I regularly use and support the following websites, products, books, and services. If you purchase anything from these links, I will get a small commission. Understand that the price is the same whether you use my link or not, and know that everything below is something that I highly recommend.
Gear
I am not an Apple fanboy, but I will acknowledge that traveling with a Macbook Air has been a pleasure. A good chunk of my income comes from work online, and it’s nice to carry around something this powerful and lightweight.
It may seem like a hefty price tag, but it’s more affordable than many other Apple computer products, and it’s durable. I have been using the same machine for 5 years now. I also didn’t apply many upgrades when I bought the computer. I opted for a solid state drive, but other than that, I stuck with the least expensive option.
Website Stuff
I use Namecheap if I need to register a domain name (something.com, .net, etc.). They are reasonably priced and they don’t have a CEO that is shooting elephants in Zimbabwe (see: GoDaddy.com).
I use Host Gator to host my site. I pay around $6/month, and I have unlimited bandwidth and storage. They have a great one-click install WordPress feature, and dedicated 24 hour support.
I use WordPress (free) to manage my blog and I use Thesis for my theme. In addition to providing a clean layout that you can easily customize, Thesis is excellent for search engine optimization and load times as everything is streamlined. If you are making a blog and want to get serious about it I would highly recommend using this theme. Check it out here.
Travel
I use this credit card from American Express because flying from Mali to the states is absurdly expensive, especially now with a 2+ year-old. This card earns miles on Delta/Air France and there is a decent sign-up bonus. And yeah, the only reason I’m putting it here is with the hopes that you will sign up and I will earn another 12,000 miles or something from the referral.
World Nomads is my recommendation for travel insurance. They provide flexible, inexpensive, and comprehensive insurance, and they have great customer support. I’ve only had to file a claim once, but it was a breeze.
Miscellaneous
Centmobile is what I use when I am in the states and I need to make calls to Cote d’Ivoire or Mali, and the person I am calling does not have skype or viber etc. It’s cheap and reliable.