Security Life hacks for Digital Nomads

Hello from Morocco! This week has been quite an unbelievable experience, visiting Morocco has been on my bucket list since I was a child, and I finally am here! I have realized, however, that I needed to develop some Security life hacks here to complete my Digital Nomad work. With security being a concern, both for personal safety and of my belongings, I had to plan well ahead to make sure I was able to get some work done.

Make sure you have a safe in your hotel

One of the most important life hacks, I was able to lock up my Mac Air in the little safe in my Riad, which eased my mind as I was out for the day. If you are staying in a hostel, make SURE you get a private locker for your stuff. Check reviews on TripAdvisor.com to see how other guests have rated the security of that particular hotel, Riad, or hostel.

Make sure there is free WiFi, and that it works

Email the place directly, or check reviews to make sure the WiFi is functioning properly. In places like Marrakech, walking around the Medina aimlessly to find a proper cafe can be a bit tricky. So it is best to not even need to carry your laptop with you, and get your work done before you leave for the day!

Time your tours and deadlines ahead of time.

There are some incredible tours you can do from Morocco. I just got back today from two days in the Sahara desert, it was absolutely everything I hoped it would be and more! There was a small predicament however, which was that I would not be able to get on my computer during that entire time. I was very fortunate to have my cellular data working the full tour, (I even did a Facebook Live while riding a Camel!) so I had no problem with social media Optimizing. Writing blogs (content marketing) was a bit of a challenge, but here are some life hacks to get around that:

• Pre write everything, making sure it is fully completed with SEO optimization and ready to publish.
• Schedule those posts to be published On WordPress when you need them to be public. Check out this tutorial on WordPress  which explains how!
• Use HootSuite to manage and schedule your Social Media accounts before you go.
• Above everything else, Make SURE you communicate with whom you are working with/for that you may be out of reach for a certain amount of days. Job Security is very important!

If you are working as a Remote Admin, doing a tour in a rural area may be out of the question. This is where you have to be able to find that fine balance between work and play while traveling. Just like any stationary job back home, you cannot just take off for a couple days. Either you plan ahead and ask for that time off, or plan it for a weekend. You may have to sacrifice a tour once in awhile if timing does not work out, but that is a small price to pay for being able to travel for a living!

Carry your laptop bag or back pack in front of you

If you do decide to go to a Co-working spot or a cafe for some work, use caution while en route there. Morocco and similar places have some very talented pickpocketers. I don’t want to come off as untrusting and skeptical, but it is always smart to air on the side of caution while in unfamiliar territory. Wear your backpack on your front, and use a waist pouch or money belt while walking from place to place.

I hope my experiences help you in planning ahead and enjoying your own Digital Nomad Journey as well.  If you haven’t already, check out my blog about my first week of travels! If you ever have any questions, please feel free to comment below or email me at [email protected]

Love, Peace and Happiness,

Julie French AKA The Fit Gypsy