Sam & Lauren

Travel information

We are currently

Description

Hello! We're Sam and Lauren.
In short: We're currently crew on a boat crossing the Atlantic, expecting to arrive in the Leeward Islands just after Christmas!

We'd like to lessen our cost of living and put ourselves in a position to truly explore the islands by trading our skills and labour for a place to lay our heads.

Our goals:
In recent years we both have grown very disillusioned with the consumerist society we grew up in and have been working to learn the skills necessary to provide for ourselves and our community with sustainable farming practices and off-grid energy systems. As we travel we have been able to learn and share in this knowledge with others with the eventual goal of obtaining our own land on which we can nurture a self-sufficient, sustainable and permaculture-centered lifestyle.

Lauren's story:
I am a trained naturalist and environmental educator who has spent the last decade deepening my own personal relationship with the land and fostering that relationship for others. Since earning a bachelors degree in recreation management and natural interpretation and I have worked as an ecology educator, backpacking guide, adventure guide, primitive skills and homeschool educator and au pair.
I have been lucky to live, work and explore in many ecosystems including helping out on permaculture farms. Outside of my professional interests I am an amateur herbalist, skilled sewist (happy to mend and make things for your home), and all around craftsman enjoying things from leather working to candle making to wood carving. I also love to cook, meet new people and build community wherever I go.


Sam's story:
I’m an arborist and forester turned professional mariner.
Over the past three years I have been building miles, and earning certifications to sail professionally.
I have worked as a deckhand on classic schooners, a sailing instructor, a skipper for live-aboard dive programs, and a divemaster. I recently acquired my RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and plan to seek further employment back in the Caribbean this winter season.

Before that I went to university for Forest Ecology, and worked for four years as a Forester and Arborist.

I like plants of all kinds. I'm handy with tools. I'm familiar with many kinds of engines, their operation and maintenance. I'm semi-fluent in Spanish, and I am excited to improve upon it further. I used to work in parts fabrication for an RV shop, but my main focus was solar installation and DC electric system design. I have four very long years of experience using heavy machinery and chainsaws.
When able I enjoy exploring, surfing, and playing the guitar.

Interests

Gardening

History

DIY & crafts

Mountain

Sustainability

Self development

Van life

Sailing / Boating

Plant care

Outdoor activities

Nature

Music

Movies & TV

Languages

Hitchhiking

Hiking

Farming

Culture

Cooking & food

Charity work

Camping

Carpentry

Books

Animals

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
German: Beginner

More details about my language interests
Able to teach English. Interested in learning Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

We're interested in:  

Languages

Art Projects

Charity Work

House & pet sitting

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Some knowledge of:  

Animal Care

Life at a Farmstay

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Helping around the house

General Maintenance

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Able to teach about:  

Eco Projects

Gardening

DIY and building projects

Hospitality/Tourism

Teaching

Babysitting and creative play

More details about your skills

Sam:
Gardening, plant, and tree care
Carpentry
Welding
Sailing
Overland/nautical navigation
Wilderness First Aid
Electrical installations (specifically 12v DC, but a general knowledge sufficient enough to install most anything)
Bee-keeping
Animal-processing

Lauren:
Gardening
Animal Processing
Sewing/Mending
Wilderness Medicine
Alternative Education
Child Care
House Care
Cooking

Age

29 & 27

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