I’ve done a lot of living these last 12 months (details from the first 6 are in italics). Here are the details…

The Highlights
Click here for full details from the First 6 months
Highlights of the last 7:
*75 hours of one-on-one Spanish Classes + 2 weeks living with a family in Guatemala.
*6 hour kayaking adventure through a reserve to a turtle sanctuary
*Toured a cigar factory and learned to roll cigars
*Danced & belted out hits from the 90s with a group of American volunteers at a Rancho Bar in Esteli, Nicaragua
*Spent Thanksgiving on a beach in El Salvador, with Canadians
*Sampled Salvadorian specialties at the Juayua Food Festival
*Climbed Volcano Santa Ana for fantastic views of 2 crater lakes
*Embarked on a difficult 8 hour, uphill hike through Parque Impossible
*Learned the harsh realities of a Salvadorian Coffee Proccessing Plant
*Spectated at a Beauty Pageant, with fireworks & dancing, in Suchitoto
*Hiked with an old Salvadorian Gorilla through his former battlefield
*Stayed at a microbrewery/hostel in the jungles of Honduras
*Birdwatching in an archealogy park
*Cleaned, prepped, lived on, and finaly, steered a sailboat to the Bay Islands.
*Got Scuba certified
*Ate conch soup in a Garifuna Village near La Cieba
*Visited a gallery opening in Utila
*Spent Christmas, sharing a potluck meal with travel friends on a breezy dock in Utila, Honduras
*Spent New Years Eve watching fireworks in the streets of Antigua
*Took a sunrise hike to a viewpoint above Lago de Atitlan
*Climbed a volcano in the Guatemalan highlands, alongside Mayan religious pilgrims
*Explored/swam through dark caves by candle light in Semuc Champey
*Slept in a hammock, to the sounds of the jungle
*Explored the mighty Mayan ruins of Tikal
*Made it through Guatemala having never once used the popular tourist shuttles–only chicken buses and combis–even though it meant traveling alone through remote parts of the country.
*Explored the Mayan ruins of Western Belize
*Visited an iguana sanctuary–held in my arms a massive iguana
*Swam in a wild, cool Belizan river; slept in a jungle cabana
*Stayed 2 rainy nights in a tiny Belizian Garifuna village
*Was the only guest in a lakeside hostel in the beautiful Bacalar
*Partied hardy in Playa del Carmen
*Spent the day drinking rum and beach bumming with a fantastic group of travelers in the postcard-perfect beaches of Tulum
*Swam in several of the countless refreshing turquise cenotes in the Yucatan
*Accidentally discovered, then spectated at a (very graphic) bullfight in a tiny Mexican puebla
*Visted impressive Mexican ruins–Ek Balam (Valladolid), Monte Alban (Oaxaca) and Teotihuacan (DF)
*Rented a golf cart for exploring: and stayed on the beach in Isla Mujeres
*Won a beer pong competition in Cancun
*Danced salsa, drank mojitos, smoked cigars, slept at Casa Particulares and listened to amazing live music–in Cuba
*Learned how to make tortillas and ensalada de nopales (cactus leaf salad)
*Co-organized, lead a group outing and cookout in a park in Chiapas
*Attended a Mexican National soccer game
*Spent 6 weeks working at a hostel in San Cristobal
*Rode a carnival ride and danced the night away at a fair in Mexico
*Sampled Mexico`s wide range of Mezcals
*Celebrated St Patricks Day with a BBQ, piñata, and cake–in Mexico
*Celebrated and observed a traditional Semana Santa in San Cristobal
*Visited a unique Mayan church in rural Chiapas on Easter Sunday
*Swam in the impressive El Chiflon waterfalls and threw stones into the beautiful high altitude lakes of Montebello.
*Observed crocs on a boat tour of the Sumidoro Canon
*Went dolphin spotting on Mexico`s Pacific Coast–saw hundreds + sea turtles and snakes
*Boogie boarding in Puerto Escondido
*Enjoyed fresh, homemade mole where it was invented/perfected–Oaxaca and Puebla
*Swam in petrified waterfalls
* Received a free bike tour of the pueblas of Oaxaca, from a random Mexican man I met on a bus.
*Visited the first library of the Americas
*Saw the worlds widest tree
*Ate fried grasshoppers in Oaxaca
*Met a random local in Puebla (in Spanish) and was given a tour of the city & incredible dinner at a nice restaurant
*Navigated the Mexico City metro/bus system solo; saw large parts of the city on foot
*Attended a space-themed party in Mexico City`s elite Condessa neighborhood
*Couchsurfed in Condessa
*Visited the former home of Frida Kahlo, and the former hideout of Leon Trotsky; and gazed at Diego Rivera`s grand murals in the Palacio Nacional.
*Watched the sunset over Mexico City from the 43rd floor of Torre Latino Americana
*Hooted and hollared at a Lucha Libre wrestling match at Arena Mexico
*Spent an afternoon at Mexico City`s impressive Anthropology Museum
*Saw the eerily preserved corpses in the Museo de Momies; and explored the mazelike, scenic UNESCO World Heritage streets of Guanajuato.
*Visited Tequila, Mexico: checked out the tequila museum, then toured and sampled at a tequila factory.
*Went sailing to the Marietas Islands: saw humpback whales, dolphins and unfortunately lots of jelly fish
*Spent my last days with a fun group of travellers–drinking too many margaritas, spending too much time in the sun, swimming in the sea, falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing.

Peru: 3-4 weeks

Ecuador: 3 weeks

Colombia: 12 weeks

Panama: about 4 days

Costa Rica: 8 days
USA: 3 weeks

Nicaragua: 34 days 

El Salvador: 15 days
Honduras: 3.5 weeks
Guatemala: 4 weeks
Belize: 6 days
Cuba: 9 days
Mexico: 16 weeks

Nearly 13 months; 12 border crossings, 12 countries, 9 flights, 6 night buses of 12 hours or more

Favorite Places: Colombia, particularly the coffee growing region and the highlands: Nicaragua, particularly the Corn Islands and Isla de Ometepe: Pretty much all of Mexico

Disappointments: Guatemala, but this is likely had more to do with the people I met (or lack of) and the time of the year (cold!), as it’s a beautiful country with plenty of culture