• I had kids in my 20s, 30s and 40s.
• While my body took longer to recover the older I got, I also learned to enjoy little things more.
• I've learned that there is no "right" age for when to have kids.

Parenting is one of those experiences that somehow gets better and harder with age.

When I had babies in my 20s, I was young and optimistic — I figured I could handle anything. By my 30s, I had a few more kids, a lot more chaos, and maybe just a little less mental bandwidth. But then, when I was 40, I surprised myself and decided to have one more.

Here's the thing: being a parent is an adventure, and no matter how many kids you have or how old you are, the ride never gets predictable. Some parts are way harder than they used to be, and others are way sweeter.

Pregnancy at 40 was hard

Let me just start by saying that pregnancy at 40 is not for the faint of heart. At least, it wasn't for me. The first big difference I noticed was the exhaustion. Sure, I was tired with my other pregnancies, but this time, it felt like I had been hit by a truck every time I got out of bed.

I used to bounce back quickly after a long day of work and chasing toddlers. At 40, it felt like I needed a recovery plan just to survive a trip to the grocery store. The baby bump wasn't as perky as it used to be, and my back wasn't as forgiving when I bent over to tie my shoes. Every movement felt like a yoga class I hadn't signed up for.

The doctor's appointments also took a bit more effort. Not just the regular ones — I had extra blood tests, ultrasounds, and "advanced maternal age" reminders.

Some days, I feel like I'm moving at a toddler's pace just to keep up. My knees and ankles creak. My energy levels are more in line with someone preparing for a nap than chasing after a baby — the only thing I asked Santa for Christmas was uninterrupted sleep.

I can't tell you how often I've looked at my husband and said, "I'm too old for this!" And yet, when that baby smiles at me when I hear that little giggle, I remember exactly why I'm doing it.

The biggest challenge isn't just physical, though. I remember juggling a newborn with work and life in my 20s, thinking I was some kind of superwoman. In my 20s, I was ready to conquer the world with a baby in one hand and a coffee in the other. Now, at 40, I'm hoping to conquer the laundry pile before the baby wakes up.

I savor motherhood

Even with all the challenges, I wouldn't change it for the world. Sure, my body doesn't bounce back as quickly, but my heart is bigger than ever.

Having a baby at 40 means you appreciate the little things even more — the snuggles, the baby smells, and the fact that you don't have to Google "how to get a baby to sleep" every five minutes because, well, you already know the tricks.

I've also realized that I'm in a different place mentally. Parenting at this stage isn't about surviving — it's about savoring. The late-night wake-ups that used to drain me now feel like a special chance for one-on-one snuggles and quiet connection. I'm not running on fumes the way I did in my 20s. I've learned to enjoy the slow moments, the quiet nights, and the chaos, too. Because when you're older, you know that all the crazy is part of the beautiful mess.

There's no "right" age to have a kid. The journey might be a little more challenging the older you get, but it's also much more rewarding.

• Wealthy travelers are increasingly booking luxury train vacations.
• High-end suites often include amenities like bottomless Champagne, butlers, and private bathrooms.
• A night on Belmond's iconic Venice Simplon-Orient Express starts at about $4,370 per person.

Vintage luxury is making a comeback. Not just with clothes, but with a particularly beloved mode of transit — trains.

Set to debut in April, Italy's La Dolce Vita Orient Express would offer guests luxuries like a stylish lounge, Champagne buckets from Giobagnara (which can command more than $500 each), and meals curated by the chef of Rome's three-Michelin-starred La Pergola.

Expect dishes like calamari carpaccio and lamb with artichoke and truffle shavings — for lunch, no less.

"It's all a bit pricey, but we're determined to put all the finest stuff made in Italy on board this train," Samy Ghachem, the coming train's general manager, told Business Insider.

La Dolce Vita Orient Express is not to be confused with Belmond's iconic Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, best known for its sumptuously restored century-old carriages. Both trains are helping lay the tracks for a revitalized rail renaissance characterized by surging demand and increasingly high-end amenities.

Luxury train bookings are going loco-motive

Train-focused tour company Railbookers had been experiencing double-digital growth before 2020. However, after the pandemic and the subsequent boom in "slow travel," popularity started going express.

Frank Marini, president and CEO of Railbookers Group, told BI that 2023 and 2024 have consecutively been the company's best-performing years, with no signs of slowing down. During this period, Railbookers also saw a 68% spike in luxury-level bookings.

"It keeps snowballing," Marini said. "We see passengers that have come back traveling with us on a lot of luxury rail, and they're like, 'well, where else is there luxury rail?'"

Unlike bus tours or flights, the vacation experience doesn't begin when you arrive at your destination. Instead, like cruises, it starts when passengers board.

And unlike their at-sea counterparts, trains are one of the most eco-friendly ways to travel.

