Olivia is a photojournalist by trade and a coffee snob by choice. A few years ago, she stumbled into humanitarian aid and has been engrossed in the world ever since. One day, she will likely title her memoir, I Don't Even Know How I Got Here: the Olivia Blinn Story.

After growing up in the great outdoors of northern Minnesota, Olivia packed up her bags and moved to the greater Los Angeles area. Following four years of very little sleep, an excessive amount of coffee and long hours of work — Olivia graduated with a B.A. in journalism and integrated media and minors in both mathematics and biblical & theological studies. Following graduation, Olivia spent a summer as a nomad in Los Angeles and Orange County, eventually leading to a 2,000 mile road trip. (It'll make a great chapter in her memoir one day).

In an unexpected turn of events, Olivia received an offer to move to Phnom Penh, Cambodia and work for an international NGO. With a personal philosophy of saying "yes" to things that scare her, Olivia moved to Cambodia. She quickly fell in love with the country and extended her time there. Twice. However, when a 7.8 earthquake shook Nepal, Olivia received an opportunity to pack up and respond to the quake. This time, when she said "yes," she had no idea that this work would be a springboard into a nomadic life of disaster relief.

Olivia would go on to respond to the refugee crisis in Greece, an earthquake in Ecuador and a hurricane in Haiti. Afterward, she would find herself back in Nepal to assist in on-going recovery efforts. While there, she received a call to work in a trauma hospital being established outside of Mosul during the battle between ISIS and Iraqi Security Forces. Following six life-changing months in Iraq, Olivia moved to the Federated States of Micronesia to work for a UN agency.

Despite working in the humanitarian sector, Olivia still has a deep love of journalism. The latter half of her college career was dedicated to her work for the Chimes, a Pacemaker-winning newspaper, as photo editor and art director. Her photography for the Chimes has been recognized by the California College Media Association and the Associated Collegiate Press. If you were to ask Olivia about her favorite project that she's worked on, she'll probably tell you about the Embodied Project. One of her most difficult and taxing projects to date, it combined many of her favorite things — photography, storytelling, honesty, controversy and theology.

Olivia holds an MSc in International Disaster Management from the University of Manchester. She is a firm believer in really good coffee, concerts as therapy, actual therapy, red lipstick and the woods.

Want to learn more? Check out some infrequently asked questions:

+ What’s the most absurd situation you’ve had happened to you in your work?

In Iraq, I broke my baby toe while giving a tour of our hospital compound to a foreign correspondent. Not wanting to disrupt the media visit, I walked on it for eight hours, while I watched my foot get more and more purple. I eventually got it x-rayed in our trauma bay, where they most severe patients would go, much to the confusion and concern of my local colleagues but to the delight of my expat colleagues who were taking photos of me throughout this process.

+ What’s the most interesting food you’ve eaten in your travels?

Sea turtle. Before you get outraged, though, it was with good reason. I promise.

+ Are you really as ridiculous about coffee as you seem?

Yes.

+ Do you have any life mottos?

Be kind to others and respect their deeply held beliefs. Take excellence and beauty seriously. Never underestimate the power of storytelling.

+ Do you have any interesting skills?

I’m only good at sports that don’t matter — badminton, darts and bowling. I’m really good at bowling. I can break 200. Oh, and I shoot a bow and arrow for fun.

+ What are some of your favorite corners of the world?

Joshua Tree National Park in California. The sleepy little river town in Cambodia where I got my first tattoo. A Syrian restaurant in Kathmandu, Nepal. The hidden coffee shop on my favorite Greek isle. My old apartment in Micronesia that looked out over the water.

+ What’s a creative project that you’ve completed recently?

In order to better process my time in Iraq, I created a project called ‘Beyond the Blast Walls: Stories from Bartella, Iraq.' At the end of my time in Iraq, I photographed a number of items that I was bringing home with me. Months later, I edited the photos and wrote up the stories behind each of the items.