Florence Welch,
I feel like we would be good friends. 
Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play
And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues drawn
It’s always darkest before the dawn
And I’ve been a fool and I’ve been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I’m always dragging that horse around
All of these questions, such a mournful sound
Tonight I’m gonna bury that horse in the ground
So I like to keep my issues drawn
But it’s always darkest before the dawn
… And it’s hard to dance with a devil on your back, so shake him off.
I’ve been listening to this song on repeat.
(Source: Spotify)
Girl’s best friend is dog who carries her oxygen
After their daughter was diagnosed with a rare lung disease, the Knobloch family had to figure out how their little girl would be able to carry a portable oxygen tank everywhere she went. Mr. Gibbs, a golden doodle puppy, came to their rescue.
(Source: today, via lost--time)
If people would just step outside of their bubble, the environment that they are so absorbed in, they would see. They would see with just a week in a different culture how small they are, and that everything they know to be true in their life is a teeny tiny fraction of how much there is to know in the world. Empathy is one of the most important things, in my opinion.
The most beautiful thing to me is how much there is to experience; there is so much much that we don’t even know that we don’t know.
Relative to this, now that I’ve left Mizzou, it irritates me to no end to see the statuses and unimportant worries that so many of my facebook friends spend so much time on. They are in their own bubble, and worry about stupid selfish things, and are on such narrow roads, when they don’t see that they could be doing so much more. I don’t know why it gets under my skin so much. Maybe because I used to be like that? Maybe because I used to be (semi-)content having friends whose problems were so trivial? Maybe I am frustrated that I never fit into that mold exactly, how I am broad and they are narrow but I felt rejected because of it? Maybe it was that last one. But at the same time I cannot express how relieved I am to have left Mizzou. When I see my friends getting job offers and heading to STL or KC, I think, Thank GOD I didn’t have to settle for any of that! It’s amazing how unhappy I was and how much I was hiding that unhappiness from myself and everyone else. My depression and anxiety have been less than they have been in years, and this is the first time that I am being true to myself, realizing who I am, and I am genuinely happy. Regarding Mizzou, I think I am just bitter that nothing ended up how I wanted it to be and how I worked so hard for it to be; I didn’t come out of it with any lifelong friends, and I don’t feel like I gained any classroom knowledge. Experiential knowledge, yes, but I don’t have almost anything I’ve taken outside the classroom except Spanish. I need to forgive and forget.
Italia!
So,
I leave for Italy in 5 days. I’m pretty calm, but I have a quiet excitement underneath my collected feelings. I am also just a teeny tiny bit nervous. I went to Spain only 2 years ago, but I feel 10 years older and wiser now. I keep telling myself to step back, everything will fall into place like it did in Spain, but not to sweat the small stuff. I had major, major anxiety when I was in Spain, and it wasn’t until I came back that I realized what a huge impact the trip, culture, and internship and even all of my partying and irresponsibility had on my life. I learned SO MUCH about myself and life as a whole while I was over there. It became a life lesson for me to live in the now and not the future. I think my biggest fear is that I’ll go to Italy and rush to see everything I possibly can and not appreciate it. Also, I know how to budget money now! (I can’t believe how much more financially incompetent 19 year old Olivia was!)
If I look at this post tomorrow and it doesn’t make sense I’m blaming it on the brownie I ate last night…
Vegan Banana Strawberry Oatmeal Squares
They’re om-nom-nom-tastic. And super healthy too! Makes 8 squares at 70 calories each.
Ingredients
1 small banana, mashed
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 1/4 cup oats (I used Quaker Quick Oats)
2 large strawberries, diced (you can also substitute for raspberries, blueberries, peaches, etc.)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 dash cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon white sugar (optional)Directions
1. In a medium sized bowl, blend banana, applesauce, and vanilla extract.
2. In another larger bowl, mix oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
3. Slowly add the banana mixture into the oatmeal mixture. Add the diced strawberries (make sure they’re fairly small pieces!)
4. Grease 6 by 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Scoop the mixture into there.
5. Optional step: Sprinkle sugar on top of the mixture.
6. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. They’re ready when they turn golden brown and no residue comes up when you poke them with a fork.
7. Let them cool for 20 minutes before cutting them up into squares.
8. ANNNND EAT!
(Source: 100pounds100days, via prettyfitbody)
20 Must-See Places Before the World Ends
I don’t care if I make a lot of money or not, but I would like to make enough to be able to travel and see as much of the world as I can.
1. The Amazon

Regardless of which country you go to to see it—Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, or French Guiana—considering it’s the largest rainforest in the world and houses millions of unique creatures rarely found anywhere else, it’s worth seeing for thousands of reasons.
2. Antelope Canyon

You might think the Grand Canyon is the only canyon you need to see in the US, but really, consider Antelope Canyon, which is conveniently also located in Arizona. Antelope Canyon was created through rivers and streams eroding the sandstone, and it makes for a wholly awesome experience where you can just saunter through miles of them.
3. Uluru (Ayers Rock)