Plus, the amenities can be as lavish as a five-star hotel. Guests traveling Canadian Via Rail's Prestige Class have enhancements like a butler and a private bathroom with heated floors. Gold-level US and Canada's Rocky Mountaineer travelers get a dining room, an open-air viewing platform, and glass dome lounges.

On Belmond's Andean Explorer, based in Peru, suite guests slumber in 141-square-foot bedrooms with private bathrooms and lounges.

Such luxury comes at a cost, of course.

Andrew Channell, Railbookers Group's senior vice president of product and operation, estimates a typical multi-day luxury train trip, but not of the highest-end tier, could cost around $3,000 per person and day.

And then there's the iconic Venice Simplon-Orient Express, where a one-night journey from Venice, Italy, to Paris starts at about $4,370 per person for a basic cabin with a shared bathroom.

The train's most luxurious Grand Suites come with a private restroom (plus upgrades like bottomless bubbles) — for about four times the cost.

They are, after all, a "rich and famous-type bucket list item," Julie Durso, a travel manager for agency Scott Dunn Private, told BI.

Gary Franklin, Belmond's senior vice president of trains and cruises, told BI that reservations for the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express spiked 10% from 2023 to 2024. The Grand Suites are often the first accommodations to be booked.

To adapt to this swell in demand, the train — which only accommodates about 100 passengers — now operates a longer season than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The popularity of train travel is seeing a renaissance," Franklin said, adding that bookings for Belmond's five — soon to be six — other trains also increased. This includes a 25% boost for the Royal Scotsman, which was almost fully booked through 2024. (A two-night roundtrip Edinburgh, Scotland journey on the high-end locomotive starts at about $5,940 per person.)

Full steam ahead on luxury

Popular commercial travel companies, like airlines and cruise lines, often offer cheap, low-tier options to capture more guests. Think interior cabins on cruises and basic economy seats on airlines.

Belmond is taking the opposite approach by enticing wealthy travelers with increasingly luxurious add-ons.

In 2024, the company introduced two Grand Suites to the 40-year-old Royal Scotsman. The addition was "exceptionally well-received," Franklin said — so much so that Belmond plans to add more in 2025.

The train had previously been updated in 2023 with a Dior-branded spa carriage, now also available on the recently relaunched Eastern and Oriental Express.

"We all lead these very frenetic lives," Franklin said. "This is an opportunity to slow down, look out the window at the incredible scenery, and come together with fellow travelers in a nice luxurious environment with great food and beverage."

Not everyone can afford to spend thousands of dollars for a night on Belmond's trains. However, the financial barrier isn't deterring travelers from their luxury vacation dreams.

According to Marni, all of Railbooker's conventional train bookings now include some touch of extravagance, such as a cabin upgrade, a night's stay at a high-end hotel, or an exclusive excursion. This "little luxuries" trend, as he calls it, only started a few years ago.

Or, if you're rail-y in the mood to splurge, you could request Belmond's new L'Observatoire suite. The skylight-lit moving hotel room spans the entire carriage — hidden tearoom and marble bathroom with a tub included — all for about $101,515 a night.

Sounds pretty train-quil, doesn't it?

• This post originally appeared in the BI Today newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.

Happy New Year! Since many are focused on their health goals this month, we designed a special Saturday edition. Enjoy our best fitness reads to help you keep your wellness resolutions.

On the agenda:

• Gen Z was running on empty. Then they started running.
• Three people share advice that helped them lose and keep off the weight.
• How a nutritionist incorporates ultra-processed foods into his diet.
• A doctor and longevity expert shares the 6 bare-minimum things you can do to live longer.

But first: It's mocktail season.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Business Insider's app here.

This week's dispatch

Say hello to Dry January

When the clock struck midnight, Rihanna — yes, the billionaire beauty magnate and pop superstar — proclaimed to her 150 million Instagram followers that she "didn't drink all year."

Rih Rih joins so many celebrities and mere mortals alike who are giving up alcohol for one reason or another.

The singer's announcement came days before US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said in an advisory that alcohol is one of the leading causes of preventable cancer in the nation, behind smoking and obesity.

We took a deeper look at the data from the four studies cited in the Surgeon General's advisory. It's worth noting one of the healthiest ways to eat, the Mediterranean diet, includes wine in moderation.

Still, if you want to join Rihanna and go alcohol-free for the month of January, here are some tips to get you started.

1. If you mess up, don't worry. Data suggests that some people have at least one day when they're not sober and it's typically the first Friday of the month. Keep going.
2. If you still love the habit of opening up a cold can of brew, stock up on alcohol-free beers and other alternatives that will allow you to still get your fix without sipping alcohol.
3. Tell your friends and family your plan. Having a support system in place can help hold you accountable.

Gen Z's obsession with extreme fitness

Your mid-20s are tricky enough, but graduating during a pandemic is another challenge. As the traditional goalposts of homeownership and parenthood get pushed further back, many are looking for other ways to measure their progress and regain a sense of control.

