• The 2025 Independent Spirit Awards took place in Santa Monica on Saturday.
• "Anora" was the big winner in the film categories, taking home best feature.
• Meanwhile, Netflix's "Baby Reindeer" nabbed three acting prizes.

The 40th annual Independent Spirit Awards took place in Santa Monica on Saturday, with "Anora" dominating in the film categories and Netflix's "Baby Reindeer" also winning big.

Sean Baker's sex worker drama took home multiple awards, including best feature, best director, and best lead performance for star Mikey Madison.

Madison picked up the trophy fresh off of winning best actress at the BAFTAs last weekend. The film itself has been on a hot streak in the final leg of this year's award season, nabbing prizes at the Critics Choice, PGA, DGA, and WGA awards in recent weeks.

Madison beat out Demi Moore as well as some of the year's most acclaimed male performers, including Colman Domingo and Sebastian Stan.

In short, "Anora" has gained some major awards season momentum. Per Gold Derby's latest predictions, the Neon indie drama is now the frontrunner to win in the best film and best director categories at the Academy Awards next month.

Elsewhere in the film categories, Sean Wang's "Dìdi" won best first feature and best first screenplay, while Kieran Culkin continued his winning streak as he picked up best supporting performance for "A Real Pain," which also won best screenplay for director-writer Jesse Eisenberg.

In other categories, "Nickel Boys" nabbed the best cinematography prize, "September 5" won for best editing, and "No Other Land" scored the win for best documentary.

Over on the TV side, "Baby Reindeer" went home with multiple awards. The Netflix series won three acting prizes for cast members Richard Gadd, Nava Mau, and Jessica Gunning who won for lead, supporting, and breakthrough performance, respectively.

The award for best new scripted series went to FX's "Shōgun." Meanwhile, "Hollywood Black" took home the award for best new non-scripted series.

The Independent Spirit Awards aims to celebrate the best in independent film and television, offering a more irreverent take on the Oscars.

Joking at the ceremony, returning emcee Aidy Bryant called it "Hollywood's third or fourth biggest night."

• My husband and I have a nine-year age gap; I'm in my 50s, while he's in his 40s.
• We often have to compromise on things, but sex can become an issue as my libido diminishes.
• Luckily, we have learned to compromise and put in effort while in the bedroom.

I never imagined myself married to a much younger man. It wasn't part of my plan. When my first husband died, I assumed my next chapter would be one of quiet companionship — if I found love again at all. But then I met him.

We had been friends for a few years and even worked together for a while. It wasn't until we met in person for the first time that things shifted. His smile made me weak in the knees; his energy was infectious, and before I knew it, I was smitten. The fact that he was nine years younger than me? That detail barely registered at first.

As our age-gap relationship deepened, I started noticing the ways our age difference showed up — not just in pop culture references or childhood memories, but in how we approached life, relationships, and, yes, even intimacy.

We have our differences as an age-gap couple, but we make it work

He was in his late 30s, still in his prime, while I was staring down the barrel of my 50s, navigating perimenopause, joint pain, a waning libido, and the occasional existential crisis in the beauty aisle. I worried about keeping up and about whether our differences would eventually pull us apart.

But love has a way of silencing doubts. From the beginning, we clicked on a level that transcended age. We laughed at the same ridiculous jokes, found joy in the same adventures, and, most importantly, communicated.

Sure, there are generational differences. I grew up with landlines and handwritten letters; he downloaded music off Napster before I knew what a digital file was. There are moments when our pop culture references completely miss each other; I'll talk about a classic song from my youth, and he'll respond with a blank stare, and vice versa.

But instead of seeing these differences as a divide, we treat them as a chance to learn from each other.

I introduce him to my favorite throwback R&B, and he gets me into shows I wouldn't have given a second glance. I teach him about the pre-internet dating world, and he keeps me up to speed on what's trending.

If there was ever an unspoken rule about relationships working best when both people are in the same generation, we never got the memo.

Sex and intimacy can get tricky, but it's all about making an effort

Sure, as an older person, I have a diminishing libido, but there's a misconception that younger men are always the ones with the higher sex drive and that older women are the ones trying to keep up.

What I've found is that libido isn't dictated by age alone. Some nights, he's ready to go, and I just want to curl up with a book. Other times, I initiate sex while he's wiped out from a long day.

Compromise plays a big role in our intimacy. He has more energy for spontaneous late-night plans, while I'm more of a "let's schedule sexy fun" kind of woman. We meet in the middle: I rally for the occasional late-night adventure, and he indulges my need for a well-planned weekend getaway.

What keeps our relationship passionate isn't just physical chemistry; it's effort. We don't just assume passion will take care of itself; we cultivate it.

We prioritize intimacy, not just in the bedroom but in the small ways we stay connected every day: the lingering touches in the kitchen, the flirty texts in the middle of the afternoon, and the date nights where we still dress up for each other.

Confidence is the most important for me

Society often suggests that women over 50 should fade into the background and be grateful for any attention they receive. This sentiment is reflected in a 2021 AARP survey, which found that nearly two out of three women aged 50 and older experience regular discrimination, affecting their mental health.

Despite these societal attitudes, I refuse to buy into the notion that aging should equate to invisibility or diminished value.

I don't try to be 40 again for my partner. I don't compete with younger women for him. I own who I am — laugh lines, wisdom, and all.

And that self-assuredness? That's what keeps the attraction alive. He didn't fall for me because I was trying to be something I'm not; he fell for me because I embrace precisely who I am.

