this image, but I printed it out and had it taped to my desk when I worked at the Regional office for Whole Foods Market. 

Too bad I can't practice what I preach. 

I've been particularly overwhelming and over-prioritizing myself lately. Yet I still manage to procrastinate, too. Like right now. When instead I should be studying for my FAA remote pilot (drone) exam that I already paid $150 to take on Thursday. But yep, sure, right after this post, I'm going to get to it. Promise. 

I have tried juggling on several occasions but lack both the coordination and commitment to physically do so. But my mind, however, is trying to perform an entire Cirque du Soleil performance on her own. This includes the singing, the clowning, the dancing, the tumbling, the balancing, the backstage crew, the lighting and of course, the juggling. 

But that's not how Cirque works. I've seen close to a dozen different shows and they're only possible because a small army of people and performers work together to make it happen. Everyone has a specific role to play and practices said role to perfection to ensure perpetually awed audiences pay sky high ticket prices to witness these magnificent shows. 

Problem is, I can't decide what I want my role to be. I know, poor me and my first world problems, right? A talented person with too many creative ideas and options. Let's explore the things dividing my attention into fragmented little pieces, shall we? 

There's my YouTube channel and my Instagram along with a hard drive full of unedited pictures and video. On May 1st I decided to start two separate training programs that promised to help me improve both of these social platforms in just minutes per day. Which promptly made me question everything I had already done and start neglecting both platforms.

Not to mention, I want to rebrand all my Mirambling stuff again around the concept of "Enjoy the Journey." But I'm not particularly enjoying my own at this moment.  

I'm moving to Asheville, NC next month and in the fledgling stage of starting a yoga hiking business through a friend's tour company. I'm writing pricing and promotional strategies for those while simultaneously leading test tours and trying to find someone to film me leading said tour so I can edit a promo video. Which reminds me about the Yoga workshop I've been promoting and will be teaching on Sunday in addition to my regularly scheduled class.

I recently separated my website into two: www.mirandapeterson.com for my creative consulting portfolio (which includes a variety of client work, graphic design, hand lettering, marketing strategy, video production, art, murals, menus, signage, logos, press coverage and my yoga teacher info) and this Mirambling side project right here. 

I wrote out a whole, detailed idea for my 50/50 Challenge which entails creating wardrobe capsules of 50 items each for 50% of the year; Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. A photoshoot for this has been in the back of my head for weeks. 

I also impulsively decided I should sign up for Match.com to meet some guys in Asheville before I move there and am not committed to 6 months of ignoring the majority of my matches. 

Since I got back from South America, I've had a decent list of freelance projects, most of which fell through. From now on, I'm applying the 80/20 rule and expecting only about 1 out of every 5 project leads to actually generate income. 

Which led me to apply for a contract design job with a big company in Asheville a week and a half ago with zero insight as to how that was perceived or if I'm even being considered for it. 

Oh and my immune system hates my thyroid more than usual (Hashimoto's hypothyroid disorder) and I can't get in to see the doctor for blood tests until the end of June. To try to stop the fatigue and daily after-lunch naps, I decided to venture back into vegan territory and eliminate dairy and processed crap from my diet. And kinda sorta avoiding gluten but not in an obsessive way. 

Then I have a bunch of half-baked ideas about sponsored videos sitting idly in the bottom rack of an oven that is cold and non-functional at the moment. 

There are countless more ideas scribbled on notepads, in books, in my notes app and in Google Drive, but if I try to collect them all, I am guaranteed to have a panic attack. 

I can imagine how exhausting that was to read, because I'm starting to feel fatigued by writing re-reading and actually living it. (Not just because of my thyroid.) 

My usual to-do list trick isn't working like it used to. Instead of crossing off item by item, I get distracted on a tangent, then add the tangent to the list and immediately cross it off. 