Young people in their 20s are pursuing intense physical fitness challenges, from ultramarathons (yes, races longer than 26.2 miles) to Ironman triathlons. They're also inspiring their peers to follow suit. Why now?

Some are calling it their quarter-life crisis.

Meeting your wellness goals

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to cut out the foods you enjoy or endure tough workouts you hate just to lose weight. Research shows this rarely works in the long term and can have unintended health consequences, like malnutrition and disordered eating.

Take it from three people who lost weight sustainably after years of yo-yo dieting. From prioritizing health over appearance to adding a social element to their journey, they shared the advice that helped them succeed.

Their weight loss lessons.

A 'realistic' approach to UPFs

Ultra-processed foods, which contain additives, made headlines in 2024 for their potential health risks. Last year, nutritionist Rob Hobson tried eliminating them from his diet, instead cooking everything from scratch.

Hobson found cooking three times a day is too time-consuming. Now, he incorporates "healthier" UPF options, like picking up pre-made pasta sauce from the store, to "make life easier."

How he incorporates UPFs in his diet.

Easy adjustments for a longer life

Dr. Michael Roizen, 78, is the chief wellness officer at Cleveland Clinic. He's all about helping people make lifestyle changes to live healthier for longer. In fact, there are small, easy changes that can make a big difference, even if you can't completely overhaul your lifestyle.

Roizen shared with BI the six things he thinks everyone should do to live longer and improve mental, physical, and social health.

Six tips for healthy living.

What we're watching this weekend

• "Missing You": Netflix's latest Harlan Coben adaptation is a thriller about a detective who finds her "missing" fiancé on a dating app a decade after he vanished.
• "Nightbitch": Amy Adams plays a stay-at-home mom who becomes convinced she's turning into a dog in this black comedy horror film now streaming on Hulu.
• "The Front Room": The A24 psychological horror comedy available on Max stars Brandy as a pregnant woman who's being terrorized by her husband's ultra-religious ailing stepmother.

See the full list

What to shop

• Most popular picks of 2024: We looked back on the products our readers clicked on most from our buying guides and reviews this past year, including our favorite walking shoes, work totes, and deep-cleaning essentials.
• Boots to the ground: There's a lot to consider when it comes to boots, so we've rounded up a tried-and-tested list of the best casual men's boots to protect your feet this season.
• Time to cozy up: We've spent hours snuggling and researching to compile this list of the best throw blankets to fit your home's needs.

More of this week's top reads:

• 'Squid Game' season 2 smashed Netflix's record for biggest debut.
• BI's Hilary Brueck went inside biohacking tech bro Bryan Johnson's home and said it was a bit different than what was on his new Netflix documentary.
• A gut health scientist and chef shares 4 ways she makes eating fermented foods tasty and easy.
• Color experts on the hues you should consider removing from your home in 2025.
• BI's Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert had lunch at Disney's Club 33, and she said it made her realize why someone would sue to keep their membership.
• A travel writer who's been to all 50 states shares one thing she recommends doing in each one.
• One woman who goes abroad for injectables and skin laser treatments says she's saved $3,955 on treatments.

The BI Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City. Grace Lett, editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York.

The rate on the 30-year mortgage is hovering close to 7%, a nearly 6-month high, per data from Freddie Mac out Thursday.

Why it matters: Higher rates are putting home buying out of reach for many Americans and simply turning others off from the market.

• Though home sales picked up in the third quarter, even with rising rates, they're still hovering at historic lows.

The big picture: Mortgage rates move in tandem with the rate on 10-year Treasury bonds.

• That's been rising over the past few months, as bond investors fret over whether or not the Fed will continue to cut rates, and what exactly will happen once Trump takes office.

What's next: Most forecasts see mortgage rates declining a smidge in 2025 to around 6 - 6.5% — probably not enough to jolt the moribund real estate market out of its slump.

• It's never been tougher for first-time homebuyers to break into the market.
• Supply shortages, high mortgage rates, and skyrocketing prices are creating barriers to entry.
• Prospective homebuyers are downsizing, house hacking, or buying fixer-uppers as a result.

It might seem cliché to reminisce about the good old days, but when it comes to the housing market, things arguably were better "back then."

In the 1940s, for example, there was an ample supply of reasonably priced starter homes for first-time homebuyers. A starter home during that time typically cost between $8,000 and $12,000, or between $109,000 to $168,000 in today's dollars, according to Realtor.com.

Fast forward to today, where affordable new home construction has declined, mortgage rates are stubbornly above 6%, and the average home costs $357,469, according to Zillow data. It's no wonder that the share of first-time homebuyers in the market has shrunk to a historic low of 24%, while the age of first-time buyers has hit a record high of 38 years, according to the National Association of Realtors.

"There are a lot of financial barriers to entry for younger households," Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, said in an interview. "As a result, we see fewer first-time home buyers. They are a smaller share of the market, and the number of home sales has been historically low in recent years."