There's no magic formula to an age-gap relationship

I've found that love doesn't follow generational rules. It's not about pretending the differences don't exist or trying to mold yourself into someone younger (or older). It's about meeting each other where you are, keeping curiosity alive, and never taking each other — or the spark — for granted.

At least, that's how we've kept the sexy alive and grown closer, even as we grow older.

Nine years apart? That's just a number for us. What really matters is that we keep choosing each other — one inside joke, one stolen kiss, one well-planned weekend romp, and one "how the hell do you not know this song?" moment at a time.

• Katy Allen has three children and runs a business.
• She has no family nearby, and her husband is a touring musician.
• She relies on home assistants for about nine hours each week.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Katy Allen, founder of Artful Agenda. It has been edited for length and clarity.

For the past eight years, I've relied on recent college graduates to help me make my life happen. They're not babysitters or admin assistants — I think of each helper as a "second me," who will do with any of the tasks I might, whether that's processing Amazon returns, putting away laundry, or taking the car for an oil change.

I'm a mom of three kids, who are now 11, 8, and 5. I'm also a business owner and was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. My husband is a musician who is often on tour, and our closest family lives five hours away.

Hiring help fills an important gap for me. It allows me not only to get things done but, more importantly, to close some of the mental tabs that I constantly have open in my brain. Because of the help, I've been more successful at work and more present with my kids.

Find yourself also wishing for a body double? Here's how I've made the arrangement work seamlessly.

Find the right help

I live near a university, and that's where I've found most of my helpers. The women who help me are typically students or recent college grads. They might work for a year or two before moving on. When they do, I typically ask them to refer a friend who might be interested in the job.

If I have to advertise, I say right in the ad I'm looking for a second me. I explain that they might be asked to do anything I would do (within reason — I won't have them scrubbing up bathroom messes), and each day will look different.

Automate the process

Having a helper is all about reducing my workload, but a lot of my friends worry that hiring help will actually be more work. To avoid that, I automate as much as possible. My helper works a set schedule, typically two to three days each week for about three hours at a time. She has a key to my house and can let herself in and start working without me giving directions. Some days I don't even see her.

I keep a running list of items (like laundry) that constantly need attention in a Google Doc. If I have time each week, I add more pressing items, like returning items to the store, getting a birthday gift, or organizing a particular area of the house.

The Google doc is great because my helper can leave comments and notes, letting me know what she did and if she had trouble with anything. I can process that when I have time, rather than during my workday or when I'm with the kids. I can also provide simple feedback in the document.

Trust is key

As you can see, my helpers have a lot of access to my life. I even share another Google Doc with log-in information for certain accounts, like Amazon. A relationship like this only works if you can really trust the person who's working for you.

I've never had issues with a helper being untrustworthy. Once, I had a helper who just wasn't a great personality fit. She must have felt the same, because we parted ways fairly quickly, and I advertised the position again.

Start small

I pay my helper a decent rate, somewhere between what I'd pay a babysitter and what I'd pay a professional admin assistant. So, the cost can add up. When I started this eight years ago, I'd be surprised at how much I spend on hired help today. Yet, it makes sense because I am more productive at work.

If you're new to hiring help, start small. Hire someone for ad-hoc projects or for just a few hours a month, and see if the impact on your productivity and brain space is worth the cost. For me, it certainly has been.

• Antoine Sallis was rejected for a car loan because his credit score was 378.
• About a decade later, he was a millionaire.
• He repaired his credit and used debt to build wealth.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Antoine Sallis, author of "The Great American Credit Secret: Part 2." It has been edited for length and clarity.

The best thing that ever happened to my finances felt like the worst thing possible at the time. I was in my late 20s, working as a sales rep at Teen Mobile. I was proud of that job and felt like I was making moves. My next step was to get a decent car, better than the $300 cars from Craigslist that I'd driven in the past.

One day, I walked by a dealership with a sign that said, "Your job is your credit." I took that to mean that as long as I had a job, I could get approved for a loan. I already knew I'd have to go somewhere lenient to get a car loan, but this seemed perfect. I didn't think I had any credit, but I definitely had a job.

To make the purchase even more of a slam dunk, I saved a $500 down payment and picked the cheapest car on the lot, which cost about $9,000. I strolled in to apply, filling out the long paper application. I waited for about 20 minutes. Then, the sales rep came out, barely containing his laugh. He told me my credit score was 378 — so low that I was an exception to their rule, and they couldn't give me a loan despite my job.

I learned about the potential of responsible debt

I walked out of there feeling dejected. I'd been planning to drive off that lot. On my bus ride home, I started thinking about credit, which I knew basically nothing about.

I got tunnel vision, and started to learn everything I could about credit. I started with books and videos. Later, I called people who worked in finance, offering them $60 to answer my questions for 30 minutes.

I cleaned up my own credit, which started with understanding why it was so bad. Once I pulled my credit report, I saw I had unresolved accounts I didn't even know about and student loans with late payments. I started paying my debts on time to build a positive credit history. Soon, people began asking me to help them understand theirs.

As I learned more, I realized credit could be an incredible tool. Once my credit score was better, I took loans to invest in real estate. Most people think debt is bad. But I realized debt can give an opportunity: if you can take out a loan and triple your money over the life of the loan, that's a win.

My mindset made me a millionaire

When I embraced that mindset, things started changing rapidly for me. I started a credit repair company and continued to invest in real estate. By 2020, my company was doing very well, and I was a millionaire. Today I'm 42, and I'm a multimillionaire with a 780 credit score.

In addition to learning about credit and debt, I've seen that your mindset can make a huge difference in your outcomes. Some people in my life are constantly looking for a handout, and they're stuck in a mindset of believing they can't do things. I used to be that way, but I changed.