It seems that the projects that float to the top and get finished are the ones that involve pre-determined deadlines and other stakeholders besides myself. Thankfully the one thing I do that is consistent is to do beyond my best for any project I am committed to completing for someone else. It's my own little half-lit lightbulbs that get neglected. 

5:27 PM: I think it's about time I actually started studying for that test now... 

Enjoy the Journey?

100 Ideas Without Fear

I recently stumbled upon this incredibly inspiring youtube video of a TedX talk by a lady named Michelle Poler who decided to challenge herself and live 100 days without fear. And it got me thinking about my own fears that I've been avoiding, putting off and generally denying their existence.

Physical fear has not ever been particularly challenging for me. I wanted to ride all the big kid roller coasters before I was tall enough. I've bungee jumped, sky dived, zip lined, hiked to the tops of mountains snorkeled in the open ocean, competed in triathlons, etc. I've traveled around the world by myself for the better part of the past two years; terrifying before I started but not so much now. 

I mostly suffer from psychologically-rooted cultural fears: pain, embarrassment & control. I've conquered a few fears under this category: cutting my hair, donating blood, teaching yoga. (Interesting how much my fears overlap with Michelle's and I'm sure many other people.) 

I guess I'm more afraid of rejection than I thought because I'm petrified at the thought of cold calling or driving around and recruiting new clients. However, it's incredibly essential if I am going to maintain my business. 

My mom told me stories of the best and only salesman she ever worked with and my dad had to generate leads, network and establish/maintain working relationships with clients all the time in banking. So I soaked up their sage advice and committed to some cognitive reframing. 

I'm not soliciting a bunch of random businesses - I'm carefully selecting those that align with my values and offering to help. An active imagination is critical to creativity but I think it works to my disadvantage when it spirals out of control into the worst possible scenarios. Here are a few examples of what I fantasized to be the worst case scenario and then what actually happened. 

Before teaching my first yoga workshop, I imagined someone falling and injuring herself and me having to call an ambulance and her being loaded into the back of it on a stretcher with a neck brace. Reality: Everyone got a little sweatier than usual. The first time I flew my drone I imagined it spinning out of control, crashing and exploding on the side of the mountain. Reality: I safely flew and landed my drone without so much as a scratch. 

So is it more likely that I'll be escorted from an establishment by security or police and banned from ever returning to within 100 feet of the premises? Or is the worst case that someone will say "No thank you."

I have countless notebooks, spreadsheets and iPhone notes full of ideas that I have been too scared to pursue. From this day forward, I am no longer letting my fear strangle my creativity.

So the point of this post is that I'm writing a list of 100 ideas that I am actually going to put out into the universe. I'm only expecting about 1 out of every 5 of them to come to fruition based on the good old 80/20 rule but that's what it takes on the journey of success. (Oh, and that's another insight I had yesterday: that success is a journey, not a destination.)

Silly pre-historic lizard brain; always confusing actual threats with imagined ones. Bad, bad lizard brain! You're officially in time out and have lost most of your influence over my decision making. 

Another fear I'm conquering is to publish a blog post without obsessively editing and re-editing and overthinking the content of it. Mission accomplished. 

My First Rally: Women's March on Washington (Sister Rally)

I was a bit nervous yesterday because I've never been to any kind of rally or protest before. But my best friend of 16-ish years said she was going and invited me along. It was her first rally, too. 

It was a gray, foggy, rainy day but that didn't stop us or the thousands of other people that showed up to peacefully protest a variety of issues. It wasn't just about the election, although that was surely a catalyst. People spoke out and cheered and had signs for everything from LGBT equality to Equal Pay to Pro-Choice, healthcare and even environmental concerns; all of which seem to be threatened by the incoming administration. 

It was mind-boggling to be part of such a global movement yesterday. I mean, there were rallies in pretty much every major city around the world and countless small towns. And the march was meant to inspire women all around the world, not just the US and other Western countries.

