Avoid these digital nomad mistakes if you're working on the road—while pretty simple, they're easy to forget.

I wasted 40 minutes of valuable work time yesterday trying to get some damn Wifi!

Who am I?

I used to travel with a small bag and an aging iPad air. I was ready to get online any and everywhere—from the city bus to any place serving a hot beverage!

Never Trust The Free Wifi & Other Time-Wasting Mistakes

When I started as a content creator, I couldn't afford a car or home internet. This made me reliant on free wifi. But remember:

• Free wifi can be crappy, weak, and unpredictable.

• Just because the sign says "free wifi" doesn't mean there is any!

• Working on the road ranges from blissful to nightmarish; remain flexible!

Do This Before Leaving The House

Before you leave the safety & security of your home wifi, do this:

• Download your VPN of choice or update the one you use across your devices (I use Mullvad and save 10% by paying with Bitcoin)

• Don't rush this: downloads take time and even paying with BTC in a rush still takes at least 30 minutes with Mullvad, for example.

• Double-check that your phone (or another hotspot) is set up properly and working.

• Back up files you need to work with to a hard drive, just in case you can't access them in the cloud.

• Pack the right cables and chargers.

Once You're At Your Working Spot

Get on wifi, if possible, and activate your VPN for privacy.

Yesterday, I ended up paying $4 to get online for two hours with Cox, forgot my charger, and sat on the most uncomfortable wooden stool of all time.

To prevent this in the future, I made a checklist for working remotely in my Apple Reminders app. Never again, friends!