I live in a one bedroom apartment in a very nice neighborhood in Northwest Austin. The apartment is about 730 square feet. It has a decent sized living area with a 32 inch television and dvd player. The kitchen has all major appliances and a washer and dryer. I have a balcony that overlooks a greenbelt--I even see deer down below sometimes! The apartment is carpeted, except for the kitchen and bathroom. I have a queen sized bed. The complex is relatively quiet. I have a dog, but would prefer that no pets are here during the exchange.

My neighborhood is a very nice, well established neighborhood in Northwest Austin. It has a greenbelt with hiking trails running through it. I am pretty close to major highways, so that puts me about 15 minutes from anything I want to do in Austin! This includes going to Lake Travis, Town Lake, Lake Austin, the Barton Creek Greenbelt, Barton Springs Pool, downtown Austin, shopping on South Congress, and Zilker Park. There is also a brand new shopping center--the Domain--about 5 minutes from my apartment.

I am a single teacher, age 30. I have a 10 year old dog that I would like to bring with me on the exchange. I am interested in seeing a city in the US that I haven't visited before. I am especially interested in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. I like to hike and spend time outdoors. I'd like to be away from touristy areas, but close to some cool, funky local shops, restaurants, etc.