Hello! I'm Lauren. My last name, Platanos, is Greek for a big old tree in Greece, not Spanish for banana or plantain! Just getting that out of the way :) Also, I'm not Greek--my husband is.

I'm mostly into journaling, yoga, hanging with my people (or pets), relaxing, drinking tea, watching a good show on Hulu or Netflix, listening to podcasts, and planning new adventures. I love learning about personality typing and the Enneagram. Not as a "put people in a box" or labeling kind of way, but as a way of gaining more empathy and understanding of others by learning how they experience and view the world. I love talking with people and learning about their worldviews, what matters to them in life, or what they're passionate about. As an INFJ, I'm a "social introvert" meaning that I need time on my own to introspect, write, and recharge, but I love time connecting with others.

Life has thrown some shitty things my way. And a lot of awesome things too. By getting through some deeply challenging times in my life, I've learned to appreciate this "one wild life" and I don't want to waste it. I believe that kindness can actually change the world. I believe that passion is the greatest teacher, and that if everyone did what they loved--whether through work or as a hobby--the world would be a much better place.

I'm v. into health and wellness. For me, it's about quality of life. My personal health philosophy is to live it 80/20... as in, I'll practice healthy food and lifestyle habits most of the time, in order to feel good and have energy, but I also leave room to have fun--indulging in an amazing dessert, enjoying some local nightlife, bingeing an entire season of a show in one weekend. Because FUN is actually a deeply important aspect of holistic health, and laughter (and joy) really is the best medicine.

Someone recently asked me to create an A-Z list about myself, so I'll share it here just for fun!
A - Aspiring Minimalist. I'll never quite attain it, but I've continually adopted that lifestyle since 2012.
B - Beach. My family went to the shore every summer throughout my childhood, and it's my happy place: where I feel the most me, and the most at peace.
C - Chai is my favorite tea, but I love most black and herbal teas as well!
D - Dogs and a Bunny = my pets! Maple (a Border Aussie), Samson (a Shepard mix), and Lily (a Netherland Dwarf rabbit)
E - Enneagram 4.
F - Friendship and faith are both incredibly important to me. Spending quality time with my friends, or experiencing the natural beauty of this world, refuels me on a soul level.
G - Goal-Oriented. I love setting big goals and dreams for myself. Planning is half the fun!
H - Hogwarts House = Hufflepuff (10 points for alliteration!)
I - INFJ is my Myers Briggs type. Want to know yours? Take a free test! :) https://www.16personalities.com/
J - Jokes. I love to laugh and be silly. And lately, listening to standup comedy specials.
K - Kindness, empathy, and supportiveness are 3 qualities I value in myself and seek in friends.
L - Libra.
M - Music. My parents played in a band as I grew up, so I was always surrounded by it. I learned a little guitar from my dad and a little piano from my mom.
N - Nature lover since childhood, and getting back into hiking lately.
O - Oxford University is where I reached one of my first big life goals when I studied abroad there one summer during college. That trip ignited my wanderlust.
P - Peter Pan = my worst role model ever. Around the age of 5, using his philosophy on how to fly, I took a running start and lept down a flight of stairs. Though I remembered flight followed by blackness, my mom remembers a crash, bloody mess, and hospital visit. Now I'm seeking safer ways to fly, like hang gliding :p
Q - Quality time is my love language.
R - Reading = The name of my hometown and also one of my obsessions. I mostly read non-fiction these days, typically on wellness, enneagram, or personal growth.
S - Seasonal Living is one of my favorite topics to share with others as a holistic health coach.
T - Traveler. I still have a long list of places to see and plan to travel throughout my whole life.
U - Undefeated camp champ at foosball and tetherball as a kid.
V - Vegetarian, mostly--if it's ethically sourced or someone prepares me a dish from their culture, I can be flexible!
W - Writer. I mostly journal, but I also enjoy writing poetry, non-fiction, and I plan to write a nonfiction wellness book in the next 5 years.
X - Xylitol is an ingredient in the homemade toothpaste I make! Random, but "X" is a hard one! I make most of my own personal care and cleaning products.
Y - Yogi. I enjoy yin yoga and vinyasa yoga.
Z - Zombies are not my jam, but I'll get into a good vampire or werewolf story!

Dlaczego jestem na Couchsurfing

I've done solo travel in my home country, but for the first time, I'm doing solo travel internationally! My hope is to meet awesome people and maybe some new friends who want to share their love for where they live, whether through food, conversation, or adventures together.

Zainteresowania

• dogs
• writing
• diy
• animal welfare
• yoga
• reading
• minimalism
• podcasts
• live music
• adventure travel
• nature
• tea
• holistic health
• friendship
• conversation
• netflix
• pubs
• ayurveda
• libraries
• holistic healing
• journaling
• green living
• wellness
• coffee shops
• microbreweries
• enneagram
• essential oils
• bookstores

Muzyka, filmy i książki

Music: ALL THE THINGS. I mostly listen to 90s music or alt/indie rock when I'm feeling too lazy to look up a particular artist. What I'm in the mood for is always changing, lately I've been in the mood for Fun, Matt and Kim, Imagine Dragons, Lana Del Rey, Vampire Weekend, Julia Michaels, Oh Wonder.

Movies: Pride and Prejudice, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Great Gatsby, Age of Adeline, the Harry Potter series, the Hunger Games series, and Beauty and the Beast. Animated disney classics and Disney/Pixar movies, too. If there's a movie based off a book/book series I already love, especially if they're filmed in a scenic or artsy way, then I'm probably into it.

Books: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Chronicles of Narnia (and other C.S. Lewis writings), Harry Potter series, Hunger Games series, The Importance of Being Ernest (and other Oscar Wilde writings), 1984, The Alchemist, The Scarlet Letter, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Road Back To You, Siddhartha, Clearing Your Clutter with Feng Shui, Ready Player One

Jedna niesamowita rzecz, którą zrobiłem(-am)

Studied at Oxford University
Started my own business
Chose my own path

Czym mogę się podzielić z gospodarzami

I'm happy to...
-Prepare you a healthy, yummy vegetarian meal
-Help you identify your Myers Briggs personality type or enneagram number
-Share my passion and knowledge of holistic health along with helpful resources if you're seeking guidance on health questions/issues
-Teach you how to make 5 gallons of natural laundry soap at a time after spending a minimal amount on a few ingredients, a container, and a cheese grater. I've seriously saved HUNDREDS of dollars on laundry soap over the past years since making my own. I can teach how to make other DIY natural personal and cleaning products for cheap, too, like toothpaste, facial scrub, all-purpose cleaning spray, and dishwasher detergent.
-Be a great listener, a fun travel companion, or both :)

Kraje, w których byłem(-am)

Bahamas, Canada, England, Iceland

Kraje, w których mieszkałem(-am)

United States