Despite the tough times, there are some positive inklings for the housing market heading into next year: lower interest rates and increased inventory could be on the horizon in 2025. Still, housing experts are unsure if the market will significantly improve for first-time buyers in the near future.

In the meantime, first-time homebuyers seem to be making the most out of the circumstances and are getting creative with the following three homebuying habits.

Starting small

One of the most straightforward ways that homebuyers are reducing costs is by buying a smaller house. That's how Symone', a 32-year-old user-experience content designer who asked not to share her last name for privacy reasons, was able to purchase her first home in 2024: a two-bedroom, 1,300-square-foot single-family home in the Raleigh, North Carolina metro area.

Buying a house in one of the most popular real estate markets in the country wasn't a walk in the park for Symone'. Competition was fierce and inventory was limited, making it difficult to find affordable units, Symone' told BI.

"I would go to sleep basically on my phone, scrolling on Zillow trying to find something," she said.

Her biggest takeaway from the homebuying process was that she wouldn't get everything on her wish list. Symone' prioritized the urban location and made concessions on the size — her house is much smaller than the median American home size of 2,000 plus square feet, according to Bankrate.

"That's where I compromised on this house. I love it because it's a new build, and it has all the finishes that I wanted, but I definitely don't have as much storage in this house," Symone' said.

House hacking

When Tom Brickman bought his first house, he lived in the upstairs unit and rented out the downstairs unit to a tenant.

That was back in 2009, but house hacking, or renting out part of your home, has only increased in popularity as a way for first-time homeowners to get their foot in the door. The extra income from rent can help the owner pay off the mortgage on the house and build up home equity.

"I think it's definitely gained more popularity as things continue to get more and more expensive," Brickman said.

Danny Gardner, senior vice president of Mission and Community Engagement at Freddie Mac, agrees. Gardner believes that increasing living costs are leading people to become more open to nontraditional home ownership options such as sharing space.

In the twenty-plus years since Brickman's first home purchase, he's gone on to buy more houses and become a successful real-estate investor who provides coaching services to new homeowners. House hacking with two tenants was how one of Brickman's clients was able to afford a condo while working as a server in Los Angeles.

House hacking can provide a point of entry into the market, especially for otherwise prohibitively expensive markets such as Los Angeles, but Brickman cautions that it's not for everyone. Cohabiting with a tenant can create complications: when Brickman first started out, he encountered lifestyle conflicts with his downstairs neighbor and had to scramble for money to fix a broken furnace.

"It's inconvenient," Brickman said of house hacking, "but I could afford a much nicer house by doing that."

Buying a fixer-upper

Another way first-time homebuyers are combatting the rising cost of housing is by buying fixer-uppers. These houses are often available at below-market prices and can be a great deal — if you're willing to put in the work and money to invest in renovating.

According to Hale, fewer affordable starter homes are being built as builders have trended towards constructing larger, more expensive homes in recent years.

As a result, those looking to buy an accessible first-time home might not have a lot of new options to choose from.

"A lot of lower-priced homes are lower priced because they're older and could require work," Hale said.

Prospective homeowners might choose a fixer-upper due to lower competition. Brickman went this route a few years ago.

"I was just tired of getting outbid, so I took a house that needed more work than what it was needed," Brickman said of his experience buying a fixer-upper in 2022.

However, the lower price of a fixer-upper can come at the cost of the convenience of a new build, as it's difficult to accurately predict costs no matter how diligently you budget. Another one of Brickman's clients was hit with thousands of dollars of unexpected costs on a fixer-upper after an initial inspection failed to catch an issue with a retaining wall on the property.

The housing landscape is undoubtedly tough to navigate today, but until affordability improves, prospective homeowners are coming up with workarounds to get a piece of the American dream.

"Sometimes you have to get a little creative to get your foot in the door," Brickman said.

• "Neo-medievalism" is emerging as a consumer trend, according to creative agency Wonderhood Studios.
• The trend embraces medieval aesthetics and reflects a rejection of modern tech culture.
• Fashion, home decor, and mead sales are key areas influenced by neo-medievalism, per Wonderhood.

With Brat Summer fading further into the rearview mirror, it's time to look ahead to the next consumer trend set to sweep the internet. You might want to prepare yourself for a year of "neo-medievalism."

That's the key takeaway from a new report by Wonderhood Studios, a UK-based creative agency and production company. Wonderhood examines data from social media, Google Ngram, and other sources to produce an annual consumer trends predictions report for its marketer clients.

"The future is medieval," Jack Colchester, the head of data and insight at Wonderhood, wrote in the report.

Think cloaks and blacksmithing, all washed down with lashings of mead, the ancient honey-based alcoholic drink.

Colchester said the medieval trend taps into two prevailing consumer attitudes: A lust for nostalgia and the renunciation of an always-online culture.

"Neo-medievalism is the embrace of all things medieval in the face of growing rejection of modern tech-centric culture," Colchester wrote.

