Loukia

Travel information

I am currently

Description

Hello,

I am Lou (they/she) a Scottish Cypriot creative currently planning a years long (variable) travel from Europe to the Pacific.

The aim:

My intention for traveling is to share & trade knowledge, skills, stories and recipes. I am a trained dialogue facilitator with a passion for holding safe spaces for people to share good food and meaningful dialogue. I love eating, cooking, experimenting with flavours and being introduced to new ones too. The idea is not a new one; social change starting at the dinner table.

The spark:

I graduated with honours in forensic anthropology (the study of human anatomy and bones for medicolegal purposes e.g., mass disaster) at the university of Dundee. I was lucky enough to secure a place on a Charity traineeship specialising in leadership and placed into a program at a students association as a policy and research officer advising and supporting students in representative roles. The job took the format of a modern flexible 9-5 office job. However, despite all that I learned and the connections that I made throughout the course of the year I quickly realised that it was not a sustainable lifestyle for me.

Workaway:

I have had just two experiences with workaway but they have both been unforgettable and live in my mind rent free.

The first (2017) before I started university in the rolling hills of Tuscany. My role was to help out with the cooking, gardening and general maintenance. This is where I first learned the value of exchanging experience, culture and skills rather than money - it just made sense to me. George and Sophie (hosts) also introduced me to the reality of living remotely, self sufficiently and more sustainably.

The second (2020) indirectly, while I was taking a break from university, in Amman. I was traveling to Jordan to take part in an internship to train as a dialogue facilitator while volunteering in the community house. My flights were booked for the March but of course COVID put all of our plans on hold. Fortunately, the program was transferred to an online format and I was able to take part safely from Scotland with participants across the world. This was my introduction to Shams Community a non-profit founded on the idea that each individual has the potential to create lasting positive change for themselves and their wider community. I have been trained in dialogue facilitation intended to create safe spaces that bring people together and encourage learning, healing, and sustainability. Additionally, it promotes consciousness and self-awareness while enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation between individuals and communities. Though the team is taking a hiatus at the moment I will be working with Saeed (the founder) to hopefully reestablish the network and the archive in Berlin - my first destination.

Communal living:

It all started (2021) as a passing discussion with friends (likely with a bottle(s) of red wine) the thought of a commune and learning to live self-sufficiently and more sustainably on a piece of land we all bought, built, maintained and lived on together. Over the past year this idea has developed into something more, something we are likely to do in the relatively near future. To do this of course we need the skillset; permaculture, gardening and building to name a few. We want to enjoy the slow pace of living close to nature and to commit to the work involved in living more sustainably. I know workaway and its array of incredible hosts is the perfect place for this exchange.

Interests

Languages spoken

English: Fluent
Greek: Intermediate

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Gardening

DIY and building projects

Life at a Farmstay

Art Projects

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Some knowledge of:  

General Maintenance

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Eco Projects

Animal Care

Charity Work

More details about your skills

I have a varied skillset shaped by my life experience. Please check out my Linked in for an overview of my academic, volunteer and work experience! https://www.linkedin.com/in/loukiamorari/

Age

25

What else ...

Core values and principles:

- Connection; being open to connect

- Growth; committing to personal development and understanding that being uncomfortable is a necessary part it

- Honesty; showing up with integrity and authenticity in everything I do

- Compassion; leading with grace, understanding, intention and love

- Curiosity; being open to think outside the box and question everything

- Playfulness; valuing play and not taking things too seriously

Some more information

• 

  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies

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  Special dietary requirements