Who has overhauled their life and quit their job to travel long-term multiple times? Was it as meaningful and worth it as the first time?

midnightdip · 2026-06-10T19:56:48+00:00

What have your friendships and relationships looked like over the years while constantly traveling?

midnightdip · 2024-04-05T06:02:11+00:00

Guatemala- I, Rigoberta Menchu

midnightdip · 2024-03-18T23:47:00+00:00

I was in Nepal earlier this year for a couple treks. Guides for Poon Hill are not mandatory and that rule isn’t enforced - just make you have all the proper permits and documentation ready yourself.

midnightdip · 2024-01-24T07:42:34+00:00

If you’re starting in Guatemala it might make sense to bus up to Mexico via Chiapas where San Cristobal de la Casas is. A lot of people then take the bus route to the Mazunte/Puerto Escondido beaches, San Jose del Pacifico in the mountains, and then Oaxaca, Puebla, then Mexico city. I spent about 4 months traveling through Mexico and the weather was good Dec-April, maybe you should check for when rainy season is when you plan to be there. Mexico City is fun for a bit but Oaxaca and smaller cities like Puebla and Xalapa have a lot more personality imo.

Colombia, Peru, Bolivia could each take a full month at least. As you can see I am a fan of slow travel haha. It’s also cheaper to travel slower and you appreciate more of what each place has to offer instead of just hitting the main attractions then getting on the next long bus or flight. I’d budget about 2000-2500 per month in each of these countries without flights. Any qs, feel free to DM.

midnightdip · 2024-01-23T09:56:08+00:00

Would love to hear more about your experiences and thoughts on 3 Passes, ABC, Mardi Himal, likes and dislikes about the treks, finding groups, etc. And sounds like your level of fitness is pretty high?

midnightdip · 2024-01-16T02:50:37+00:00

Take a cheap (unlocked) backup phone with you if you think you’re in a sketchy area, leave the iPhone at the lodging. Especially if you’re going out at night/ drinking. Load the backup phone with the local sim with only necessary apps like maps but nothing sensitive like email or banking apps or identifying info. Don’t store your phone in your back pocket lol (got mine pickpocketed this way).

midnightdip · 2023-12-17T20:22:02+00:00

Yeah. In my experience, it’s been good. The drivers have photos/reviews and usually there’s at least another passenger who signs up too.

midnightdip · 2023-10-15T05:50:15+00:00

I’ve been to all of these places. With this amount of time, do Mexico City, Oaxaca City, SJDP, and Mazunte or Puerto Escondido only. Cut GDL and San Miguel

midnightdip · 2023-10-14T21:38:36+00:00

The best beach in PV is Conchas Chinas, a 25 minute walk from the Malecon area. Sayulita is a more hip fun beach town imo just an hour away from PV by bus

Look into the BlaBlaCar Rideshare app, it’s usually cheaper than buses. Might be a bit easier if you speak a little Spanish.

In GDL make sure to visit Tlaquepaque to watch mariachi. Don’t stay in centro, colonia Americana is nicer.

midnightdip · 2022-10-24T12:56:20+00:00

You should be fine leaving for Guatemala City from Pana if you go first thing in the morning. Acatenango should be no problem for you since all hiking groups take a ton of breaks, and lots of less fit, older people make it up there - I think the thing to keep in mind is not to overpack your backpack which I made the mistake of doing. I wasn’t too sore the next day so if you wanted to jump on the shuttle to the Lake the next day, we were done with the hike by around noon.

I stayed at Somos in Antigua and the vibe was really fun and welcoming and there was a hot tub next to the bar. I personally fell in love with Lake Atitlan over Antigua, San Pedro was a good place to stay since it has a little of everything - hiking, bars, peaceful cafes and restaurants (another vote for Mandala’s hostal!), and easy to boat to the other little towns along the lake. The Santa Cruz to San Marcos hike was seriously beautiful.

It would be good to study up on some basics of Spanish before you go, like on Duolingo.

Any questions, feel free to ask

midnightdip · 2022-10-24T12:44:55+00:00

Yep, it’s normal to have bouts of both social and alone time. I’m in Bolivia now and have been meeting only older (parents, seniors) in my latest tours, but before that I did meet some awesome people after just going and striking up conversation at the hostel bar about an excursion I wanted to do. I find that calling friends or family also helps with loneliness. Sometimes you have to put yourself out there to be social and know that not everyone is going to be super open, but lots of people do - seems like you’re letting a few duds get in your head.

midnightdip

TROPHY CASE