What is something that would keep you from working while traveling? Or better yet, traveling because you have to work? For me, it is staying connected. My job, my work life and work relationships, and my team are all connected online.
My kids often Facetime with their friends and their cousins in Spain. And, even for two of their homeschool curriculums they need the internet. For my family’s lifestyle, having a reliable and portable internet connection is a necessity.
Having the internet at our fingertips is something we too often take for granted. Since I do a lot of traveling for work, having a reliable connection is something I have to think about. I’ve partnered with Karma to give you an inside look at my work life and to give you the chance to win your own Karma Go to take the WiFi with you! Giveaway details below.
While I mostly work from home, there are many times where I need to get work done outside the home. A few times a week my oldest kids have homeschool classes, so the hour wait is best spent working -they work I work, right?
And then, there is all the waiting that happens during activities, while I wait for one to finish gymnastics and the other is at art, or while voice lessons are happening. You could safely assume that I spend a lot of time in our van or car working. I usually sit in the back seat (I have more room there) and write articles, posts, watching videos, and replying to email.
To be productive on the go with my Karma Go all I have to do is connect it to any of my devices by adding a new wireless network and then it remembers the connection for next time.
Even when I travel, it can sometimes be a challenge to find a location with WiFi, and at some hotels I have to pay extra per night for internet access from my room. And at conferences hundreds of people sharing the same connection often makes any kind of browsing speed compete with a turtle.
Until recently, my only solution was to pay extra to my cell phone provider every month to turn my phone into my personal hotspot. However, my carrier is quite slow in a lot of the markets I travel to, making speed worse than dial-up, and there is also the fact that I am paying extra every month for data that I don’t always use up -and don’t get me started on the fees that occur when you go over. Sigh!
Today, I am sharing this post from Hawaii. My husband and I are on our first vacation together (no kids!) in nearly a decade; and while I’m not working much, I am still checking on a few loose ends I was not able to take care of before leaving our house. Please excuse the lack of bikini picture, I am working on my tan standing up while you enjoy the sandy beach and laptop photo. LOL!
Yes, I know I should not be working… but having portable WiFi provides me the opportunity to really work from anywhere, and it puts me at ease knowing I can get online if I want to. I love the flexibility it provides for me to work when I’m on the road!
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From time to time, I work with awesome companies to develop recipes for this website. Today’s post was brought to you by Karma. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that encourage my creativity.
Joann Woolley
I pray that the hotel has free wifi with our room rate but often it is not included and an exorbitant fee. I’d love to have this prize to be able to get work done on the go!
January Vickers
Would love to be able to use the Karma Go to answer work emails and look up answers for customers when I’m on the go. Also might come in handy when hanging out in waiting rooms for my son with autism. He’s not much into apps but loves to watch you tube videos.
Chantilly Patiño
Hi Laura! Saw your photo when I visited the Karma Instagram today and recognized you! Thank you for sharing this review…it seems like a great product + gift idea for bloggers!
I’ve been on Periscope several times and always get spotty coverage when I’m out and about…this would be great for bloggers on the go who broadcast live or need to get a quick turnaround on a post for a client or brand.
I used to have wifi on my old internet plan, but it was only local. My current plan has nothing. 🙁
This sounds awesome! *fingers crossed* Would love to win this and use it when we relocate to South Texas this Spring! 🙂
Laura Fuentes
this is definitely a lifesaver for bloggers! My cell carrier is terrible and I can’t rely on “free” wifi all the time. Good luck!
Christine Bunce
I would use this device to help my organization register children to participate in our arts based educational programming that is inspired by the 1960s. We focus on providing access to all and the Karma Go would help us bring technology into the communities that do not have this access and allow them to be just like everyone else through the registration and scholarship process. It is the first step to normalize their access and to start a wonderful, fun and creative program to foster each participants ideas of self expression.
Laura
In order to get on-the-go wifi in barren lands, I have been known to wrap my head in tin foil and bend wire hangers into antennae while standing on one foot and singing “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean!” I don’t know why strangers look at me funny, why my daughter disowns me…I just laugh and hit SEND on my emails. But even this approach does not work everywhere, so perhaps Karma Go would be a tiny bit subtler and– more importantly– save my daughter excruciating embarrassment…
Laura Fuentes
BEST COMMENT EVER Award.
Marith
As there is no reception within a twenty-mile radius of our house, we, sadly, have no use for cell phones. Which means our WiFi outside the home is limited to whatever hot spots we happen to run across in our travels. This gizmo sounds like the perfect solution!
Justin
I always try to stay at hotels with free wifi, and if not staying overnight I’ll search for businesses who offer free wifi for paying customers (price of a coffee is well worth the free wifi!)
Talia B.
I use my phone on the go which connects to wifi or uses its own depending on what is available.
Susan Smith
While we don’t travel an awful lot, we usually just try to find free wifi to use.
Kristin Campbell
I am limited to places I can get free wifi – coffee shops or the library.
Lesley
We often ask to use an existing wi-fi network or go somewhere that has free access, like the library.
Khaikam Av
I can totally relate to everyone and your whole article! I am one not for spending the extra with my cell phone provider as it already cost an arm and a leg and also at Hotels and so on.
I can definitely use it as I am getting back into web designs and take more work mobile and spend more time with my kids and make it much easier when I am traveling with my ninja to her Taekwondo tournaments and lessons 🙂 and also when my kids wants in on the internet with their techie devices 🙂 oh WiFi help me mercy! haha lol Thank you for the awesome opportunity!
Dona Perkins
I NEED THIS DEVICE! We currently only use wifi on our phones, which can be really inconvenient when I need to google something or answer an email. I would love to win a Karma Go! 🙂
Claudia B
Would love to use this while we RV camp this spring and summer.
Sherri S.
Oh my, how I could use this! I am always on the go with my kids and getting wifi at the park is near impossible. What a much needed device, and I love how small it is.
Kelley Brandle
I’ve been looking into this, but wondered how fast it was. We are getting ready to move to a rural part of our county with no high speed internet, I would be thrilled if this was an option!
Laura Fuentes
It’s faster than the hotspot in my phone. They have a wide coverage area, but I’d check first. 🙂
Alexis Dwyer
I live in a rural area, where the only internet we have access to is $200 per month. Which means I am ALWAYS traveling to a wifi-friendly area in a parking lot, or the library, to get any internet other than what I have on my phone. Ever try to do work in the driver’s side of your car, with your files in the passenger seat? Whew! I’m about to go back to school online because I work full time and come home to my family at night, so we will be cutting corners for sure to finally break down and get internet! It will be worth it in the end though. Work hard now to play hard later, right?
Laura Fuentes
Right! wow, then maybe their unlimited option might be a good one for you!
D'ana H.
I generally pray for free wi-fi wherever we are at and if not – I start racking up data overage fees on my phone!!! :o(
This is quite a neat little gadget!!!
Laura Fuentes
I once loaned my 3yo my hotspot for the ipad and I had $278 in overage charges the following month! OY..
LaTanya
I use my cellphone because we have a big data plan
Renee Schuhmacher
I connect the hot spot on my cell phone to my iPad or laptop. It’s expensive and definitely not an ideal situation. I’d love to have a Karma Go. Not to mention the fact that with 4 devices on our cell phone contract we area way overloaded. LOL This would be a perfect alternative. As soon as I read about it I immediately texted my oldest daughter at work to check it out.