Nina’s 9 Lina Coral and Juna Gjata Blind Girl Chat.
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Two brilliant minds, one dynamic podcast
Juna and Lina pull it together with ‘Blind Girl Chat’
By Nina Livingstone
Lina Coral and Juna Gjata were 12 years old when their paths crossed at the Carroll Center for the Blind. It would take another four years for the two girls to become friends.
“When I first met Lina, I thought she was too cool to be friends with me,” remembers Juna. “Now look at us, best buds for over 13 years!”
Lina, who was born in Colombia, came to the U.S. at age 2. It was a bilateral eye tumor that took her sight. This past May, Lina received a master’s degree in mental health counseling. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from UMass Lowell in 2017.
Juna (pronounced Yoo-nsh) was born in Albania and by age 4 was legally blind due to a rare autoimmune reaction. Originally, her family came to America only temporarily for eye surgeries. “Thankfully, they decided to stay,” she wrote in her bio.
In 2017, Juna graduated from Harvard, majoring in psychology with a minor in music. A year later, she started “Food, We Need to Talk” with Boston’s NPR station. “I started it because of my struggles in college with food and eating disorders and have been doing it for the past six years,” she said.
This past March, Lina and Juna kicked off their podcast “Blind Girl Chat” where their clever introduction spells it out: “… Blind Girl Chat, where we talk all things blind and girl, no vision required.”
“I had the idea for a podcast a few years ago, but I worried not a lot of people would listen to it,” Lina admitted. “Last summer though, Juna and I were talking and … and I was like, who cares if no one listens to it?!”
But people are listening and the topics they choose reflect this: exercise, dating, stereotypes, even blind motherhood.
“We chat about what we decided on for that week,” said Lina. “It’s very organic and natural. No scripts or anything.”
They then edit the show at home before posting it on Apple and Spotify (among other platforms).
So what is it like to record a podcast with a friend? “The thing I like the most is how chill we both are about the podcast,” said Juna. “Lina and I are both fine with not writing scripts and not being super detailed about how we plan the episodes. Often our ideas come from real-life situations that have happened to both of us.”
When asking the two woman about their college experiences, their contrasting personalities come into focus.
“I loved college. I met some of my best friends to this day in college, and it was one of the happiest times in my life,” said Juna. “I used a cane mostly in college, though often did not (to my own detriment). I spent most of my time practicing piano because back then I really thought I wanted to be a pianist.”
Lina’s was less idyllic. “College life was a little rough for me because I was going through some difficult times,” she shared. “I got my guide dog before sophomore year and used her pretty exclusively. I loved having my guide dog with me and felt very confident traveling with her around campus.”
And if Lina could pick anyone to be a guest on Blind Girl Chat who would she choose? “I think I would pick Joel and Antonia from the Personality Hacker podcast. I am very interested in personality types, and I would love to talk to them about how disabilities may affect our personality types.”
For Juna? “Probably Stevie Wonder because let’s face it, he’s kind of a blind icon.”
The Blind Girl Chat hosts encourage people to send in questions or topics on air.
“I love to share funny stories, workout tips, snowboarding videos, and other silly things on my TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube!” Juna added.
To learn more about Juna and Lina, visit their website and read their responses in Nina’s 9 here.
NINA: Can you share a humorous or poignant (or both) anecdote from your careers as podcasters?
JUNA: My favorite story is when a girl came up to me on a mountain in Utah and told me that my podcast “Food, We Need to Talk” had saved her life. Eating disorders are dangerous, and I think we often ignore that. When you talk into a microphone, it’s easy to forget that there are actually people out there listening to it. Anytime someone comes up to me and recognizes me or tells me how much they love the pod, it truly warms my heart and reminds me why I do what I do.
LINA: There are so many funny moments while recording! I think if you listen to the Using Blindness to Your Advantage episode, you’ll see what I mean. I think the most poignant moments I’ve encountered as a podcaster so far, is getting the messages from other blind people saying that they have felt validated or heard by listening to Blind Girl Chat (BGC). That was really the goal and I wasn’t sure if people were going to enjoy it or not, so I’m so glad to hear that people are finding the podcast helpful.
NINA: Picture it, you’ve just graduated college … would you do anything differently with your career trajectory? If so, what?
JUNA: I would’ve let go of wanting to be a pianist earlier. Honestly, I could sense for years it wasn’t the right fit for me, but I had dedicated so many hours and so many years, that I held on to it for longer than I should have. That being said, I truly cherish those moments in my life because the absolute relentlessness with which I pursued piano has shaped who I am today.
LINA: No, I actually don’t think I would. College was difficult, but life after college for me has been so much better! I feel like the experiences I’ve had in life and at work have made me more confident in myself and I enjoyed grad school much more than undergrad. I want to mention that because I think a lot of people struggle in college and maybe feel left out, so I just want to say that things do get better!
NINA: If you could invite four celebrities to your home for dinner, who would they be and what would you serve?
JUNA: Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Anne Hathaway, and for some reason, I want to say Julie Andrews… She seems really nice! I would def serve a Mediterranean feast! (I’m Albanian, so gotta stay true to my roots.)
LINA: I would probably pick a combination of my favorite musicians and authors. Gwen Stefani for sure, so I can talk to her about all of my favorite songs by her! I would probably serve sushi.
NINA: What is your idea of a getaway vacation?
JUNA: Snowboarding in Utah!!! (Or Montana or Oregon). I’ve also loved all my Hawaii trips.
LINA: I don’t mind somewhere cold and snowy because I love the idea of getting cozy with some cocoa and a great audio book or movie. I like a combination of activity and relaxation.
NINA: What do you like most about yourself?
JUNA: How delusional I am. I routinely try to do things that other people think are ridiculous. And sometimes, it works.
LINA: My empathy for others.
NINA: What should we know about you before meeting you?
JUNA: I’m very loud and I laugh a lot and I’ll probably interrupt you, but it’s just because I’m excited.
LINA: I am a proud introvert, so it may take me a little while to get comfortable, but once I do, I can be very quirky. 😊
NINA: Rewinding time, what was your happiest moment?
JUNA: So many, but my favorite memories are honestly the ones where my entire family is home at our house in Brighton and we’re all just lounging on the couch. Usually, my sisters and I are all kind of on top of each other, my mom is in the reclining loveseat, and my dad is somewhere in the room next door, and honestly, everything is perfect.
LINA: I don’t think I can pick one! There have been lots of very happy moments, like getting each of my pets and guide dog, moments with friends and family, and the everyday moments that bring me joy on a daily basis.
NINA: Are you a Netflix fan? TV streamer? If so, can you share a favorite show?
JUNA: “Bridgerton”!!!!!!!!! I’m obsessed.
LINA: Two of my favorite shows are “Downton Abbey” and “The Big Bang Theory.”
NINA: What is your most treasured possession?
JUNA: I guess it would have to be my new puppy Pooh Bear! Before that though, it would have been the heart necklace my grandma gave me. And my grand piano. And my snowboard. Uh oh, this is way more than one item…
LINA: Definitely my pets.
NINA: What is the one thing you can’t live without?
JUNA: The gym — it literally brings me to life.
LINA: Family and chocolate!
© Nina Livingstone, “Nina’s 9,” Destination Mirth
