living
I thought I would hate living in a high-rise apartment. I grew up in the woods of northern Minnesota, watching deer and the occasional bear wander through the backyard. I’ve spent my adult life in suburban townhomes near large park reserves, a compromise between rural landscapes and the job opportunities…
This story is based on an interview with Carlene Jenkins, 89, a retired personal shopper from Austin. It has been edited for length and clarity.Three years ago, it became time for my husband, Robert, 90, a retired dentist, and me to downsize and move from our house in Austin.A lot…
For a while, it felt like everyone was moving South.The trend took off during the pandemic, when remote work gave more Americans the flexibility to live wherever they wanted. Many headed to states where homes were more affordable and jobs were easier to find.Southern states such as Florida, Texas, Georgia,…
She arrived in Malta on a Thursday, and by Friday, we were stretched out on one of the island’s pale limestone beaches, watching the water shift from turquoise to deep blue at the horizon.My best friend of 24 years was visiting from San Francisco, where she has lived since we…
Years before moving to France, I went to Paris for the first time with my wife, who had always dreamed of visiting the City of Light. Back then, I bought into some of the stereotypes about the French, but I was pleasantly surprised by my encounters with locals.About eight months…
I left home for college at age 17, then spent over a decade living several states away from my family.By my late 20s, I had built a life in San Francisco with my husband while my family was settled back in the Pacific Northwest.However, after four years in the Bay…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Christine Casady, a 75-year-old retiree from the US. It has been edited for length and clarity.My husband is an avid traveler, and thanks to that, we’ve been traveling extensively for almost three decades.Ten years before I retired, we started taking longer…
I live in the Hamptons year-round, and I understand why people think summer here looks glamorous from the outside.There is the much-anticipated season for those who come to visit: the rush of crowds, people jumping from one boutique fitness class to the next, the packed restaurants and bars, the private…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Bakari Akil, 37, a private equity investor from New York. Akil grew up with no international travel experience and, three years ago, set out to visit 30 different countries each month. He finished his list, but is still traveling around the…
When I first moved in with my parents in my late 20s, I did not expect the arrangement to carry me into my mid-30s. I stayed because, although it was different from what anyone in my social circle was doing, I was surprised by how much we all enjoyed it.…