I painted my face as a symbol of solidarity with oppressed, abused and neglected women everywhere. Women who aren't allowed to vote, who aren't allowed to drive, who are sold or married like property, women who are not allowed a voice or an equal place in society. The only way to create change is to speak up and build strength in numbers. 

I think the root of the issue here is the fact that we only have two major parties; it's like political civil war. I hope one day we have a legit multi-party system like so many other countries so that our politics are less polarizing, more diverse and prevents any single party from controlling everything. But it's kind of a Catch-22 because no one wants to vote third party until they have more power, but they're not going to have more power until people vote for them. 

I'm super grateful to be born and raised in the United States where I can safely enjoy this freedom as well as others that we might take for granted sometimes like driving, education, and general independence. It's not isolation, exclusivity and walls but communication and building bridges that move us forward.

Much Love,

The Hardest Thing To Brand Is Yourself

I would consider myself pretty good at branding and design considering I've been practicing it for my whole educational and professional career. I have so much fun designing logos and developing the look of new brands. 

Until, of course, I quit my full-time job to freelance instead and had to develop my own brand. Only then does it become a massive struggle. 

It's like this insane little voice in your head saying "YOU are a designer, your brand has to be the best thing ever in the history of things! It has to appeal to the masses, yet stand out and be different, it has to perfectly capture your personality and all of your expertise & experience, it has to be versatile and simple yet different from every other creative person and it has to convince clients to pay you money to do work for them." No pressure, right?

My logo and branding looks incredible simple now, but it's taken at least two years to get there. Unless you're a creative yourself, you may not realize that for every finished product you see, there are bazillions of unfinished, rough drafts, sketches, scribbles, hidden layers, alternate versions and countless abandoned thoughts and ideas. 

I feel like I finally had the breakthrough for my current logo when I stopped trying so hard. I was literally doodling in the dirt with a stick in Nepal or India or somewhere when I made this M shape the looked like a rune. And I've committed it ever since then. 

Anyways, I thought it would be fun to look back at the evolution of my Mirambling brand. It's both humbling and hilarious. 

Moral of the story: Keep doing, learning and growing, y'all. 

I'm happy with where I am now, but it was and still is a journey of personal development. 

Which of these is your favorite? How would you brand yourself? 

Much Love,

South Carolina's First Food Cooperative

There's kind of an adrenaline-fueled feeling of pure ecstasy when you finally finish and release a project you've been working on for a while. I got that rush yesterday when I posted this video that I conceived, produced, filmed and edited for Hub City Co-op in Spartanburg. 

This is South Carolina's first food cooperative so this video will be integral in educating people about how and why it's important to shop local and support smaller farms and businesses. 

Have a look and let me know what you think in the comments below and/or like/comment on youtube and of course I always appreciate new channel subscribers. 

First Day of December (300 Words)

Today is the first day of December. Which in my mind is the first official day of winter. Which makes me think of snow, which makes me think of Switzerland because that country is a Winter Wonderland if there ever was one. 

Today also happened to be exceptionally awesome. Just throwing that out there.

I ate super clean starting with a green smoothie and local, vegan superfoods bread/toast this morning. I had roasted vegetables paired with a fancy, overpriced Carrot/Celery/Pear/Green Apple/Lemon/Turmeric/Ginger cold pressed juice for lunch and topped it off with a kale wrap and vegan chili for dinner. I even politely passed on a free cookie. Let me repeat that, a free cookie. Who am I and what have I do with myself? 

I got my hair cut yesterday which includes rather versatile bangs that can be worn straight across or swooped to the side. It's like I can be two different people! And I was even complimented on it today. And I know it was sincere because the guy that told me is a skinny, gay sweetheart and does not have any ulterior motives with said flattery. 

My dad helped me crunch some numbers on my self-directed IRA and figured out that I earned an 18% return over the past quarter. That's 72% annualized and 1,800 fold increase from the 0.1 that my IRA was making in a bank-that-shall-not-be-named. Yay. 

