Lauren & Jon

Travel information

We are currently

Activities we are interested in:

2023:
UK based Workaway adventures from approx March - November with car and dog.
From approx Nov - Jan 2024 travelling Cambodia, Vietnam, South Korea & Japan.

Description

Lauren & Jon as a couple:
We are looking for new experiences and and to make a positive impact on the places we go and the people we meet. No job too small and there is nothing we're not willing to learn. We're aiming to broaden our knowledge and skills and most importantly understand more about the world outside of the UK.

Travelling has shaped our outlook on the world and given us so many wonderful opportunities to learn from other people, places and culture. While travelling we both love being active and making the most of every opportunity that has crossed our paths. Between us this has led to incredible experiences such as holding a baby lamb on New Year’s Eve in Transylvania, delivering piglets on a farm in Ireland, driving a hitch hiker across Cuba, shaking tarantulas out of trousers in Ecuador and blowing bubbles with the children of a nomadic family in Mongolia. At all times, we are committed to listening, learning and respecting the people, animals and environments that welcome us.
We are both keenly aware that good communication is an essential part of any relationship. We’ve always been polite and respectful guests when travelling and have enjoyed great hospitality in some very challenging climates and terrains from the steppe in Mongolia to the freezing Sami areas of the Arctic Circle. Maintaining friendliness and good humour has always been the key to showing appreciation for those who are welcoming us to their world.
We have both considered careers caring for animals and the environment. Our spare time is spent exploring the local wild places near me such as the New Forest, bird watching, dog sitting and travelling to wildlife hot spots around the world. We have greatly enjoyed taking up wildlife art classes during lockdown and recently had the opportunity to attend one with live wolves, a truly magical experience.

Lauren’s background:
Professionally, I have worked as a teacher, writer and theatre maker. My passion and expertise in working with young people have led me to applying these skills on my adventures. I co-led an expedition for 16 -19 year olds in Ecuador for Camps International in the summer of 2018. This included working on community projects such as building, gardening and beach cleaning as well as contributing to a language exchange with the various communities who hosted us in diverse regions from the Amazon to the Andes. I loved being able to throw myself in to the physically demanding work of road building, farming and decorating; picking up many new skills which I would be eager to develop during a Workaway experience.
At work, my colleagues describe me as compassionate, warm, organised calm and thoughtful. I have substantial management experience where I always lead by example, getting stuck in and demonstrating positive, respectful work practices at all times. I’ve always been proactive in seeking training and development and am now the safeguarding lead (certified in safe working with children, young people and vulnerable adults).
I have trained as a writer and can lead workshops in creative writing (with a particular interest in poetry, travel writing and memoir). I’m especially proud of writing poetry based on my local history to feature in a digital poetry trail called ‘Dark Side, Port Side.’ Taking communication seriously I have not been complacent about relying on my native English skills. I have a certificate in British Sign Language skills as well as conversational Spanish and very basic Italian, Irish and Russian. Before visiting a new country, I will always commit time to learning some of the language before travelling.
My current job is managing the community and education outreach department at my local theatre. This is a varied, creative and rewarding role where I devote my time to connecting to people of all ages as we introduce them to the theatre. No two days are the same and can cover toddler theatre workshops, dementia friendly film screenings, coffee mornings for pensioners and adapting performances to make them more accessible. I’d love to bring some of my theatre and creative skills to a Workaway venue and collaborate with other creatives across the world.

Jon’s background:
I am friendly, easy going, positive and optimistic and I am passionate about anything and everything new: seeing new places, learning new things and meeting new people. I am a professional manager, running various major projects and programmes in large organisations but I also volunteer at our local independent cinema and theatre and have worked for many years in customer service, retail, and catering in the past.
I am very adaptable and an excellent improvisor; always making the best of every situation no matter what might not go to plan. In fact, it’s the things that don’t go to plan that make life fun! I have driven a failing car hundreds of miles through central America, we both thrived without our luggage in the Romanian mountains and found last minute accommodation totally unfamiliar places all over the world.
I speak good conversational Spanish and some basic French, Italian and German and I am keen to improve my language skills by giving it a go!
Together:
Together we are a very resourceful team and complement each other’s skills perfectly. In previous trips, he’ll drive and I’ll navigate, or he’ll build a fire while I prep food, he’ll order the drinks in perfect Spanish while I learn some local dance moves. We are so excited about recommencing our travels post-pandemic and connecting with the world in person again.

Interests

Languages spoken

English: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
Irish: Beginner
Italian: Beginner
Russian: Beginner

Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

We're interested in:  

Charity Work

Languages

Being an elderly companion

Gardening

DIY and building projects

Animal Care

Life at a Farmstay

Hospitality/Tourism

General Maintenance

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Some knowledge of:  

Eco Projects

Babysitting and creative play

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Helping around the house

Helping with Computers/ Internet

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Able to teach about:  

Art Projects

Teaching

More details about your skills

I am a qualified English Teacher with a Masters in Creative Writing. As well as teaching all age groups, I now use my experience to run creative writing workshops as part of my day job.

We have a dog and have loved caring for and training him. He is high energy working dog, so we'd love to develop our skills working with animals expecially in a farm setting.

I have a lot of experience organising events including all the administration, managing teams, advertising and hosting from small scale coffee mornings to large festivals.

Age

40 & 39

What else ...

We love playing board and card games and love to learn new ones! Dobble has been a great one to travel with and share.

At home, we live by the coast so anything water based always calls to us - swimming, kayaking, snorkeling and I have my PADI Scuba certificate.

During lockdown we loved connecting with people virtually including film clubs, quizzes, art classes and online meditation with sheep!

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies

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  Special dietary requirements
  Vegetarian - but can be flexible if this is challenging.