“Your account has been suspended for violating terms of service.” WTF?! I wondered as I stared at the screen for a freelance site where I have a profile. Three minutes later, the online chat rep told me: “You logged in from Crimea. Big no-no!”

He was right. I’d spent a week in Crimea visiting my girlfriend (now wife) and logged in to manage a work request. Such are the pitfalls of traveling in sanctioned parts of the world. Problem is: It puts your livelihood at risk. Had I just logged in with my VPN…

I’ve used many VPNs through the years – some free, some paid. ExpressVPN is the only one I trust. It has seen me through numerous countries where internet freedom doesn’t exist, and has protected me from untold numbers of potential hackers in hundreds of hotels and airports … and allowed me to access HBO & Netflix in places where I was otherwise blocked. 100% a must-have for any digital nomad!