Hi I'm Jemila

I'm travelling through Jordan, hoping to learn more about the culture and history of of Jordan, and explore my family connection to the country. I'm excited to spend 2-3 weeks travelling around and potentially do some WOOFing or similar work while in Jordan too.

I'm a firm believer in striving to live and love in the moment, I find the natural world incredibly profound I want to learn more about physics and our place in the universe.

At home in Australia I am involved in grassroots community work and activism. I am part of an organic food cooperative and campaign on anti-nuclear and food sovereignty issues. I'm into live music, especially world music and something with a bit of soul, I love spoken word, museums, and photography.

I'm travelling to have a break form my work in Australia, fight the burnout and immerse myself in an entirely new place for me. When I travel, I prefer to take it slow, spend time in one place and really learn about it, connect with the community and take in the subtleties, rather than dart around visiting major tourist attractions. Lots of cups of tea, trying new foods and wandering are important factors in my travels.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on Couchsurfing to meet up with locals and people living in Jordan, particularly other women to talk to, stay with and spend time with in Jordan. I'm really excited to immerse myself in this new culture and learn as much as possible, even in this short time. I feel like hotels are sterile and have found that all my travel experiences in the past have been infinitely richer spent with locals and people living in the places i have visited. I am an experienced solo traveller, and happy to keep myself entertained as well as spend time with new friends and fellow travellers. I'm also excited to open up my world in Australia to others wanting to visit.

Music, Movies, and Books

I just read the Bricks the Built the Houses by Kate Tempest and that really blew my mind! My favourite book of all time has been the biography of Lee Miller - American artist, photographer and all time inspirational woman. Some other favourites have been Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell), The Gift (Lewis Hyde), and anything from Arundhati Roy or Vandana Shiva.

Music at the moment; Sampa the Great, Ibrahim Maalouf, Yasmine Hamdan, Hiatus Kayote... its forever changing.

More books than movies, but love Indi cinema and Jim Jarmusch films.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Been part of organising a 2-week trip through the Australian desert for people to come and learn about Australia's nuclear history. This is a trip that happens yearly to provide an opportunity for people to travel to remote regions most affected by the industry and meet with aboriginal traditional owners and communities who continue to fight against the industry. A truly amazing experience to have been part of.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Bahasa Indonesia language exchange
Vegan/Vegetarian Cooking Skills
Fermenting things
Making Preserves
Cultural exchange
Gardening help
Conversations
Excellent tea skills

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Spain, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, England, Indonesia, Sri Lanka