I became a millionaire in my mind before I ever became one at the bank, because I adopted a strong mindset. I became focused and driven.

I pay for my son's college and give him an allowance

The importance of mindset is what I want my son, who is 18, to take from my story. I can see he's learned that lesson. He used to have C's and D's on his report card, but since he moved in with me, he's a straight-A student. He's about to graduate, and I'm rewarding his hard work by paying for college.

Throughout high school I gave my son a generous allowance, with the expectation that he'd keep his grades up. I pay for everything he needs, but if he wants money to hang out with friends, he knows that's his responsibility. He's seen my financial transformation, and I've talked with him since he was 10 about the importance of credit. Today, I think he knows more about credit than most people, and he even helps with my business teaching others about building their credit.

Now, I have good enough credit to drive luxury cars

That day when I was rejected for a car loan, I laughed along with the salesman. But really, it was no laughing matter. Today, I have multiple luxury cars, which I love. The Lamborghini Gallardo is probably my favorite, though my Bentley is really comfortable.

I want people to know that no matter how dismal your financial situation feels, you can change it. Leveraging credit and debt is a hidden avenue for people who didn't grow up wealthy to build their financial security. You can access more and more, as long as you do it responsibly.

• The Oscars are on Sunday, March 2.
• Edward Norton and Cynthia Erivo are two of this year's nominees who've never won an Oscar before.
• Norton received his fourth nomination for best actor in a supporting role for "A Complete Unknown."

The Academy Awards are just around the corner, and while some stars like Mikey Madison are competing for their first award, others, like Edward Norton and Cynthia Erivo, are entering familiar territory.

This year, Norton is nominated for his fourth Oscar for his portrayal of Pete Seeger in "A Complete Unknown" and Erivo is nominated for her third thanks to her performance as Elphaba Thropp in "Wicked." Both will be looking for the first Oscar win of their careers on March 2 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.

And they're not alone. Call it a snub or simply not the right time, plenty of other actors, directors, producers, and others in the industry are still waiting to receive their first Academy Award — much to the public's surprise.

From Bradley Cooper to David Fincher, here are 20 Hollywood stars we can't believe have never won an Oscar.

Carrie Wittmer contributed to an earlier version of this story.

Amy Adams

Adams has earned six Oscar nominations throughout her career, thanks to her roles in films like "Doubt," "The Fighter," and "American Hustle."

Her most recent nomination came in 2019, for her role as Lynne Cheney in Adam McKay's "Vice."

Bradley Cooper

Cooper has been nominated for 12 Oscars across five categories, including best actor, best supporting actor, best picture, best adapted screenplay, and best original screenplay for films like "Silver Linings Playbook," "A Star Is Born," and "Maestro."

In 2024, Cooper's Oscars campaign for "Maestro" was widely criticized; as Business Insider's Olivia Singh wrote, "Cooper's effort to pay homage to the late musician was earnest, but his TMI approach to promoting the film during the press tour and awards season gave people the ick."

Taraji P. Henson

It may come as a surprise that Henson has only earned one Oscar nomination in her career despite starring in critically acclaimed films like "Hustle & Flow" and "Hidden Figures."

Still, her only nomination came in 2009 for best supporting actress for her role as Queenie in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

Saoirse Ronan

Despite being just 30 years old, Ronan has earned an impressive four Oscar nominations without taking home the trophy.

Her first nomination came in 2008 — when she was only 13 years old — for her role as Briony Tallis in "Atonement," and her most recent nomination was in 2020 for her role as Jo March in Greta Gerwig's adaptation of "Little Women."

Greta Gerwig

Speaking of Gerwig, the American director and screenwriter also has been nominated for four awards throughout her career.

Her most recent nomination came in 2024 for best adapted screenplay for the cultural phenomenon "Barbie." Cord Jefferson ultimately took home the award for "American Fiction."

Paul Thomas Anderson

Thanks to his work on films like "There Will Be Blood," "Phantom Thread," and "Licorice Pizza," Anderson has earned 11 Oscar nominations across four categories, including best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, and best original screenplay.

Glenn Close

Close has been nominated for eight Oscars across the best actress and best supporting actress categories.

She earned her first nomination in 1983 for her role as Jenny Fields in "The World According to Garp" and her last in 2021 for her role as Mamaw in "Hillbilly Elegy."

Ed Harris

The iconic character actor has earned four nominations throughout his impressive career. His last nomination was in 2003 for best supporting actor in "The Hours."

Don Cheadle

Cheadle has only been nominated for an Oscar once for his role as Paul Rusesabagina in "Hotel Rwanda." Jamie Foxx ultimately took home the award for best actor for his performance in "Ray."

Still, Cheadle is one of few actors to have been nominated for every component of an EGOT, or Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award.

Ralph Fiennes

Fiennes has earned three Oscar nominations, including a best actor nod this year for his role as Cardinal Lawrence in "Conclave."

He was previously nominated in the category in 1996 for "The English Patient," and in 1994 he was arguably robbed of the award for best supporting actor for his role in Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List."

Michelle Williams

Since the ending of "Dawson's Creek," Williams has proved she's much more than just another teen soap star.

Throughout her career, she's earned five nominations, the most recent of which came in 2023 for her leading role in "The Fabelmans."

Edward Norton

Norton has been nominated for four Academy Awards thanks to his work in "Primal Fear," "American History X," "Birdman," and most recently, the Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown."

This year, Norton will compete against Yura Borisov, Kieran Culkin, Guy Pearce, and Jeremy Strong for best supporting actor.

