Coding on the Road: Building While Backpacking

There’s something about working from a cramped hostel bunk at midnight that makes you rethink how you build things. The connection might be spotty, your battery half-drained, and the background noise a mix of unfamiliar languages and distant motorbikes — but somehow, you’re in flow.

A few months ago, I set out on a solo trip across southern Spain with a small backpack, my camera, and a side project I wasn’t ready to let go of. I didn’t have a roadmap — just an idea that kept itching at the back of my mind and a deep need to get moving, physically and mentally.

Code Meets Compass

Travel changes how you think. You’re constantly adapting — to new surroundings, new people, new challenges. That same adaptability is gold when writing software. When you’re out of your element, your mind stops clinging to the “usual” way of solving things. Suddenly, an old bug finds a new fix while you’re waiting for a train. A feature you struggled with clicks into place after a ride along the coast.

I’m not saying you should always code on vacation — I’ve done the full digital detox and loved it. But this wasn’t work; it was exploration. I’d wake up in a new city, walk around with my camera, and when the sun dipped low, I’d find a quiet spot, open my laptop, and write code like I was writing in a journal. Small, scrappy commits. Notes and ideas jotted between cafe stops and bus rides. It felt alive.

Tools That Helped

Keeping it light was key. Here’s what made it easier to build on the go:

• GitHub Projects: lightweight task management with just enough structure

• VS Code + Tailscale: coding locally, but syncing home-server environments when needed

• Obsidian: for capturing thoughts and quick sketches of features or ideas

• iPhone hotspot + a little patience: enough said

I didn’t try to do too much — I wasn’t sprinting toward an MVP. It was more like watering a plant as I traveled. Just enough care to keep it growing.

Lessons from the Road

Constraints are creative fuel. Limited time and energy force clarity. I stopped overengineering. I made things work.

Environment shapes mindset. Sitting on a balcony in Seville made me think differently than sitting at my desk at home — and I liked the contrast.

Inspiration doesn’t wait for a perfect workspace. Sometimes it hits you mid-hike or at a gas station. Capture it.

Why I’ll Do It Again

There’s a kind of balance I’ve been chasing between structure and freedom. Coding while traveling isn’t the most efficient way to build something — but it’s the most honest I’ve felt with my own creativity in a long time.

This blog is partly about chasing that feeling: of creating things that move me, wherever I am. Whether it’s a stretch of road or a stretch of code — it’s all part of the same journey.