Staying Connected Wherever You Travel

Updated: Nov 13, 2019

I once gave a speech at a conference for lawyers about how—with a little preparation and a few simple requirements—you really can work from anywhere if you choose. Sure, there are some exceptions to that in my line of work (I'm an attorney by day), but most of the things we do can be done from anywhere. And this can be said of a lot of other professions as well.

Staying connected from a sailboat on the Aegean Sea, just off the coast of Aegina in Greece

With the advancement of internet technology and WiFi, working from anywhere has become more and more attainable. Travel bloggers and digital nomads are able to do so because all they need is to be able to connect to the internet every once in a while, and with the click of a button they can communicate with their following and get their content out to the world. Bloggers and digital creators can write or edit visual content from anywhere by simply bringing a laptop, iPad or phone—all without the use of WiFi or a wired connection—and then upload it later. This allows greater flexibility in travel, and easier access to the digital world.

In the past, getting digital content out there often meant doing as I mentioned and writing and editing content when you’re not connected, and then mooching off of other people’s free WiFi at cafes, restaurants or bars, or waiting until arriving at a hotel or hostel to connect to the internet. Well, those days are over.

A new product hit the market recently that is just blowing my mind. It’s called SkyRoam, and it allows you to remain digitally connected from virtually anywhere in the world. It provides fast, unlimited 4G WiFi in over 130 countries.

Okay, so I know what you're thinking: "But all the hotels I travel to have WiFi". Or maybe you're thinking, "But there's free public WiFi just about everywhere." Well let me tell you how problematic those two statements can be. I find the latter of the two to be most problematic, because although it is true that you can find "free" WiFi in public places like airports, museums or large-scale event centers, that "free" WiFi comes at a price: often times your data and your personal information is more easily stolen while connected to these, so I make a point of never using any free or public WiFi. Plus, it's almost always slow and never fast enough to actually get any work done (if that's in fact what you're using it for).

Second, although it's true that all the reputable hotels have free WiFi, most of the time it is slow. Even if you're just surfing the 'gram, hotel WiFi is often unpredictable, logs you out all the time, and can be slow because you are sharing it with so many other people.

And what about when you are not in a hotel or are in a remote location? Perhaps you're on a sailboat (like I was just a couple weeks ago). What then?

THE SOLUTION: a WiFi Smartspot. I use one by Skyroam, which is a new company that provides 4G LTE WiFi on the go. It offers 100% secure, completely portable WiFi to use in over 130 different countries. You can rent or buy your hotspot, which means you can rent one if you travel infrequently or even just want to just test it out on your next trip. But if you travel more than a few times a year, purchasing the Skyroam device is well worth the investment since it's only $159. It will charge your phone, is super lightweight, and even has a camera. You can choose between a monthly plan for $99 a month or pay a daily rate of $9 per day. The Skyroam is the perfect way to ensure you can be connected anywhere you travel. This is honestly one of my favorite travel gadgets and one I don't travel without.

I most recently used it on my trip to Greece, where I spent time in Mykonos and Athens first before spending a week sailing the Saronic Gulf. Though I had pretty reliable WiFi availability in Mykonos and Athens (I stayed at two Luxury Collection hotels, so the speeds were quite fast), I did not have the luxury of WiFi while I was on the sailboat, so I ended up using my Skyroam nearly every day. And yes, I was able to work on my blog, post to social media, edit photos in Lightroom (which relies on the cloud, and thus... internet) and catch up on emails—all while on a sailboat in the middle of the Aegean Sea. Pretty wild actually.

Try it out on your next trip! With their option to rent the device, you can try it out for a small fee and decide later if you want to purchase a hotspot of your own.

Use code "SKYROAMISTHECURE" for 10% off your purchase! Have questions? Feel free to reach out any time: info@travelisthecure.com

By the way, as you can tell, I am clearly a Skyroam affiliate. I am a proponent of full disclosure, so any time I am repping a product to you, I will always tell you. However, I NEVER work with products or brands that I don't like, that I don't actually use myself, and whose core values I don't believe in. So my point is: yes, I am promoting Skyroam. But I also truly believe in this product and am now bring it with me on almost all of my travels. I hope you too can get the same benefit out of it.