A growing embrace of Gothic and medieval fashion

There were hat-tips to medieval fashion on runways and major entertainment events last year that hint at the growing trend, Colchester said.

Take the MTV VMAs in September, where singer Camila Cabello donned a veil while fellow pop star Chappell Roan fashioned a sword as an accessory and later appeared in an outfit entirely made from chainmail. Elsewhere in September, actor Natalie Portman wore a chainmail-inspired Dior dress to the Deauville Film Festival.

In a similar vein, Pinterest predicted last month that "castlecore" would be a big trend for 2025, particularly in home décor and fashion.

Analysis of English-language Pinterest searches between September 2022 and August 2024 found a 110% lift in search volume for "medieval core," while searches for "chainmail necklace" and "castle house plans" were both up 45%, respectively.

Colchester said "Bardcore," referring to medieval-style music, has also steadily grown in popularity on TikTok in recent years. Speaking to this trend, the tech company Teenage Engineering last year released a beat machine that includes a library of hundreds of built-in medieval sounds, such as bowed harps, bagpipes, and frame drums, and effects like swords clashing and arrows flying.

The rise of mead

Mead is also having a moment, popularized by TV shows like "Game of Thrones" and with a growing number of commercial meaderies opening in the US.

Global sales of mead are set to grow from $592 million in 2024 to $1.4 billion by 2032, according to the market research company Fortune Business Insights. A separate report, from the market research company Technavio, had an even rosier outlook, estimating the global mead market would grow by $2.7 billion between 2024 and 2028.

In its report, Wonderhood also cited Google Ngram data, which explores language usage trends within books and other published materials, that suggests interest in mead is at its highest since 1887.

Colchester said mead fits into several trends among younger consumers.

"It's lower alcohol, chemical free, has loads of taste, and it's sustainable and helps bees," Colchester said.

Colchester said that the "neo-medievalism" trends — while somewhat tongue-in-cheek — point to consumers rejecting what he describes as hyper-modernity and pristine sameness.

"The creative benchmark in 2025 will be: get to places AI couldn't," Colchester said.

"In a tidal wave of algorithmic mediocrity overwhelming the internet, the only way to stand out is to embrace being an unashamed attention seeker — and boldly step into your neo-medieval jester era," he added.

• The US Surgeon General issued a report warning alcohol is associated with cancer.
• He cited 4 recent studies to make his case that alcohol should have warning labels like cigarettes.
• Some scientists disagree: Another major report, published in December, found alcohol has benefits.

Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, said Americans need to know there's a link between alcohol and cancer, citing four recent studies.

Murthy said all alcoholic beverages should have cancer warning labels on them, a measure Congress would have to design and approve.

In a new report, published January 3, Murthy outlined the research that persuaded him — and other medical professionals — that alcohol is a serious and under-appreciated health concern.

We want to hear from you about your drinking habits. If you're comfortable sharing with a reporter, please fill out this quick form. Note: We won't publish any part of your submission unless we contact you first.

Here's the data that backs up Murthy's advisory, with some caveats:

How alcohol causes cancer

There are four ways alcohol causes cancer, Murthy said, citing a 2021 Nutrients study.

The first two are widely accepted, he wrote. Most physicians agree that when alcohol breaks down in the body it can bind to DNA, damaging cells and fueling tumors. There is also robust evidence that alcohol can drive inflammation, which is linked to cancer.

The study points to newer research that suggests alcohol may influence hormones like estrogen, paving the way to breast cancer, though it's not exactly clear how.

Another emerging idea is that alcohol seems to provide a literal melting pot for other toxins. Tobacco, for example, dissolves in alcohol, which could make it easier for the body to ingest, the study says.

3 studies linking alcohol to cancer

To back up his argument for warning labels, Murthy pointed to a 2015 meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Cancer, which found "a significant relationship" between alcohol consumption and seven cancers.

The team of researchers from Italy, the US, France, Sweden, and Iran examined data from 572 studies, featuring 486,538 cancer cases. They compared the cancer risk of heavy drinkers with occasional drinkers and nondrinkers.

They found heavy drinking was linked to cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, colorectum, liver, larynx, and breast.

Murthy also referenced a 2020 study, published in Nature, that specifically looked at alcohol as a risk factor for head and neck cancer.

The research on around 40,000 people in 26 studies found higher-intensity drinking — consuming more drinks per day, and drinking more years in a lifetime — was correlated with higher risk of head and neck cancers.

The third significant study that Murthy highlighted was a 2018 global systematic analysis looking at alcohol-related deaths in 195 countries over the course of 26 years. That report, published in The Lancet, concluded that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption when it comes to cancer.

Each report has caveats. For example, the 2015 meta-analysis used varying measurements of alcohol and the 2018 study did not differentiate between drinking patterns, such as binge-drinking or moderate drinking.

Still, the studies are comprehensive, significant, and have informed many of the physicians who say that alcohol is a serious health concern.