I was über productive and accomplished milestones with three different, happy clients and squeezed in a power yoga class before wandering around outside at a Christmas-themed event downtown.

I just wanted to make a note of this day as future motivation because I know not every day will be this great.

I was literally rocking out in my car to this song on my way home today. 

Book/Movie Review: A Street Cat Named Bob

This true story and I go way back. 

I found the original book A Street Cat Named Bob & How He Saved My Life on the shelf of a hostel in Seminyak, Bali last fall. I had just finished my current read, which I exchanged for this one after immediately being drawn to the cover featuring an alluring ginger cat. 

Buy/Download the original book

I devoured it in about two days in various locations around the island including the beach, my bed capsule and everywhere in between. The basic plot is a London-based true story about a recovering heroin addict who is adopted by a stray cat, and establish a mutually beneficial yet heartwarming relationship. 

To make a long story short, I ended up following Bob & James' Facebook page which is how I found out a film was being made and subsequently released just in time for Thanksgiving in the US. And Bob himself actually stars in it! Just imagine going from being a drug-addicted busker sleeping on the streets of London to getting a book deal then a move deal and even meeting Kate Middleton. Wow!

Since the movie is non-Hollywood, foreign and pretty indie, it's a very limited release throughout US theaters so I made my parents go with me to the 1:40 showing today in Charlotte on our way back from Charleston. (Note: Charlotte, NC is not actually on the way back from Charleston, SC.) 

The film is pretty true to the book with only minor changes, which don't really affect the plot or central message. (And yes, you'll recognize Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer if you're a 90s kid like me.) The beginning is probably as close as what most of us will know what it's like to live as a homeless drug addict but it progresses nicely and has a very happy ending. 

I can't say enough good things about this uplifting, family-friendly film. It's so refreshing to see an inspiring, authentic story set in real life when most other fictional films are just trying to one up each other by distracting and dazzling us with A-list actors and digital, special effects. Check out their website to see if it's playing in a theater near you!

Much Love, 

Giving Thanks For All The Things (500 Words)

I kinda feel like a cliché writing about all the things I'm thankful for on Thanksgiving but that's kind of what it's for. Although we should express gratitude every day, not just one day a year because the calendar tells us to. 

So here goes, setting my iPhone timer for 15 minutes. This is pretty much unedited, stream of consciousness going here. I'm also picking random pictures that appeal to me after writing this post to go along with it. 

Denmark

I'm thankful that I am here in Charleston, SC with my parents who are in relatively good health. I'm thankful for my own health, my physical ability, which is probably approaching some kind of peak thanks to consistently teaching and practicing yoga. 

I'm super grateful for all the incredible places I visited in the past year and all the amazing experiences I had and the interesting and diverse people that I met. I still can't believe that it happened. It all kind of feels like a dream at this point. It was a huge risk quitting my job and selling all my stuff and living off my savings for year in exchange for seeing more of this big, beautiful world. But totally worth it.

I'm thankful that I was able to start my own business and for my (usually) intrinsic motivation that drives me to make said business successful. I am getting paid, not much, but still, to be creative. 

Sri Lanka

I'm grateful for family and friends that have always supported me and continue to do so today. My best friend and her hubby on their Honeymoon in Europe, visitng my sister and brother-n-law. I'm grateful for everyone that reads my blog, watches my videos, follows my photos; basically anyone and everyone that is part of the collective audience that appreciates my creativity. That includes you! 

I'm thankful that although my computer is lkind of effed up right now - the graphics card is malfuncitoning and casuing thin, pink lines to appear all over my screen - it is technically still working pretty well. I'm grateful for all this technology that I have access to and am able to use to capture and share my creativity. My computer, my external hard drive, my iPhone, my gopro, my drone and my gimbal which I am determined to start using today.

India

I am especially thankful to have been born with so many advantages in life after extensive travels that have revealed to me that the vast majority in the rest of the world do not have the luxury of these inherent head starts. 