Located in the middle of the Australian Outback, you probably recognize this one from The Adventurers Down Under. In real life, though, it’s even more amazing. However, you’ll find that flying on an eagle’s back makes it much easier to access, as it’s actually more than 280 miles outside of any significant town (Alice Springs).
4. Bora Bora

Located in French Polynesia in the South Pacific, Bora Bora is well-known as one of the most beautiful islands in the world. With crystal clear waters and awesome accommodations, there’s no way to avoid this one.
5. Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls, between Zambia and Zimbabwe, is (debatably) the largest waterfall in the world, with a width of 5604ft (1708m) and a height of 354ft (108m), and a much better choice than Niagara Falls.
6. Norwegian Fjords

Norway has one of the longest coastlines in the world, but almost certainly the most interesting. Its eastern coast is riddled with hundreds of jagged inlets, jutting right into the inland of the country. The formations within them as well as the views from them are among the most mesmerizing around.
7. Santorini

Santorini is an island off the coast of Greece, thousands of years ago the site of one of the largest volcanic explosions in history. Today it plays home to spectacular views, crazy architecture, and a storied history (supposedly the same eruption that destroyed it led to the legend of Atlantis).
8. Iceland

Iceland features some of the most alien landscapes in the world, from huge, partially frozen waterfalls, to the Northern Lights and insane sunsets and sunrises, to miles of barren tundra; not to mention an outgoing population who’s down to party.
9. Moraine Lake

You’d think a lake is a lake, but surely not. At least not Moraine Lake. Up in Alberta, Canada, Moraine is uniquely astounding because when it’s full, the intensely light rock from the surrounding mountains refracts, creating a neon, mind-blowing shade of blue. Plus, you know, the whole area is pretty amazing in the first place.
10. Petra

Built around 1200BC, Petra is an ancient city of Jordan, renowned not just for the fact that it’s entirely built inside “towering rocks,” but for its intricacies therein. The city was able to constructed in the desert because its designers, the Nabataeans, redirected waterways, creating an artificial oasis—the center of their caravan trade, and a fortress.
11. Machu Picchu

Located almost eight thousand feet above sea level in Peru, Machu Picchu is one of the most amazing feats of architecture in the world. While you might think it’s a pretty weird place to put a city, you’d be wrong: most believe it was an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti, who really must’ve need to take some time away from it all.
12. Plitvice

Plitvice is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe, and the largest in Croatia. Its views are something that few would expect in Europe at all, and the fact that it remains relatively untouched (aside from a few walkways), makes it all the better.
13. Great Barrier Reef

Composed of over 2900 individual reefs, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest of its kind in the world—so large it can be seen from outer space—and also the
”biggest single structure made by living organisms.” Due to coral bleaching from pollution, this is a site to see asap.
14. Sistine Chapel

Honestly, with some of the most prominent works by some of the most famous Renaissance artists—like Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, and Pietro Perugino—how could you not want to take a quick look at the Sistine Chapel? I mean, it’s in Vatican City, which is pretty worth checking out on its own.
15. Stonehenge

Considering all the theories surrounding Stonehenge, it seems pretty likely that it’ll have to do with the apocalypse anyway, so you might as well see the harbinger in person before it all goes to hell.
16. Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is considered “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage,” which should be reason enough to visit its vaulted walls and beautiful gardens; but what’s more, it was built from 1632-1653 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Now that is some serious devotion.
17. Palace of Versailles

The pinnacle of absolute monarchy and the indulgence of theancien régime in France, Louis XIV transformed this former hunting lodge into one of the most expansive palaces in the world. So indulgent was it, in fact, that Louis had all records of how much it originally cost to build destroyed, though the estimates range from $2 billion up to almost $300 billion in today’s dollars.
18. Great Wall of China

Construction of the Great Wall began in the 7th century BC and continued for hundreds of years. It’s the longest fortification ever built, constructed to thwart invasions of Mongolian and Manchu enemies. At its height (well, length), it was more than 3700 miles (6000km) long.
19. Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is a temple complex surrounded by a moat, built by Cambodian king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century to serve as the state temple and capital city. The symmetry and “harmony” of its design has been compared to the most famous architecture of ancient Greece and the Romans.
20. Church of Our Virgin Mary of Zion

Located in Axum, Ethiopia, this site is important—like Stonehenge—when we’re talking about the apocalypse. Contained within this tiny structure is supposedly the Ark of the Covenant, aka where the tablet with the Ten Commandments is supposed to be. Something crazy will probably go down here before the end of the world.
(Source: stumbleupon.com)
(Source: cestnepaslavraivie, via doubleparadiddlediddle)
(via highvoltagemodifications)
(Source: ironbutterfly17, via bohemian-thoughts)
The Aldas Project. 366 Drawings for Good. One original drawing, every day for a year, hand drawn by an independent artist, with proceeds going to three great charities: 826 National, The Schoerke Foundation, and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
(via karried-away)