Some scientists disagree

Murthy said he was motivated to publish this report because surveys suggest more than half of Americans do not recognize a link between alcohol and cancer.

The science on alcohol is not cut-and-dry, though.

Some of the healthiest people in the world — in the Mediterranean and so-called Blue Zones — drink wine daily. Researchers believe the social aspect of alcohol may have strong benefits for longevity.

Plus, Murthy's report clashes with a major report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which was published in December.

The paper, which will be used to inform the new 2025 Dietary Guidelines, found that moderate drinkers have a lower risk of premature death from heart attack and stroke than people who don't drink at all. It also found an increased risk in breast cancer.

The Department of Health and Human Services is due to publish its own analysis of the latest science on alcohol in the coming weeks.

• Nvidia's Jensen Huang admitted he gets stage fright despite his cool persona in tech.
• Huang's nerves are shared by other tech leaders like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.
• Many have worked meticulously to lessen the pressure of public speaking.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is considered a "cool guy" in the tech industry, but he revealed in a recent interview that being onstage still makes him nervous.

Huang's "60 Minutes" interview aired on December 29. The Nvidia co-founder said walking out to a big crowd at last year's GTC AI Conference was a scary experience.

"I'm an engineer, not a performer. When I walked out there, and all of the people going crazy, it took the breath out of me," Huang said after giving his keynote. "I'm still scared."

He's at the helm of a company valued at over $3 trillion, and Huang's style (like his signature black leather jacket) and his meteoric success in the booming AI field have earned him a cool guy reputation in Silicon Valley. Still, Huang acknowledged his nerves around delivering a speech — something he will have to confront again when he presents a keynote speech at CES in Las Vegas on Monday.

He's not the only tech founder to struggle with public speaking. Steve Jobs, the Apple cofounder known for leading iconic launch events, might've appeared like a natural at public speaking but reportedly planned them out months in advance.

His effortlessness was envied by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who said Jobs had a talent for looking unrehearsed while on stage. Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli wrote in their 2015 book "Becoming Steve Jobs" that he actually spent entire days going over a presentation.

"I'll never achieve that level," Gates said on an episode of the Armchair Expert podcast.

Other leaders have been open about their nerves when addressing large crowds onstage. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg turned 40 in 2024, and he said he "didn't know anything about running a company, communicating publicly, etc" when he founded Facebook as a teen.

However, age and experience have made him more comfortable being himself in public, Zuck said on Threads.

Elon Musk was one of the most outspoken voices in 2024. As the owner of X, formerly Twitter, Musk uses his account to post almost daily. Before he owned the platform, he was still an active tweeter but admitted his lack of skills in public speaking in 2019.

Warren Buffett, billionaire investor and Berkshire Hathaway CEO, once said his fear of public speaking would've been detrimental to his career.

"I had been terrified of public speaking. I couldn't do it," Buffett said in the 2017 documentary "Becoming Warren Buffett."

Instead of letting his anxiety get in the way of his career, Buffett said he enrolled in a public speaking course after graduating from business school in 1951. Decades later, he still credits the course with changing his life.

• WalletHub recently released a 2024 report of the safest US cities.
• It ranked cities based on 41 safety indicators, including crime rates and natural disasters.
• Vermont has two cities in the list's top five.

Out of 163 countries, the US ranked as the 132nd safest, according to a Global Peace Index 2024 report. Iceland was deemed the safest at number 1 and Yemen was the least safe at 163.

When ranking countries, the index considers everything from weapons imports and exports to homicide rates. Like all countries, though, some regions of the US are safer than others.

For a more granular look, WalletHub, a personal finance site, released a 2024 report listing the safest cities in the US based on 41 factors in three key areas: home and community safety, risk of natural disaster, and financial stability.

The report ranked 182 cities across the country. Mass shootings, murders and assaults, hate crimes, earthquake and fire risks, and unemployment rates all factored into each city's weighted average.

Here are the safest cities in the US, according to WalletHub's rankings.

20. Huntsville, Alabama

Population of metro area: 225,564

Median household income: $73,319

Climate Vulnerability Index: 54th percentile (average vulnerability). This index shows areas of the US most likely to face climate change-related challenges.

Huntsville is a hub for aerospace and defense and attracts startups in these industries. While US News & World Report noted it has an above-average rate of violent crime, the paper also named it one of the best places to live.

19. Madison, Wisconsin

Population of the metro area: 280,305

Median household income: $70,484

Climate Vulnerability Index: 6th percentile (lowest vulnerability)

Madison is a college town and Wisconsin's capital. The 2024 Dangerous by Design report ranked it as the second-safest city for pedestrians.

18. Honolulu, Hawaii

Population of the metro area: 341,778

Median household income: $85,428

Climate Vulnerability Index: 0th percentile (lowest vulnerability)

While Honolulu has a low climate vulnerability percentile overall, sea level around Hawaii is projected to rise up to 1.5 feet by 2050, according to the University of Hawaii, likely affecting some areas of the city.