David Fincher

Fincher has three Oscar nominations for best director for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Social Network," and "Mank."

His distinct style and impressive line of work — including "Seven," "Fight Club," "Zodiac," and "Gone Girl" — is bound to get a win one day.

Cynthia Erivo

This year, Erivo is nominated for her third Oscar thanks to her gravity-defying performance as Elphaba Thropp in Jon M. Chu's "Wicked."

In 2020, she was nominated for best actress and best original song for her work in "Harriet." She lost the former to Renée Zellweger and the latter to Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

If she wins the Oscar this year, Erivo will reach EGOT status.

Sigourney Weaver

Weaver has been nominated for three Oscars, including a best actress nod in 1987 for her role as Ripley in James Cameron's "Aliens."

In 2015, while promoting the film "Chappie," Weaver told Digital Spy that the science fiction genre "doesn't get enough respect when you consider how many issues sci-fi brings up that we need to deal with."

"I think part of it is the Academy is mostly people like me who are over a certain age and they're still probably looking for the more conventional movie. I think all that's going to change because some of the work being done in sci-fi is some of the most interesting, provocative work out there," she added.

Tom Cruise

Though he's arguably best known for his work in action films like "Mission: Impossible," Cruise has delivered Oscar-worthy performances, too.

His ambitious work in Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia" got him a best supporting actor nomination in 2000, but he lost to Michael Caine for his work in "The Cider House Rules." He's also been nominated for lead roles in "Born on the Fourth of July" and "Jerry Maguire."

Annette Bening

Bening has earned five nominations spanning from 1991 to 2024.

Her latest nomination was for her portrayal of Diana Nyad in "Nyad," which she lost to Emma Stone for her performance as Bella Baxter in "Poor Things."

Kathleen Kennedy

Producer and current president of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy has been nominated for eight Oscars for best picture.

Some of these nominees include iconic films like "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," 1985's "The Color Purple," and "The Sixth Sense."

Ridley Scott

The stylish director has been making feature films since the late '70s, but he has only been nominated for four Oscars.

Though "Gladiator" took home the award for best picture in 2001, Scott lost out on the Oscar because he wasn't one of the film's producers. He was, however, nominated for best director, but ultimately lost to Steven Soderbergh.

Scott's other nominations include best director nods for "Thelma & Louise" and "Black Hawk Down," as well as a best picture nomination as a producer of 2015's "The Martian" starring Matt Damon.

Liam Neeson

Neeson's sole Oscar nomination came in 1994 for his performance as Oskar Schindler in "Schindler's List."

He lost the best actor award to Tom Hanks, who played Andrew Beckett in Jonathan Demme's "Philadelphia."

• My sister is much more low-key than I am, and for her 50th birthday, I wanted to pamper her.
• I planned a trip for her and two of our mutual friends to Las Vegas, and we had an amazing time.
• We packed so much into just two days, including indulgent meals and time at a spa.

In my family, I'm known as the one who knows how to really have fun and indulge in luxury when I travel. And this is especially true when it comes to birthdays: If I didn't see my name written on a plate in chocolate in some fabulous hotel, did I even have a birthday?

For her part, my sister is far less inclined to frivolities. But, as her 50th birthday drew closer on the calendar, I simply couldn't stand to let it go unacknowledged without the kind of blowout I'd want — indeed, expect! — for myself. So, I took over the planning and did it my way.

We went to Las Vegas and had a jam-packed trip

I gathered our group, including two of our mutual close girlfriends, for a girls' trip to Las Vegas — my favorite city for a party, hands down.

We four ladies all shacked up in a hotel room in the new Versailles Tower at Paris Las Vegas, where we had a high-floor balcony — a Strip rarity — with a knockout view directly over the Bellagio fountain. The famous fountain show, with its musical accompaniment, served as the appropriately festive backdrop while we primped and got ready to go out each evening.

Yes, of course, I brought along a "50 and fabulous" sash and tiara for my sister to wear on the Strip — a very not-her but totally-me demand for public attention for a milestone life moment that triggered tons of cheerful birthday wishes from passersby. (And it paired great with the matching heart-shaped sunglasses another friend brought for all of us to wear.)

First up, we headed to Lisa Vanderpump's new lounge, Pinky's — a gorgeous, gilded venue all about feminine energy and fun, with signature pink cocktails and dishes presented in opulent birdcages or frothing with dry ice.

From there, we hit the Dolby Live Theater with great seats for Mariah Carey's residency concert. It was the '90s nostalgic singalong that was perfectly on-theme for a 50th birthday bash and just what our group needed to get loose and grooving.

The following day, we started with mimosas and Dominick Ansel's famous (and famously rich) cronut pastries over brunch at Marché, setting the tone for a day entirely filled with bubbles until late at night.

Next, it was off to the spa — to me, this is an essential element of any girls' trip. We spent hours lounging in robes at Caesars' Palace's Qua Baths, an ancient Rome-inspired labyrinth of decadent pools and therapeutic spaces. Throughout, there were groups of women of all ages, chatting and laughing for more of a celebratory than a subdued atmosphere, and it was the perfect vibe.

That night, we hit the town again, first for an indulgent dinner at Bobby Flay's seafood restaurant Amalfi. There, we chose our fresh fish right off the ice in a market-style setup.

Afterward, we played blackjack over laughter and drinks in the casino before heading to a new nightspot dedicated entirely to caviar and live rock-and-roll music — Caspian's Rock and Roe — because nothing says "I'm 50 and worth it" like some fancy caviar on ice with a side of champers.