Are we there yet? 1 min, 25 seconds to go. I'm thankful that the sun rose this morning and that I have money in the bank and enough food to eat. More than enough of both, actually. So much food that I can afford to be selective and choose to eat mostly plant-based. 

Australia

The list for what I'm grateful for is infinite but my time is up and I need to get back to living this life that I am thankful or rather than just writing about it. 

Off the top your head, without really thinking about it, what are you thankful for?

Much Love,

Mirambling Monday: Copenhagen, Denmark

A peek into the highlights of visiting Copenhagen, Denmark with my sister. 

Behind the Scenes: Campaign Clickbait (450 Words)

I had intentionally avoided all things election on Tuesday because I didn't want the stress. So when I awoke Wednesday morning, instead of feeling like I got TKO'd after a long, bloody boxing match, I felt like I got sucker-punched at a bar. I literally couldn't focus or function properly as I sat stunned first on the beach  - surprisingly the sun did actually still rise - and then in my hotel room in South Beach that morning. 

I had to check out that morning so I watched Hillary's concession speech as I packed, a few tears materialized my thoughts into emotions from time to time. Then I sat stunned in the lobby for a while, scrolling through my Facebook news feed and reading trending articles. I wasn't hungry but I ate a small lunch anyways before finally leaving the hotel. 

I had planned to go distract myself and admire the street art in Wynwood when it dawned on me in the car that Trump duped us all. His entire campaign was clickbait and whether you opposed or supported him, you were talking about him. He changed the rules and we all made him an unstoppable clickbait juggernaut. This insight was HUGE. 

I parked, walked into Panther Coffee, ordered an iced chai latte with macadamia milk (which I didn't know was a thing until now) and frantically tried to get all my thoughts and insights into my laptop before they evaporated out of my brain.  

I may have gone overboard but I really wanted this to get published. I submitted it to the general query on Thought Catalog and to 9 different staff writers directly. I'm so happy I got the attention of at least one of them who slightly edited and posted my piece here: 

Donald Trump Ran A Clickbait Campaign To The White House And YOU Fell For It

Four hours later I returned to my rental car, which had a $23 parking ticket tucked under the wiper blade and I didn't get paid to write this but I don't even care. It was totally worth it to have my voice heard and my thoughts read, if only by a few people. 

So the silver lining of this election is that it inspired me to put 110% of my effort into writing and finally publishing something. Personally I've been writing for a long time but have been hesitant to share it publicly, except on Yelp. I want to keep this momentum going and keep writing. It is very cathartic and nice to know others feel the same way. And inevitably I know there will eventually be trolls and haters but I'll cross that bridge - er wall - when I come to it. 

Much Love,

America, I Can't Even (200 Words)

I rarely cry but I literally sobbed after I woke up at 4:18 AM and checked my BBC news app after intentionally avoiding all things election yesterday. I am shocked and saddened as if I just learned about the sudden, unexpected death of a close friend or family member. This is not the America that I know and love.

You reap what you sow and today America has sown seeds of ignorance, fear, anger and hate. We’ve voted to build walls instead of bridges. We’ve voted for feelings instead of facts. We’ve voted for repeating history instead of learning from it.

We’ve handed the highest position of power in the most influential nation in the world to a divisive, irrational, megalomaniacal demagogue who has literally bullied his way to the White House. I feel like we just took 2 steps forward and are now taking 10 steps back. This short-sighted victory has consequences that we’ll all have to live with far beyond the next four years.

I am scared and I am sad but at least my own conscience is clear knowing I did not vote for this.

My First Meet-up: Craggy Gardens Hike & Tour (400 Words)

Yesterday I attended my first meetup.com group event: a morning tour of Craggy Gardens in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. If you're not familiar with this site, I recommend checking it out to find and connect with people that share your interests. 