A popular destination for tourists, Honolulu was ranked the "Safest City to Travel to in the World" in 2024 by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection.

It has relatively low rates of violent crimes but an above-average rate of property crimes, according to FBI data.

17. Vancouver, Washington

Population of the metro area: 196,442

Median household income: $80,618

Climate Vulnerability Index: 15th percentile (lowest vulnerability)

In 2023, Vancouver's overall reported crimes dropped by over 9%, according to a report from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. In terms of natural disasters, the city is most vulnerable to earthquakes, extreme heat, and wildfires.

16. Juneau, Alaska

Population of the metro area: 31,555

Median household income: $100,513

Climate Vulnerability Index: 0th percentile (lowest vulnerability)

On average, Juneau had around 900 violent crimes and 1,200 property crimes each year between 2015 and 2023, according to FBI data. Heavy snow, extreme cold, and landslides are a few of the hazards the city's residents face.

15. Nashua, New Hampshire

Population of the metro area: 91,003

Median household income: $97,667

Climate Vulnerability Index: 10th percentile (lowest vulnerability)

Located in New Hampshire — the safest state in the US, according to US News & World Report — Nashua has low crime and unemployment rates and ranked well for home and community safety and financial safety in WalletHub's 2024 list.

14. Missoula, Montana

Population of the metro area: 77,757

Median household income: $70,277

Climate Vulnerability Index: 14th percentile (lowest vulnerability)

Located near Montanta's border with Idaho, Missoula has attracted wealthy newcomers to the area in recent years, raising home prices. Meanwhile, it's scrambling to build more housing to address a spike in homelessness.

13. Chesapeake, Virginia

Population of the metro area: 253,886

Median household income: $92,633

Climate Vulnerability Index: 40th percentile (average vulnerability)

A recent report found that homes in this growing city have become slightly more affordable. Situated near the Elizabeth River, which flows into Chesapeake Bay, the city experiences flash flooding and hurricanes.

12. Fargo, North Dakota

Population of the metro area: 133,188

Median household income: $61,422

Climate Vulnerability Index: 2nd percentile (lowest vulnerability)

After seeing an uptick in crime in 2022, Fargo's rates dropped in 2023 and 2024, Captain Bill Ahlfeldt of the Fargo Police Department told WDAY Radio in September 2024. The city is vulnerable to some natural disasters but has a number of infrastructure projects aimed at reducing the risk of catastrophic flooding.

11. Irvine, California

Population of the metro area: 314,621

Median household income: $127,989

Climate Vulnerability Index: 27th percentile (lower vulnerability)

Home to several universities, Irvine is just a few miles from Disneyland. Its crime rates were among the lowest of all the cities on this list, based on FBI data. For most of this century, the city has had the lowest violent crime rate in the US for cities of 250,000 or more people.

10. Virginia Beach, Virginia

Population of metro area: 453,649

Median household income: $91,141

Climate Vulnerability Index: 18th percentile (lowest vulnerability)

To protect against future hurricanes and rising sea levels, Virginia Beach voters approved a $568 million bond referendum to fund infrastructure projects focused on addressing these risks, PBS reported in 2021. US News and World Report named it the second-best place to retire in the US in 2024.

9. Portland, Maine

Population of the metro area: 69,104

Median household income: $83,399

Climate Vulnerability Index: 18th percentile (lowest vulnerability)

Maine's biggest city, Portland, is known for its incredible seafood. It has a lower violent crime rate than the national average, per FBI data. In 2024, the city installed flexible poles and added blue paint to some intersections to make them safer for pedestrians and cyclists, The Forecaster reported.

8. Columbia, Maryland

Population of the metro area: 104,681

Median household income: $115,564

Climate Vulnerability Index: 14th percentile (lowest vulnerability)

Designed to be a self-sustaining city, Columbia is a planned community and Maryland's second-largest city. In 2024, WalletHub ranked it the top city for women in terms of health and safety and financial well-being.

7. Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Population of the metro area: 135,958

Median household income: $66,720

Climate Vulnerability Index: 19th percentile (lowest vulnerability)

Iowa's second-largest city experienced a devastating flood in 2008, which caused billions of dollars in damage. Since then, Cedar Rapids has a Community Climate Action Plan aimed at reducing similar events in the future.

As for crime, in 2023, the city's crime rates had dropped compared to the previous year, KCRG reported in January 2024.

6. Yonkers, New York

Population of the metro area: 207,657

Median household income: $81,097

Climate Vulnerability Index: 24th percentile (lower vulnerability)

Located on the Hudson River, the city of Yonkers has low crime rates compared to the national average, per FBI data.

Its relatively low risk for natural disasters also contributed to the city landing at number six on the list.

However, WalletHub ranked it 139th in financial safety, based on metrics including non-business bankruptcies and underwater mortgages.