Being celebrated — and celebrating someone else — can be so joyful

In just two days, we packed in so much laughter, pampering, partying, and fun. It was enough to fuel us all through months of routine drudgery that necessarily comes with adulting and parenting.

Overall, the trip was a whopping success and the highlight of the year — for both my sister and me. I like to think I showed my big sister that a little strategic indulgence can really ease the existential dread that invariably comes with a major birthday.

And beyond that, I know I showed her how good it feels not just to wear the birthday tiara and celebrate with epic pampering and partying — but to know there's someone who loves you enough to make it all happen in your honor, even if you don't think you really need all the fuss.

• We moved our family from San Diego to northern Spain and now have a lower cost of living.
• We've really enjoyed living in a walkable area instead of one that's heavily reliant on cars.
• Socializing feels like a priority in Spain, which has made it easier to have a work-life balance.

When we moved our family from sunny San Diego to rainy northern Spain, the weather wasn't the only major change.

Although some cultural differences took time to incorporate into our lives, there are others that we adopted immediately. Fortunately, many of these changes have allowed us to slow down and be more present in our lives — something we're grateful for each day.

Here are some of the biggest differences we've experienced between our life in California and our life in Spain.

We've enjoyed not having to rely on cars

Although there's public transit available in California, it's generally very challenging to get around the state without a car.

However, where we live in Basque Country, a region between northern Spain and southwestern France, we can get almost anywhere on foot.

It's nice to be able to get exercise and enjoy fresh air while running errands. If it's raining or we want to explore other coastal villages, we take the bus.

Fortunately, our local bus system is incredibly efficient and affordable (usually under 3 euros per ride).

We also have a local commuter train that takes us to surrounding towns or to the border of France. From there, we can easily explore French Basque villages, or hop on the train to Paris, our main European railway hub.

During a recent visit back to California, I spent 80% of my time in the car, in traffic, which is something I don't miss at all.

It's easier to make time for resting and socializing in Spain

In Spain, there's generally more work-life balance and a cultural emphasis on socializing, which takes place in the streets, cafés, bars, and plazas.

On Sundays, the majority of shops are closed so people can rest and spend the day with loved ones. At first, we found it frustrating and inconvenient to be unable to run errands and shop.

Soon, we began to appreciate that so many stores would lose a day of business in order to prioritize connection and relaxation.

Now, we use our Sundays for lengthy four- or five-hour lunches with family and friends, restful walks on the beach, and peaceful hikes in the local mountains.

Our meal schedules have completely shifted

Americans marvel at how late Spaniards eat dinner, but now that I live here, it makes perfect sense.

Our children start school between 8 and 9 a.m. and also get a two-hour lunch break. Kids can either eat at school or go home to have lunch with their families. Working parents can often take part in this, too, as most businesses in Spain close from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for a midday break.

This has been a huge difference for us. In the US, we would usually eat a quick deskside lunch at work and not see our kids until the end of the day since they had just 30 minutes for lunch and recess.

The school day is also longer here because of that lunch break. Elementary school finishes at 4:30 p.m., and kids typically have their afternoon snack around 5 p.m.

In the evening, people often meet friends for a glass of wine or beer and a pintxo (bite-sized snack) before heading home for dinner around 9 p.m. … or later.

We have a lower cost of living

One of the biggest differences between life in California and Spain is our cost of living. In general, our money seems to go farther in Spain.

We've seen prices rise since we've been here, but they still remain incredibly reasonable to us, with the euro hovering near parity with the dollar.

For example, a café con leche (latte) is typically under 2 euros in Spain. In cafés that cater more to tourists, it can run between 3 and 4 euros. Still, both are a far cry from a latte in San Diego that'd usually cost us $7 (or $8 with a tip).

A glass of wine, on average, ranges from 2 to 4 euros here. In the US, a decent glass runs upward of $18 (similar to the cost of an entire bottle in Spain).

Spain's tipping culture has also helped save us money.

In the US, tipping for a service is expected. Here, rounding up or leaving 10% when you really enjoyed the service is appreciated but not expected.

Local hospitality workers tend to make a higher, more livable wage and thus don't heavily rely on tips — which isn't the case for many in the US.

• Business Insider spoke with fashion designers and stylists about winter sneaker trends.
• The professionals said suede and blinged-out sneakers are rising trends for the season.
• However, high-tops are being replaced by sleeker-looking athletic shoes.

For many, sneakers have become a wardrobe staple. Whether you're after a classic, casual look or aiming to make a statement, the options are endless.

That said, styles seem to be constantly evolving, so it can be hard to keep up with all the current trends.

To help you navigate the sneaker scene, Business Insider asked professional stylists and fashion designers which trends are in and out this winter.

Weather-resistant sneakers are practical and fashion-forward.

If you spend a lot of time outdoors, Pilar Scratch recommends opting for a sneaker/boot hybrid.

The celebrity wardrobe stylist told BI that a winter-specific sneaker gives you the cold-weather-ready edge while still offering fashionability.

"Think sturdy, winter-ready soles, waterproof uppers, and extra insulation for those cold, wet days," Scratch said. "These are sneakers you can actually wear outside without feeling like you'll slip and fall on your face."

Make your sneakers pop with unconventional animal prints.

Animal prints have been a prominent status symbol in fashion for centuries. Cheetah, zebra, and leopard remain timeless staples, but some less conventional patterns are also popping up this season.

Kamaria Davis, a footwear designer at Mykos, said prints that mimic Dalmatian spots, deer speckles, and owl feathers are becoming especially popular on sneakers.

To balance out the boldness of the print, the designer suggests focusing on soft, coordinating colors for the rest of your outfit.

