Weekly Marvelings

I'm not promising to post such a post as this every week.

But just to explain, "Weekly Marvelings" will be posts in which I marvel over a select few wonderful things I noticed in my week that I just couldn't go without sharing.

1) Young Oceans

What an awesome group!
I just happened to stumble upon this band while listening to a Christian radio station on Spotify. (FYI Spotify is an awesome source if you're looking for some new music in your library/playlists)
I fell in love with this music.
I would describe them as a Christian version of the XX. Very indie/electronic/chill.
My personal favorite track is, "Great Is Our God."



2) Laura Hackett

Along the same line, Laura Hackett is another wonderful Christian artist I've discovered this week.
I actually was able to see her preform live tonight!
Singing "Joyful, Joyful" with hundreds of other brothers and sisters was such an amazing experience.
I've got the joy.



3) State Road 121

Most would think being a commuter approximately 30 miles from campus is a hassle.
Heck, even I think that most of the time.
But this week, I realized just how blessed I am to spend an hour each day soaking in the immense beauty of God's creation.
This road is absolutely gorgeous.



4) Java the Nut

Most addicting drink I've ever consumed in my entire life.
Pure deliciousness.
First of all, the name's awesome and I feel hardcore every time I order it.
I love places like this and Moe's that have silly names for items on the menu. It makes life fun!

Anyways, an awesome combo of coffee, cocoa, bananas, peanut butter, and froyo…
No further explanation necessary.



5) Burrito Salad

This one's for you Willistonians.

Have you been to Yum Yum Kitchen?
If your answer is no, WHY NOT?

Just go. Trust me.
It's in Blitchton right by United Hay.
And it's dee-lish.

The other day, I got creative and asked for their burrito contents in a bowl, minus the rice, atop a bed of lettuce.

There I go with my When Harry Met Sally moment again.

What can I say, Sally and I just know how to make something good taste even better.

But seriously, go try this! It is superb.



So there's my marvelings for the week.
I see so many bloggers blog each weekend about things they want and like online.
But I think it's important for us to look back on our week and be grateful for the blessings that we receive in real life and sometimes fail to acknowledge.
Even if it is a good song, tasty salad, or smoothie.

I challenge you to go about this week noticing the little things in life that give you joy and be grateful for them.

God Bless!

Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made

Indeed, I am unreliable. Ask my New Years Resolutions, prior boyfriends, or my big brother Blake-- whom I swear to each and every day that I will be at his house the following morning to work out with him... and never show.

I make promises. I mean well when I'm making them! And then a mixture of life and laziness equates to me breaking them, time and time again.

I've broken my promise to post about my trip to New York within a week from my last post. But have no fear, a mere half a week past my deadline-- Rambo is here to Ramble about the great Empire State. 


This Christmas Break, I returned to the city for the fourth time. I was there for a whole long, magical, freezing week. 
I could not possibly tell you everything I did because I was just that productive!
Instead, I will provide you with my top 10 must-do's in the wonderful city of New York.

Rambo's NYC Top 10:

1. Nuts for Nuts

I, Miranda Fugate, am nuts for these nuts! I've been to New York multiple times now- I kinda consider myself an expert- and I have yet to find one thing in that city that gives me as much pure joy as those nuts do!
You can find these little tasties on almost any street corner-- the convenience of the city is both wonderful and sinful-- for a mere three dollars. (Worth it my friends, so worth it!)
There was actually a night that Travis and I were perusing in Central Park before dinner, chowing down on some almonds and I literally had to physically hold him back from buying another bag and ruining his appetite before dinner!
Did I mention that when its 20 degrees outside they warm your insides better than a really sweet text from a crush?
Good stuff.

2. Central Park

On this trip, I developed a particular fetish for Central Park. I had always visited it on prior trips, but had never really grasped its immense beauty.
This time, I drug Travis to the park on several different occasions. And each time, without fail, I would look up starry eyed at the trees and the city buildings in the background and just say in utter amazement, "It's so beautiful!!!"
I find it funny that I, a Florida girl, find a collection of completely leafless deciduous trees in the heart of the winter absolutely beautiful. But it was gorgeous.
We visited the park at different times of day, so we were able to enjoy several different sky colors and hues. 

I love the park because you can easily distinguish locals from tourists. Tourists can easily be found atop a rock posing for a picture, enjoying a carriage ride, or just looking left and right rapidly as they walk around. 
Locals, however appear to be in a sort of trance. You can tell that many New Yorkers consider the park a place of peace, tranquility, and just a place to think… or disconnect. 
In my additional trips to the park, I tried to have a more local-esque attitude while exploring the park-- zoning out a bit, admiring the beauty of it all, and just pondering life. 

3. The Brooklyn Tabernacle

This was actually my first experience at the Brooklyn Tabernacle-- and what an experience it was. As soon as we entered the church, we were immediately greeted with smiling faces and kind hearts.

The choir was just as good as they say it is and the worship was on-point!

I loved the warmth I felt in the church. It reassured me that even in such a dark city like New York, there is light, and Jesus is ever-present!