5. Boise, Idaho

Population of the metro area: 235,421

Median household income: $79,977

Climate Vulnerability Index: 9th percentile (lowest vulnerability)

Crime rates in Boise, Idaho, have dropped since the early 1990s, per the city's statistics. The Idaho Statemen described the city as car-dependent, though its downtown is walkable. In 2023 Boise had its most traffic fatalities in a decade.

4. Burlington, Vermont

Population of the metro area: 44,528

Median household income: $68,854

Climate Vulnerability Index: 0th percentile (lowest vulnerability)

This scenic city is Vermont's largest. A mix of low risk from natural disasters and high financial safety secured Burlington's fourth-ranking spot on WalletHub's list.

It's not completely invulnerable to climate change, though. Warming temperatures are bringing more rain and flooding to the area.

3. Warwick, Rhode Island

Population of the metro area: 82,999

Median household income: $86,193

Climate Vulnerability Index: 22nd percentile (lower vulnerability)

Warwick is the state's third-largest city and has low rates of residents without health insurance, according to WalletHub.

In fact, based on a number of factors, including access, cost, and health outcomes, the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund ranked the state of Rhode Island as having one of the top health systems in the country.

2. Casper, Wyoming

Population of the metro area: 58,720

Median household income: $69,171

Climate Vulnerability Index: 31st percentile (lower vulnerability)

WalletHub cited Casper's low pedestrian fatality rates and comparatively lower risks for earthquakes and tornadoes among the reasons it landed number two on its list. However, the city has dealt with flash floods and nearby wildfires in the past, according to Wyoming Public Media.

1. South Burlington, Vermont

Population of the metro area: 21,043

Median household income: $97,229

Climate Vulnerability Index: 0th percentile (lowest vulnerability)

South Burlington jumped from the US's third safest city in 2023 to the top spot in 2024. Most of the city's drivers are insured, and it has a low pedestrian fatality rate. It has good financial security, including a very low unemployment rate. Overall, the area has a relatively low risk of natural disasters, securing the highest safety ranking of the cities on the list.

• I met a blind date at the Atlanta airport, and we flew to Alaska together.
• Though we didn't end up having a romantic connect, we spent a week together with our friends.
• It was an amazing time, and I'm glad I was brave enough to say yes.

I never thought a blind date would include flying thousands of miles with someone to see if we were compatible, but when mutual friends set me up, I couldn't resist. My date was in the Air Force and on his way home to Alaska for a two-week leave.

We decided to spend his first week off together. It would be a crash-and-burn scenario or a story to tell my grandkids one day. Whatever the result, I was all in.

We met at the airport and flew to Alaska together

Our first meeting was in the airport moments before an eight-hour flight from Atlanta to Anchorage. It wasn't my ideal way to start the date, especially since we'd spoken on the phone exactly once before, but it turned out better than I expected. He was thoughtful and made things less awkward. We made small talk for the first couple hours of the flight but mutually decided not to overdo the conversation.

The mutual friends who'd set us up greeted us in Anchorage. My date had known them most of his life, and I'd met them a year before on a work trip when they'd plotted this set-up, thinking the two of us might hit it off. Connecting with them helped ease any lingering awkwardness and settled my nerves.

We didn't have a romantic connection, but we still had an amazing time

Our friends planned an incredible week for us, and our first real date was at his favorite restaurant after we arrived. We quickly figured out neither of us felt a romantic connection but enjoyed hanging out together. Thankfully, our friends pivoted, and we ended up doing everything as a group for the rest of the week, taking the pressure off both of us and still allowing us to enjoy the week they had planned.

We visited an old mining community and picked wild raspberries on the side of the road. Traffic stopped on our way to Portage, but instead of worrying about what we'd miss, we played cards while waiting for the roads to reopen. It was a joy to discover glaciers work as well as trees for hammock-hanging. Soaking up the sun felt incredible after white water rafting down a freezing cold river to this Georgia girl.

Capping off our trip, I climbed Bear Mountain and nearly kept up with the Airman and my native Alaskan Friends. I only had to stop and take pictures every few feet to catch my breath. Thankfully, they pretended not to notice. The midnight sunset view from the top was worth every minute of the struggle. I've never felt so accomplished, especially as we raced down the mountain to beat complete darkness.

While our days were jammed with the best Alaskan adventures, when the sun finally set, our nights were filled with endless rounds of Settlers of Catan. Those cozy nights around a fire fueled my love for games and experiences, even if it didn't ultimately bring me the love of my life (or much sleep!).

Even though I never saw or talked to my date again after that trip, it was still one of the best vacations of my life. I learned you should always take a chance when you have an opportunity in front of you. You never know what the end result will be until you try — you could meet the love of your life or just go on the best vacation ever. I'm thankful for my friends, who took a shot at setting us up, and for the courage to live in a moment of spontaneous possibility.

As for all the landmarks I missed last time, I plan to return in March. Who knows what will happen this time?