Suede offers the perfect cozy vibe.

Suede seems to be taking over all footwear this season, and Lunden Olin II told BI that sneakers are no exception.

The fashion designer and creative director of Looks by Lunden said the material is both cozy and cool right now.

"It's the perfect mix of luxe and laid-back — like a varsity jacket for your feet," Olin said. "Rock 'em with jeans, joggers, or even a tailored suit."

Give your sneakers some bling this winter.

Olin said maximalist sneakers are in. The maximalism trend has been resurging across the fashion and design worlds for the last year or so, and it's a great way to incorporate more self-expression into your look.

"Forget just accessorizing your outfit — your sneakers need love, too," he told BI.

Get creative by adding your own personal touches, like mismatched laces, bows, charms, and even brooches.

Make a bold fashion statement with a metallic sneaker.

Olin said silver, gold, and chrome sneakers are staying in style for another season.

If you're captivated by street-style outfits on runways or social media but aren't ready to completely revamp your style, a metallic shoe is a great jumping-off point.

"They're flashy without being over-the-top, making them the perfect way to dip your toe into bold fashion — literally," the designer told BI.

On the other hand, platform sneakers have been done to death.

Davis told BI that platform sneakers are overdone. The trend has been prevalent across different footwear styles — heels, boots, loafers — but the bulky look is being pushed aside.

This season, people seem more interested in a narrower silhouette that offers a more polished aesthetic.

An array of popular sneaker brands, from Adidas to Converse, offer flat-sole designs that follow the sleek trend.

Plain white sneakers are being replaced by bolder colors and unique textures.

Olin said it's time to say goodbye to all-white and nude sneakers — to ditch the dull and embrace the vibrant.

The push toward maximalism means bright, bold colors and unique textures are in. Colorful sneakers are also a great way to liven up an outfit on a dreary winter day.

High-tops could be taking a backseat to sleeker styles.

Davis told BI that basketball sneakers and other mid-to-high-top styles are waning in popularity. If you're not into low-top versions of those shoes, consider investing in a pair of "dressletic" sneakers instead.

The designer said the style, which blends the stylish look of dress shoes with the comfort and functionality of athletic sneakers, is especially popular this season.

In addition to following the trends toward sleek, aesthetically pleasing looks, the dressier sneakers can also be a good option for people who are spending more time back in the office.

Trade in your slip-ons for a warmer alternative.

Although classic slip-on sneakers — like Vans — are ideal for warm weather, they can fall short in cooler temperatures and rough winter terrain.

If you're a big fan of the comfort and practicality of a slip-on, though, fear not. Scratch just recommends looking for a fleece-lined version of the shoe.

You can also opt for a sturdier outdoorsy sneaker with a flexible opening for ease of wear.

• My kids are college-age, in the prime of their lives, and thriving in every way.
• Meanwhile, I'm struggling with the woes of midlife, and I feel envious of their youth.
• I am persistently trying to accept this and find the silver lining.

I recently found a gray hair in my eyebrow, and my heart skipped a beat.

I suppose it might be comical to those who have accepted aging and the speed at which life passes us by, but that's not me — not yet, anyway. No one ever told me that eyebrows turn gray. I suppose no one really had to. I mean, I'm sure I've seen gray eyebrows before, but I never imagined I would fall victim to this atrocity — especially not so soon.

This unexpected gray hair — just like every wrinkle, hot flash, and new joint pain — was a reminder that there was still so much I wanted to do and even more that I wish I had done already.

And just as I angrily plucked that sucker right out of its place, my daughter walked in. "Are you almost done? I need to curl my hair."

My beautiful, young daughter, Nora, is about to decide where she will attend college next fall. She is excited about prom, graduation, and her upcoming senior night for hockey. Her hair is thick and gray-less. The world is her oyster — and she doesn't even know it.

Molly is my oldest daughter. She is about to study abroad in Spain. She is dedicated to fitness, has correctly identified her deepest passions, and is pursuing them with ambition and confidence. She is one of the bravest people I know. I look at her and see nothing but a vibrant, fulfilling future. The world is her oyster, too, and she just may know it.

To be honest, I'm jealous of my daughters. They have everything ahead of them, and it feels like my life is behind me.

I often find myself envious of my daughters' youthfulness

I am so incredibly proud of my girls. They have grown into such dynamic, wonderful young women, and the world is a better place because they are in it.

If I am being honest, though, I can't help but feel a pang of envy when I observe them living their best lives. They have youth and time and their whole lives ahead of them. Sometimes, I want to warn them that before they know it, they will wake up with gray eyebrows and an ex-husband.

Other times, I find myself selfishly living vicariously through them as if their experiences are indeed my do-over at life. I often yell at them, "Show me pictures from that party last night," "Let's find a fun place for you and your friends to go dancing this weekend," or "You should major in this and not that."

I'm worried I wasted my youth

I often say I have no regrets in life, but this gray hair reminded me that I do. At times, I am desperate for a rewind button.

I wish I could go back to my teenage years and choose a different college, complete a different major, and take a new journey altogether. I dream of going back to the days when I consistently weighed 138 pounds so that I could appreciate that as skinny and fit rather than berating my young self for being "fat."

I also want to redo my love life. I want to take the wisdom I have gathered from every failed relationship. I want to say "no" to those who caused me pain and "yes" to those who had the potential to love me the right way.

I want to prioritize financial wealth because, as an 18-year-old, I naively thought my husband would take care of "all that stuff." As a result of that false belief, I now live paycheck to paycheck.