It took an hour and a half for me to get to the Craggy Pinnacle trailhead, but was totally worth it. You have to travel along the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is one of the most scenic, slow & winding roads I've ever traversed. I happened to have my phone set up to get some video footage of this journey and couldn't believe I saw a baby bear cub climb a guard rail and sprint across the pavement in front of me as fast as his bear legs could carry him, let alone that I got it on video. 

I also like long drives because I get more uninterrupted time to listen to audiobooks. In this case, I listened to Jung by Anthony Stevens which explains in four hours the basic life and philosophy of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, which was fascinating. 

I arrived a bit early and admired the vast, blue rolling landscape swirling with mist. It dawned on my why this area is referred to as the Smoky Mountains.

Altogether there were about 15 in the group (all older than me) led by Jennifer (my age), who just finished a Phd related to botany and biology. She dropped some serious knowledge on us about the natural and cultural history of the area and identified & discussed lots of native (and non-native) flora. 

The trail itself was a really easy hike. I saw lots of families with small children and/or dogs doing the 1.4 mile roundtrip trek. Tip: Use the restrooms at the visitor's center BEFORE you hike. 

Just me & Mirazda cruising through the mountains

Y'all don't even know how excited I am for the annual autumn foliage since I was stuck in a Fall-less Florida for the past decade. I fully intend to visit the mountains as often as I can and immerse myself in the natural beauty. I swear some of the leaves had changed just during the few hours between when I drove and drove back down. It's cool to get reacquainted with the general vicinity of where I grew up. 

If you haven't been up Asheville, NC, the Blue Ridge Parkway or explored the myriad trails therein, I highly recommend it, especially now!  

New Tee & Bag Designs for Hub City Co-op (200 Words)

Just wanted to share my latest design project for Hub City Co-op.

I designed these t-shirts and tote bags based on the original mural I painted inside the store. They came out so great and hopefully they are gonna fly off the shelves. 

I put a lot of thought and research into sourcing these.

The tees are super soft polyblend material that people will actually love to wear. They are manufactured in Nicaragua by Next Level, a socially and environmentally responsible and WRAP certified (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) which means no sweat shops, no child labor and environmentally responsibility. 

The 100% organic cotton tote bags by econscious donate a portion of sales to non-profit Partners like 1% for the Planet, the Rodale Institute the Organic Trade Association and Green America. 

They were printed and delivered by a local business, Carolina Headwear. 

Not only are they fun & functional merchandise, but they also serve as grassroots marketing, as long as customers wear and use them in public. My focus here has been ideas and promotions that are win-win-win and benefit all parties involved, especially the local community. 

So thankful that these peeps let me keep experimenting with and expressing my creativity! 

Review: Mahaparinirvan Express (Buddhist Circuit Train) Tour in India (900 Words)

Namaste, friends! I hope you enjoy my review of the Mahaparinirvan Express (Buddhist Circuit Train) tour that I thoroughly enjoyed in March 2016. 

This is a train-based tour that takes you through significant Buddhist places and landmarks throughout Northern India and Nepal. It's a pilgrimage of sorts, but more historical than spiritual I think. They operate several 8-day tours between September and March. The train departs from the Delhi Safdar Jung station and includes the following destinations: 
Gaya • Bodhgaya • Rajgir • Nalanda • Gaya • Varanasi • Sarnath • Varanasi • Gorakhpur • Kushinagar • Lumbini • Gorakhpur • Gonda • Sravasti • Gonda • Agra (Taj Mahal) • Delhi. 

You have three accommodation options:
AC First Coupe: private berth with four beds and a door for just two people
AC First Class: same private berth but I guess you might have roommates
AC 2nd Tier: recessed berths with four beds and curtains; also beds along the aisle

Like a hostel on wheels (AC 2T)

It's like a hostel on wheels. I was fine with AC 2nd tier because pretty much all you do on the train is eat and sleep. I had a wonderful roommate named Jyotsna who is a retired English teacher so we communicated quite easily.

