Yuna

Travel information

I am currently

Description

Hi! I'm Yuna and I'm based in New Zealand. I'm currently travelling for an indeterminate amount of time after finishing postgraduate study in environmental science, and I'm looking forward to learning and connecting with people along the way!

I'm passionate about the outdoors, especially rock-climbing, hiking, skiing, and surfing - nature is my happy place. I'm really grateful to have grown up in a small village in the French Alps and to have lived in the South Island of New Zealand for the past 8 years, surrounded by beautiful mountains and beaches! I dedicated my time at university to learning about environmental issues and climate change, and I hope to contribute to the environmental space in the future. I'm also very community-minded and thrive in community settings where stories, laughter, and knowledge can be shared. I'm always interested in meeting new people, whether that is through volunteering in a busy hostel or in an isolated off-grid project. I'm currently travelling with two other close friends, and the three of us are very interested in learning about intentional communities throughout our trip, as we hope to one day set up our own communal living space back home. My interests also include art, dancing, playing boardgames, writing average haikus, and learning new things, especially flow arts and tattooing! I'm open-minded, adaptable, and looking forward to meeting you :))

Although I'm new to Workaway, I have experience volunteering with HelpX (the New Zealand version). I also grew up around lots of Workaway volunteers helping on my parents' organic homestay project. Interacting with people from all around the world as a kid definitely made me want to travel later in life, and I'm super grateful for it!

Interests

Dancing

Technology

Winter sports

Sustainability

Outdoor activities

Hiking

DIY & crafts

Drawing & painting

Culture

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner

More details about my language interests
I can teach English and French! I have some experience tutoring conversational French. I'd love to improve my Spanish, learn Japanese, and I'm always open to learning about new cultures and language.

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Life at a Farmstay

---

Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

DIY and building projects

Babysitting and creative play

Being an elderly companion

General Maintenance

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Eco Projects

Helping around the house

Animal Care

Hospitality/Tourism

Charity Work

Art Projects

Teaching

---

Able to teach about:  

Languages

Helping with Computers/ Internet

More details about your skills

Growing up around Workawayers I have really good knowledge of what the exchange involves, both in terms of doing the work and making the most out of experiencing different places and cultures. Doing work is important, but so is getting to know your host and learning about the place you're in!

Formal education wise, I have a degree in physics and environmental studies, so have the skills to work with computers, numbers, or do coding. I also have a postgraduate degree in marine science, doing research on where kelp will survive climate change around Stewart Island, NZ. Over the past few years, I have been involved in a number of sustainability, nature-based, and community projects back home. I'm really passionate about environmental issues and sustainability, so if you have any environmentally-focused projects, I'd love to be a part of it!

I also have the skills to work outdoors. I spent a lot of my free time outdoors hiking, rock-climbing, or surfing. I can do outdoors labour, and have experience gardening and living in off-grid conditions. I'm also a diver, with up to my Rescue Certification, First Aid, and have the training to be a qualified scientific diver (still waiting on the official paperwork, but the skills and experience are there!).

I am bilingual English/French and have experiencing tutoring, so would love to assist anyone wanting to learn. In terms of work experience, I also have about 4 years of experience in a mix of reception/housekeeping in a hostel, bar work, retail, babysitting/childcare, and in the food industry. I really enjoy interacting with people, so if you run a business I can definitely help out with customer facing roles, and I am a fest learner. I recently spent 4 months working in a bar in Hokkaido, Japan, so I am able to work in international settings. I've been living communally for the past few years so I am also able to handle cooking and cleaning for large groups.

Through the past few years, I've learnt a lot about being adaptable, and both collaborative and self-directed work. I love working and connecting with people, and am passionate about the outdoors. Contact me if you have any more questions!

Age

23

What else ...

As mentioned earlier, I do not have any reviews on here yet as I'm new to the website, but I do have experience volunteering on HelpX (the NZ version) and grew up around many Workawayers on my parents's organic project - so I know what is expected and what the exchange involves.
I'm super excited to meet new people during my travels - please feel free to reach out about anything. Thanks for reading this far!

Some more information

• 

  Smoker

• 

  Driver's licence

• 

  Allergies

• 

  Special dietary requirements
  I love trying new foods, but usually don't eat much meat.