More computer help (merge if required)

Based on a trip I'm about to take to a not-so-friendly zone, I'd like to make my online profile a bit more secure as well as for my side business at home, and thought there's some talent here that would know. I know about not facebooking/linked-in-ing, etc., but I'm interested in VPNs, secure emails, etc. I'm not as savvy on the protection side, but savvy enough to know that if I have a weak link in it somewhere in a bunch of premium stuff it can be exploited. And I'm willing to pay if required for something robust and tied together.

The things I'm thinking about:

-A website (something like Brianfromwa.com). I know I can go to GoDaddy and order for like $10. (Side note: is there a difference b/w .com, .co, .ch, .net, etc? Or just marketing?)
-A secure email tied to that address (brian@brianfromwa.com), and probably one for my wife and my business partners (4 total). Something like snazzlemail, hushmail, or (if I could get on the list) protonmail? And is there a way to port over old emails in gmail so that I can keep and search in the new email without "infecting" it?
-VPN. I used strongVPN the last time I was over there, and it seemed ok, but prices have tripled and I've read that it's not that secure. I know that some have said to set up my own on an always-on computer at home, but I can't trust my non-computer-savvy wife with it if something goes down or the power goes off. Preferably I'd like something with multiple-country access.
-Anything else I should know about?

Thanks in advance,
Brian