My name's Junet (nick name Junie) and I'm a student at a University called Sciences Po located in the north of France. I grew up in the mountains of Northern California where I spent much of my time hiking, swimming, and playing music in my tiny town. Now, after taking a year off of school to travel, I've found myself back in the classroom (across the Atlantic) studying public policy, sociology, and political humanities. Much of my passion lies within the realm of environmental and social activism which is why I study what I study. Besides my more academic interests, I love to hike, cook, discuss, and travel.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Everyday I spend in France I feel grateful for the opportunity that I have to live and study among an international student body. Coming from a small town in rural America, to a metropolitan area of France, I feel an urge to take advantage of every opportunity I have to travel and to immerse myself in parts of the world that I've only read about in textbooks.

Interests

• cooking
• pilates
• politics
• traveling
• music
• hiking
• foodie
• environmentalism
• fiddle

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite book would have to be the series Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer -- it's a story about a girl in the early 19th century who dresses like a boy, has all sorts of success, and becomes the captain of a ship. While it may sound elementary, in truth it's a thrilling read.
I'm a huge movies gal, which means it's very hard for me to choice a favorite. Shawshank Redemption would be up there along with Call Me By Your Name and Selma.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I hiked the John Muir Trail with a good friend of mine a few years back. It's a 260km trail that goes from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney (the tallest Mountain in the continental US). The hike took us around three weeks, and it was such a blast. The views were stunning and the people we met were generous and warmhearted. I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good hike.

Teach, Learn, Share

Wherever I visit, I love to learn more about the region itself and the culture of the locals. I'm always down to talk politics, and, as it is my area of study, I can share what I know about international relations as well as domestic politics (depending on the nation). I love to sing folk music and share traditional tunes over a few beers.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share my knowledge of the English and Spanish languages (although with French, I likely be learning more from others than teaching anything myself). I can share stories of the mountains as well as tips and pieces of advice about the places I've traveled. As mentioned before, I'm always up for a lively political discussion. As I'm only 19, however, it seems that I have much more to learn than I do to share.

Countries I’ve Visited

Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Guatemala, Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, Scotland, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Mexico, United States