Luckily our train car was relatively empty and the bunks above us and across the aisle were vacant. The aircon worked well, perhaps too well, but I love snuggling up in blankets when its a little chilly. 

The bunks are a bit short. I'm 5'9" (175 cm) and my feet just barely hang over the edge. The sheets were always clean and comfortable and the food was good, albeit a bit on the spicy side. They always offer your choice of a meaty meal or vegetarian meal. You will also spend a few nights in hotels. I recommend bringing earplugs and a sleep mask and digestive supplements/aids if you're not used to Indian food. 

We were greeted with marigold garlands and traditional, live music. The train departed a bit later than planned. I was one of only a handful of Westerners on this trip: three Americans, one Brit, one German and one Mexican. Everyone else is Indian or Asian (Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea). 

Since you will be touring many historically holy sites that require you to be barefoot, I recommend wearing flip flops or sandals that you can easily slip on and off. You should also dress comfortably conservative; in other words, covered knees and shoulders. 

View from the top in Rajgir

Our guide, Ram, accompanied us and gave us insight (in English) at each location. Our first stop was Bodhgaya, where Prince Siddartha attained enlightenment while sitting under the Bodhi tree. (You are not allowed to bring a phone inside and have to check it at the entrance but I assure you it will be there when you get back.) I bought mala beads made of bodhi nuts here and wore them for the rest of the tour. Next we stopped in Rajgir, where the new Buddha (translation: teacher) delivered his first sermon. There are breathtaking views if you hike up to the top of the hill. 

The next day, we visited Sarnath before traveling to Varanasi, the most holy city in India situated on the Ganges river. We had some free time, which I spent mostly in a tuk tuk with two other ladies on the tour before we all piled into a boat to see a traditional fire ceremony at sunset (along with about a bazillion other boats). 

The banks of the Ganges in Varanasi

Although you do spend many hours (mostly sleeping) on the train, you will still spend plenty of time on a tour bus, too. (I tried to make the most of it by meditating or attempting to meditate while in transit.) This includes crossing the border to Lumbini, Nepal (Budddha's birthplace in 623 BC) so it's helpful to have a visa for Nepal before you start the trip, but you can also acquire it pretty easily at said border. A 30-day multiple entry visa for Nepal is $40 USD. 

A sadhu (holy man) in Lumbini

The fourth major stop on the tour was Kushinagar, where the Buddha attained enlightenment (or where his body died). There was an odd shaped structure housing a giant, reclining Buddha statue here. We also visited Gorakhpur and had dinner on the train.

A word of caution. Of course the most touristy areas are flooded with beggars and vendors. It's really not a good idea to give the beggars money, especially the children because you never know if they're being coerced or exploited. So exercising the Buddhist values of compassion and kindness, I and a few other travelers did buy and give them fruit sometimes. The vendors sell all kinds of trinkets and they expect you to haggle. If you buy even a small item from one vendor, the others will immediately pounce on you and try to convince you to buy their things as well. 

Our last stop was the most famous landmark in India: the Taj Mahal, located in Agra. Our train was stuck waiting on the tracks so we didn't get a ton of time here but it was more than enough to take an obligatory Taj selfie (or several). 

I'll never forget this insightful tour, the sights & sounds, the people I experienced this with and the melodic chanting I heard so often that will always bring back pleasant memories of my time exploring and experiencing the roots of Buddhism in Northern India: Buddham... Saranam... Gacchami...

Here's a quick video trailer I made with my film from the tour:

Use discount code MIRAMBLINGS
to get a 5% discount when you book your tour with
India Top Travel & Tours Pvt. Ltd. 

Review + Promo Code Trekking the Annapurna Circuit with Nepal Eco Adventure (750 Words)

Honestly I had no idea what I would be getting myself into with this whole trekking thing. I have lived at sea level (Florida, USA) for the past decade and in no way trained for this experience. I wasn’t sure what to expect but even if I had expectations, they would have been exceeded!