I'm finding ways to accept and appreciate my aging

Don't get me wrong, I am often happy. But at times, life is hard. What's even harder is looking into the mirror and realizing that I have lived more years than I have left.

I often wonder: Are my best years behind me? Did I take them for granted? If a genie granted me a wish, would I truly go back in time, and if so, would I cherish the gift of time more?

Of course, there is part of me (maybe a very big part) that would love to be 16 again — but I want to be 16 with the wisdom of a 46-year-old. I suppose that proves aging isn't all bad, thanks to everything I have learned.

I do know one thing, though: Today, I am the youngest I will ever be. I suppose there is a 75-year-old version of me in the future, with a full set of gray eyebrows, wishing she could be 46 again. Or perhaps my 75-year-old self will fondly remember 16 and 46 while feeling joyful to be 75, living in the present, and appreciative of all that is possible.

I think my 46-year-old self would be wise to listen to her.

• I had my youngest daughter when I was 38, and now, I'm a middle-age mom of teens.
• I love having teens in my 50s. It keeps me young.
• I make an effort to speak their language and learn about their interests.

I may be 57, but I'm still 35 in my mind. I had my first child, a son, at age 18. I was naive, unprepared, and mostly clueless in the midst of my own reverse adolescence.

Two decades later, my youngest daughter was born, joining her 2-year-old sister, when I was 38. It didn't occur to me at the time that I would be 51 when my youngest turned 13 and the effect two teenage girls would have on me as a middle-age mom.

I could be mid-hot-flash, suddenly enraged and/or crying over something like them bickering, only to have them dissolve into laughter, directed at me, saying, "It's not that deep, Mom." I didn't have time to wallow in the perimenopausal symptoms that began around the same time they got their periods because they kept me too busy. I had to, as the kids say, "Clock in."

I speak their language

I speak fluent teenager, and am able to translate their often abbreviated language. Keeping up with their lingo keeps my brain young. If I'm messaging either of my now college-age daughters, I don't use punctuation, or they think I'm mad. My oldest daughter recently texted, "Please tell Dad to stop using periods, it's freaking me out."

This may seem silly to some, but to me, it feels like a privilege to catch BTS (behind-the-scenes) glimpses into their world, and it reminds me of my own angsty youth.

The ability to communicate with young people helps me relate to them and, occasionally, even for a brief moment, feel like one of them. When they recognize you speak their language, they're often more open and trusting. I remember wanting to feel 'heard' as a teenager, and I remember the adults who listened. There's a fine line, however, between a parent inserting themselves into kid-world and being invited in.

I make an effort to learn about their hobbies and interests

As my kids grew, I didn't try to force my 80s music on them but instead tried to lean into theirs. These days, their friends are surprised when I know the words to everything from Sabrina Carpenter and Doja Cat to Fisher, Paramore, or Pop Smoke. Music is ageless.

The sports my kids chose as teenagers forced me out of my middle-age comfort zone. At one point, I alternated between driving 93 miles into the traffic hellscape that is New York City twice weekly for fencing and hooking up and loading a gooseneck horse trailer for equestrian eventing activities around the Tri-State area of New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.

My youngest daughter keeps me in style. It's like having Heidi Klum standing by to assess with swift certainty if my fashion choice is "in" or "out." Her friends have called me a "baddie." The connotation is flattering — and possibly a stretch — but, admittedly, a nice ego boost during a time when many women my age feel invisible.

My kids also keep me laughing — sometimes until we're crying, which, in my opinion, is the greatest fountain of youth.

In July, my last teenager will turn 20. Being an older mom to teens has had its challenges, but I wouldn't trade any of it. My late grandfather surrounded himself with young people throughout his life, and now I understand why.

• Taylor Sheridan's hit Western drama "Yellowstone" has spawned multiple spinoffs.
• The show has two prequel series, "1883" and "1923," the latter of which is set to return for a second season.
• Another spinoff series starring Michelle Pfeiffer is also on the way.

Taylor Sheridan's hit Western drama "Yellowstone" is more than just a show; it is its own television universe.

The flagship series became one of the most-watched scripted series in America, with viewers captivated by its complex family dynamics and breathtaking Montana views.

The show's success ultimately led to several spinoffs, including the prequel series "1883" and "1923."

All of the shows in the "Yellowstone" world that have been released so far are loosely connected, taking place in different time periods and focusing on different members of the Dutton clan.

If you're a newcomer to the universe, here's where to get started and the best order to watch the spinoffs.

Start with all five seasons of "Yellowstone."

Although there are now prequels to "Yellowstone," we still think it's best to start with the flagship series.

Before Sheridan backfilled the story with details of the Dutton family tree and how they came to own so much land in the Montana countryside, there was just aging rancher John Dutton (Kevin Costner) and his concerns over which of his children was the right fit to inherit it all.

The show also spotlighted the lives of the cowboys doing the grunt work at the ranch and the complicated romance between John's daughter, Beth (Kelly Reilly), and his most loyal worker, Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser).

Next, dive into the stand-alone series "1883."

"1883" tells the story of the first members of the Dutton family and their treacherous journey from the Great Plains to the Wild West before they settled in Montana to establish what would eventually become the Yellowstone Ranch.

Country legends and real-life couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill play James and Margaret Dutton in the 10-episode series, which also features a large ensemble cast that includes Sam Elliott, Isabel May, Billy Bob Thornton, and LaMonica Garrett.

The characters of James and Margaret were first introduced to viewers through a series of flashback sequences in season four of "Yellowstone."

Check out the sprawling origin story "1923" after that.

"1923" focuses on the second and third generations of the Duttons in the early 20th century.