I can't say much about the Brooklyn Tabernacle except just go!! You won't regret it, I promise. 

4. Sunset View Atop the Affinia Shelburne

!Alert! Pay attention here. If you are visiting New York, you must not waste your money on The Rock or The Empire State Building. 
You must, instead, visit the Affinia Shelburne's rooftop.

No, we did not stay in this hotel. Yes, the view is open to the public.

Yes, the view is amazing.

Incredible.

Breathtaking.

I have been to the top of both The Rock and the Empire State Building and this was by far my favorite. 
Not only do you get to avoid the dreaded lines and crowds of the other two, but you have an amazing view of both the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building (my personal favorite).

Do it. 

Please. :)

5. Eataly

For a girl that is obsessed with all things Italian, this place is the coolest of cool.

No, it's not a restaurant.
No, it's not a market.

In the words of my oldest brother Nic, it's the (insert cuss word meaning "fatherless child" here) child of the two.

Eataly is this huge warehouse full of goodness. It has any Italian anything you could ever imagine. (Except gnocchi… What's up with that, yo!?) It's a huge market that includes some super cool restaurants as well.

It has un-homogonized milk! How dope is that!

And do not go without grabbing some gelato.
No, 20 degree weather cannot ruin the divinity of gelato.

And when you do, get the "sweet milk" flavor. It was the bomb diggity.

6. Grimaldi's Pizza

It's just as tasty as they say, folks. 

Best pizza I've ever had. 

Helpful Hint: Go to the Coney Island location! Super dead, no long lines, same great taste. Plus, you get the fun of Coney Island as well!

7. China Town

You simply cannot make a trip to New York without experiencing the culture shock and money-hungry shop owners of China Town.

If you're gonna go, you need to find a dumpling house. You just have to.

Joe's Shanghai is one of the most applauded, and indeed, it is good. 
This year, the line was a little longer than our stomachs could tolerate.
So Dad found us an alternative, the Golden Unicorn.

This place was much more festive than Joe's! Besides one other table, which had Chinese comrades, we were the only Caucasian customers. 
Waitresses push around carts with several dumpling and meat options and you just kinda flag them down if you're interested. (Similar to a Brazilian Steakhouse.)

Chinatown's shops are also a great part of the fun. Forget the souvenir shops by Times Square and take a subway to Canal Street. I am pretty confident when I say that any gift or keepsake you want to bring home can be found in Chinatown. 

8. Forever 21 on Times Square

Yes, this one is very personalized, but it is definitely makes the top 10 cut. 

Forever 21 is everything beautiful and wonderful in the world to me. 
But you know what's better?
4 floors of Forever 21.
Yes, FOUR.

When I stepped in with 4 gift cards handy, I knew I had reached my shopaholic nirvana. 

If you are not a huge Forever 21 goer but are interested in good shopping places in New York, I am your girl.

- T.J. Maxx on Wall Street is awesome
- Any Loehmann's is good! (Like a New York Ross or Beall's Outlet)
- H&M is actually a New York company, so there are multiple ones throughout the city. They have such good deals!
- The Chelsea Market has so many designer sample sales and super cool retro shops (not just clothes, several cool eateries, too!)
- There's this store called Strawberry that is very much like a Burlington. All their boots were 50% off. Holla. 

9. Wall Street/ Financial District in general

The Financial District is a gorgeous section of town. 

If you're going down that way, pay Wall Street a visit. The buildings are beautiful.

It's usually a little crowded but a stroll down the street shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. 

Make sure to take a picture by... George Washington? Or Thomas Jefferson? I wasn't completely sure who he was when I scurried up to stand beside him.

George Washington. 
Just Googled it :)

Also, don't forget to stare goggly-eyed into Tiffany's. 

And since you're down that way, you may as well visit Ground Zero. 
I wouldn't suggest visiting the 9/11 memorial quite yet. You have to get tickets in advance, wait in a long line, go through security, and it was just kinda a hassle honestly. Supposedly, when the memorial is completely finished, you will be able to walk right up to it. 
So, I would just wait it out until a later visit, or just visit the Ground Zero area in general. Just being down there was very eerie  and sad, but something I think you must do. 

10. Circle Cruise

So, I was totally ragging on Dad for awhile thinking this part of the trip would be a total waste. 

But it actually turned out to be one of my favorite things we did!

Sure, the Circle Cruise is a very mainstream tourist attraction. But, I found it to be extremely eye-opening. 
Like, who knew the Northernmost part of Manhattan could look like this!?

We also had a spectacular view of Lady Liberty. In my book, all you really need to do is get a good look at her. 

The Circle Cruise was fun! You got to see countless outstanding views of the city and learned a lot of history as well!





New York. I could write about it for days on in. 
In many ways, the city is my first love. 

I remember during my first trip to the city (my parents had taken me for my twelfth birthday) Mom and Dad asked me if I could imagine myself living there. And my response since then has always been the same.
YES.