This was my first visit to Nepal and a visa was pretty easy to get on arrival. A single-entry visa valid for 15/30/90 days costs US$25/40/100 and you’ll want to pay in US Dollars.

Tourism is Nepal’s biggest industry and it’s down significantly after the earthquake. Normally I travel independently but I was glad I booked my trek with Nepal Eco Adventure because all the transportation and trekking permits were included. (Bring several extra passport photos with you for the permits and your visa!)

Typical Trek Break[fast]

That being said, the trips aren’t 100% all inclusive. You’ll need some money for souvenirs, meals in the cities, drinks during the trek and to tip your guide and porter and the end of your trek.

The 10-day Ghorepani – Poonhill -Ghandruk Trek (a moderate part of the Annapurna Circuit) I enjoyed during March 2016 included a tour of Kathmandu beforehand which was serendipitously during the annual Holi Festival. All of the accommodations were clean and comfortable. I also stayed a few nights in Pokhara, which is a beautiful little lakeside town where you’ll stay for one night before and after your trek.

The rooms at the tea houses during the trek are a little more rustic, but they all had solar-powered hot showers and hot food. I'm vegetarian and there was always something I could eat (lots of veg momo and daal bhat w/ rice.) 

The highlight of the trip is waking up at 4 AM and hiking to the summit to Poon Hill in the dark to watch the sun rise over the Annapurna range. The morning was a bit misty but we still enjoyed a brilliant sun rise! This was really the only place where we encountered many other tourists. I rarely saw other people during the rest of the time on the trail. Whether local or foreign, I would always greet people with a friendly ‘Namaste!’

My adventure took me up endless stone steps, down through mossy meadows and through seemingly enchanted forests. Sometimes I felt like I was in Middle Earth on a mission to take a ring to Mordor. Other times I felt like I was wandering through a pre-historic landscape and would surely discover dinosaurs around the corner at any given moment.

I am a solo female traveler but was glad to be grouped with two other fellow trekkers and our guides Kumar and Babu. This wasn’t a safety issue - I felt totally safe during my almost month total travels in Nepal. It is more the social aspect and having a few others with which to share this incredible experience. D and I shared a bigger bag carried by a porter named Subus but carried smaller day packs with us. (A porter carries your rucksack for you.)

The weather was amazing but the temperature obviously gets cooler the higher you hike so you make sure you have layers while still packing as light as possible. (If you are traveling before or after the trek, you can safely leave some things at the office in Kathmandu or at the hotel in Pokahra.)  

Let’s talk about Packing. You really don’t need much. Pack two shirts and two pairs of pants plus a thin first layer of yoga pants and athletic shirt, a few pairs of underwear and socks, a lightweight jacket, hiking boots plus one pair of sandals/shower shoes, scarf, hat, sunglasses, a quick dry towel, headlamp or flashlight and small, basic toiletries. I recommend bringing your own sleeping bag both for hygiene and warmth. 

The least fun part of the trip is the six hour bus ride between Kathmandu and pokhara, which could be even longer if you get stuck in traffic. But this experience is totally worth the wait!

I would absolutely go back and do a longer, more advanced hike like the Annapurna Base Camp or perhaps even Everest base camp if I get a chance to train more beforehand.

This was really an incredible, unforgettable experience for me and I want more people to have this experience as well so that’s why if you use the promo code: MIRAMBLING when you book your own trek, you’ll get an exclusive 5% discount!

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me in the comments below.

Namaste!

Here's the 4:00 video version of my review: 

Use PROMO CODE: MIRAMBLING to get a 5% discount when you book any trek or tour in Nepal with Nepal Eco Adventure.  

I did the Ghorepani-Poonhill-Ghandruk route, which is a moderate part of the Annapurna Circuit, in March 2016. This includes 5 days of travel/touring and 5 days of actual trekking.

Trekking seasons are: September to December & March to Mid June.