300 Days on the Road: Reflections from Our Flashpacking Adventure in Central America and Beyond
Exactly 300 days on the road—nearly 10 months of backpacking, or flashpacking, as we call it. From Day 1 arriving in Las Vegas last April to today, we can't believe how much life, adventure, experiences—and even work!—we've packed into this time. Though the distance covered is a speck on the world map, our deep immersion in eight countries has given us profound insights into Central America, Mexico, and the Southwestern U.S.
The last 100 days began in Guatemala, wrapping up a 10-week stay, including an unexpectedly extended time at Lake Atitlán. We bid farewell to Antigua (for now) and soaked in the laid-back Caribbean coast vibe in Livingston—a stark contrast to the rest of the country.
Next, two weeks in Honduras over Christmas and New Year's. Aside from the iconic Maya ruins of Copán Ruinas, we had the country largely to ourselves, encountering few fellow travelers. We explored colonial gems like Gracias and Santa Rosa, plus the off-the-beaten-path Lake Yojoa, where we rang in the New Year with our hotel owners, their family, and 377 bird species around the lake.
Nicaragua emerged as a top contender with Guatemala for our favorite Central American country. We spent six weeks there in January and February and could have stayed longer. We fell for León (see our guest post on Suzyguese.com), sandboarded down a volcano, spotted our first wild monkeys, and checked off the remote Corn Islands from our '1,000 Places to See Before You Die' list. Snorkeling at Little Corn was magical, though Belize remains Central America's snorkeling champ. Honduras lags in tourist-friendliness, while Costa Rica feels like eco-Disneyland.
Costa Rica delivered the biggest surprise. Having first visited in 1996, lived there 1999–2000, and returned several times, the Americanization shocked us. Our favorite beach, Montezuma—once a hippie haven—is now packed with over-60s tourists in socks and sandals who don't speak Spanish. Manuel Antonio is touristy as ever, but its activities shine. While options abound and services outpace the region, sky-high prices and U.S. expat culture have transformed the ultra-eco-friendly paradise we loved.
Into the Swing of Things
The travel fatigue from our 200-day mark feels distant. Now fully acclimated to balancing travel and work, our skills in planning, awareness, and alertness have sharpened—no bad experiences in the last 100 days. On day 300, our digital nomad life feels so rewarding; we can't wait for the next 100.
Globetrottergirls.com – The Re-Design
As our journey progressed, Globetrottergirls.com evolved into a key resource for budget travelers and our story-sharing hub. To support ads, sharing, and better comments, we needed a redesign. Enter Bundled.co by digital nomads Joanne and Jon, found via PeoplePerHour (our go-to for remote gigs). They nailed our vision with quick responses and availability. We highly recommend them to bloggers. 
The overhaul boosted readership, enabled monetization, and sparked collaborations, reader appreciation, and exciting projects—like our upcoming e-book contribution.
Meeting Fellow Travel Bloggers
We've met countless travelers, some multiple times along the Central American Gringo Trail. But tweet-ups with bloggers stand out—we share the grind of long-term travel and work. In Costa Rica, we drank with The Traveling Philosopher (Spencer Spellman) in Playa del Coco, then joined Nomadic Matt on the Nicoya Peninsula for work, hikes, and tan competitions in Manuel Antonio. (I won—sorry, bragging.)
Upcoming: Breakaway Backpacker (Jaime) in Panama, then Erin and Simon from NeverEndingVoyage (another nomad couple) in Panama City before flying to Munich.
Change of Plans
Next 100 days? Europe-bound. South America was the plan post-Panama, but digital nomad flexibility rules—no fixed itinerary. A house-sit in the German Alps beckons after nine Central American months.
We'll base there to visit Neuschwanstein Castle, summit Zugspitze (Germany's highest peak), devour pretzels, explore Austria, and hike amid fresh spring air—plus tackle backlog projects.
Post-house-sit: Italy, Spain, then North America in June for Canada house-sits, Montreal, Toronto, countryside. NYC mid-August... then? U.S. South road trip to New Orleans? East Coast? Latin America or Asia? Uncertainty thrills us. Lesson from 100 days: We're free to go anywhere.
Continue here for our tops and flops of the last 100 days on the road.