Peace Like A River

Probably the biggest debate I have with myself is what my favorite place in the world is. 
The problem is, I have two favorite places.
And they're very different.
But when it comes down to it, I simply cannot decide which one I like more.
So, in no meaningful order, my two favorite places in the whole wide world are:
1) The Rainbow River
2) New York City

Yeah. I'm that chick that loves serenity and loves chaos and just can't choose between the two.

I just got back from a fantastic trip to New York and have found myself craving the city life at random times as I'm back here in good ole' North Central Florida. 
I suppose it's natural. They say distance makes the heart grow fonder. *sigh*

(p.s. I will be blogging about NYC later this week when I can narrow down all the fun into one post!)

But today, in the midst of my city withdrawals, I was reminded of why I love the river SO MUCH.


I began my day with some bible study, focusing on a few segments of the book of Romans. 
Romans 8:6 really stuck out to me:
"To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace."

Peace. That's what we all want isn't it? And there is no greater peace than the kind we receive from Jesus Christ.

So that was my prayer this morning, "Lord, help me follow your Spirit so that I may find peace."


I had a morning kayak expedition planned with my best bud, Travis.
The goal of our journey? To break in Travis's brand new kayak. 
And what better location to do so than the river?

As we boarded the yaks and began our journey, one of my greatest characteristics took charge.
I do this thing where if I think I know more about something than someone else does, I start to explain my take on the situation.
I often do it with cooking while someone is in the kitchen, explaining to insert name here (usually my BFF BonnieJean), step-by-step instructions of how to achieve the perfect dish- Paula Deen style. 
If I'm talking to someone younger than me about UF, I act all wise, recommending classes, professors, parking arrangements and study habits.
And apparently at the river, I act like the ultimate kayak connoisseur. 

As we ventured on our journey, I found myself constantly narrating my normal river yaking routine to Travis.

We had only made it around the first bend and I was already jabbering, "There's a spring over here… That's really the strongest part of the current that we just made it through…" 

But that's why I like keeping Travis around. He lets me jabber my know-it-all heart out and thinks I'm hilarious the whole time. 
It's just peaceful.
Unless we're together in NYC for 7 days straight. But even then, it's pretty peaceful, haha. :)



Anyways, he let me take him through my normal kayak routine at the river.

First we kayaked upstream, although we did take a nice little detour, docking our yaks and exploring a trail through the woods Travis had noticed. (He comes in handy sometimes.)


On the way upstream, we checked out several birds and turtles.

 

Then, as custom, when I reach the head of the river, I jump in the wide open turquoise blue abyss of 72 degree water. That is my favorite moment of all. There's something about swimming underwater in the Rainbow River with your eyes open that just gives you an immense sense of peace.

As we began our descent back down the river, I informed Travis that at this point, I usually lay back in the yak and just float and watch the sky. 
So that's what we did.



Lastly, every time my river journey is about to wrap up, I treat my kayak like a paddle board and paddle back to my lot. 
I realize I'm not Leonardo DiCaprio and I'm not traveling across the Atlantic to America, but it gives me that whole, "I'm the King of the World!" rush.

Today was a wonderful day. Today was a peaceful day.

And can I just have a moment of state appreciation for being able to SWIM in JANUARY?

I've got joy like a fountain, I've got love like the ocean, and I've got peace like a river in my soul.

Introduction

Let me begin by saying welcome to Rambo's Ramblings- a blog that I fully intend to be as crazy and disorganized as my life is!

If you know who Rambo is- congratulations, you are an important figure in my life and have had the pleasure of my company :) If not, no worries! I hope through this blog you will meet the true Rambo.

I've always admired down-to-earth people who can act the same way no matter where they go or who they're surrounded by.
Sadly, I don't have this attribute.
I'm either Miranda, the girl that is shy and socially awkward. Miranda, the nerd girl who was valedictorian, in the band, competing in FFA competitions left and right. Or I'm Miranda, the nice girl- or the one that was best dressed in High School (holla!)

But every now and then, my best persona comes out to shine- her name is Rambo.

Rambo is my nickname around my family and friends. When I was a baby, my cousin, Trip, couldn't pronounce my name, so he called me Rambo instead (it was around the time that those movies were a big deal). And it just kinda stuck.

Rambo is the girl that is simply crazy. She's random, she thinks she's hilarious, she's a bit of a smart butt, she's a completely different person from the average Miranda Fugate. 

The first resolution I made for myself for this year of 2014 was to start a blog and stick to it! 
When I thought of the name "Rambo's Ramblings" I knew there was no turning back. 
I hope that through this blog, you can get to know me better, can be entertained, and perhaps even learn a few things. 

I realize that many blogs are thoroughly organized- they're either about daily life, fashion, beauty, recipes, family, etc…
But here's my disclaimer: I have no intention of organizing my blog like so. As I said before, Rambo is random and I don't want to hinder that part of my true personality.

Through this blog I will share my fashion, meals, traveling experiences, and so much more!

Thanks for following, and Happy New Year! :)

(New Years Eve in New York City)