years
My daughter Cameran was an easy baby and an even easier child. She slept through the night and often carried a book at daycare, even while she was playing. Books held special meaning for both of us. As a toddler, she’d back into my lap and say, “Read a book,”…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Astha Chaturvedi, 38, the founder of Mouri Living. Her words have been edited for length and clarity.After a decade in Big Tech and at McKinsey, I was working at Ripple in San Francisco when I decided to build my own startup.I…
Although van life is increasingly popular — or at least increasingly visible, as the many people who ask if we “do the YouTube thing” prove — it’s still not well understood.Short-term road trips make more sense to people: Sure, you can handle just about anything for a brief period. But…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brian Winch, the founder of Clean Lots. The following has been edited for length and clarity.As a young kid, I watched my parents work hard to keep food on the table. What is now called picking up a few side hustles…
While working at Disneyland as a VIP tour guide for five years, I watched a lot of parkgoers have amazing experiences. However, I also watched visitors regret parts of their trip or wish they’d made different choices or better plans.Here are a few common mistakes I saw parkgoers make when…
When I graduated from college in 2021, all I cared about was moving abroad.As a Spanish and communications student, I was supposed to spend a full year studying abroad in Seville, Spain — something I had looked forward to for years.Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, though, I had to leave…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Fatema Ali, a job seeker in her 30s who lives in Texas. She previously worked for IBM as a project manager before being laid off in 2024. The following has been edited for length and clarity.In early 2024, I began to…
Nearly two and a half years ago, in January 2024, I crammed my most essential belongings into three suitcases and left behind the only life I have ever known to start a new one halfway across the world, in Paris.Jaded by corporate America and wanting a change of environment, I…
I love to travel, but I rarely take solo trips because it’s hard to be away from my family. I miss my children when we are apart, but the practicalities of packing lunches and shuffling kids to school and soccer practice are a bigger hurdle than homesickness. I like to…
This story is based on an interview with Trisha Martin, 58, a spiritual therapist from St Louis, Missouri. It has been edited for length and clarity.My 87-year-old mom — whom I affectionately call Mommi — had always been the epitome of independence.She didn’t want us to do anything for her…