Having established themselves in Montana, the Duttons in this series (led by Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford) face a myriad of opponents who threaten to take everything they've worked for.

It also tells a more expansive story than "1883," focusing on three parallel storylines — Jacob and Cara Dutton's struggle to keep their ranch, their nephew's perilous journey back home, and the plight of a Native American teenager.

The season one finale left things on a major cliffhanger with plenty of conflicts to resolve in the second season, which airs on February 23.

Fans have "The Madison" to look forward to.

Chances are you haven't heard much about "The Madison" just yet, but it's the next continuation of the "Yellowstone" universe and was announced last year.

Michelle Pfieffer stars and serves as an executive producer on the show, which is set to follow a woman named Stacy Clyburn, a New York City native who lives with her family in the Madison River valley in Montana.

Per Paramount Network, "the series is a heartfelt study of grief and human connection."

And (potentially) another spinoff focusing on Beth and Rip.

While announcing that the flagship series would be drawing to a close back in 2023, Paramount bosses promised "expansions" to the universe.

That perhaps includes a spinoff show reuniting "Yellowstone" fan favorites Beth and Rip.

In November, Hauser told The Hollywood Reporter that he felt there was room to explore Beth and Rip's future now they've got their happy ending.

"You can go on forever about these two. There's no walls when it comes to them, no limits," he said. "And as long as Taylor wants to write something special, I know Kelly and I would be interested to do it."

Paramount Network did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

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

Welcome back to our Sunday edition, where we round up some of our top stories and take you inside our newsroom. Bill Gates thinks people will be "so much better off" in the future — but that young people need to activate on certain challenges. Gates highlighted four risks, including unchecked AI, that are "very scary things" for younger generations.

On the agenda today:

• How the federal workers who voted for President Trump feel about his overhaul of their workforce.
• Meet the 20 bankers who led last year's M&A rebound.
• If you're looking to lower your rent, you might want to move fast.
• Want to work for a startup? These young companies are your best bet.

But first: Low performer? Who says?

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

This week's dispatch

Refusing to stay silent

There are layoffs driven by cost cutting. Then there are job cuts based on performance. What if, in actuality, performance-based cuts are just ordinary layoffs in disguise?

That's essentially what some Meta employees felt this year after CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a swath of cuts designed to "raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster." (On Friday we published details about which teams at Meta were hard hit by the cuts.)

Some of the people who were let go spoke with our Meta reporters. They said they had been under the impression their performance was solid, even exceeding expectations.

So what exactly was going on, and what did it mean for people caught in the quandary?

Our chief correspondent and careers writer extraordinaire Aki Ito dug in.

She had suspected people who felt mislabeled or blindsided would keep their frustrations quiet as they ventured back into the job market. In fact, many didn't. They took to LinkedIn to defend themselves against Meta's label.

"This is something we haven't seen before in the professional world: Employees sticking up for themselves in public, and calling out their former employer for misrepresenting their work," Aki wrote.

Aki didn't just recognize the new trend. She did more reporting, asking: Even if venting via social media felt good, was it a smart tactic for job seekers?

For the answer to that question and more, please read Aki's tremendous piece. As always, I welcome your thoughts on our coverage, at [email protected].

Trump-supporting federal workers speak out

As President Trump looks to slim down the federal workforce, many federal employees have expressed outrage over his job-cutting blitz. But what about the ones who voted for him?

Four federal workers who voted for Trump spoke with BI about their feelings. They said they supported Trump cutting governmental waste, but some had concerns over the administration's targeting of federal workers. One worker said it hadn't changed their support of the president.

"It shouldn't have come to this."

Also read:

• They had glowing reviews before getting fired from their government jobs. Now they're planning to fight back.

The bankers fueling M&A's revival

US companies had more than $1.43 trillion in deals last year, the highest since 2021. It's a good sign for Wall Street, signaling a rebound after the M&A freeze that started in 2022.

BI, with the help of MergerLinks, is back with its sixth annual edition of "The Rainmakers." Our list ranks the highest-performing investment bankers by overall transaction volume in the US. This time around, JPMorgan's Anu Aiyengar became the first woman to secure the top spot.

Meet the 20 Rainmakers.

Snag the apartment deals while you can

The rental market has been booming over the past two years. With so many high rises hitting the market, landlords are desperate to fill up the space — and renters have been reaping the rewards.

Enjoy it while you can. The new apartment supply is expected to dwindle as building costs increase and developers cut back on construction plans. It's laying the groundwork for another apartment squeeze that could cause rent to hike up.

Brace yourself.

The startups to bet your career on

In recent years, cost-cutting and layoffs have dulled some of Silicon Valley's shine. But now AI is fueling a new wave of tech dealmaking. BI put together a list of startups with impressive founding teams and investor dollars that are worth betting your career on.

The lineup covers a lot of ground, ranging from tools that sift through clinical notes to resources that make it easier to develop AI models.

The 43 startups you should want to work for.

This week's quote:

"We have to keep reducing costs so that we can afford the big investments in big new businesses."

— Doug Herrington, Amazon's retail CEO, during an internal all-hands meeting heard by BI.

More of this week's top reads:

• SBA won't try to claw back $155 million in controversial COVID grants to celebrities.
• Trump and Musk froze USAID funding to put Americans first. US citizens are feeling the impact.
• I'm a 44-year-old small-business owner. I've never made $100,000 in a year, and I'm still on track to retire by 50.
• Retail investors tell us how they're navigating the market in 2025.
• The last time America was this bullish on stocks was right before a huge sell-off.
• Marko Elez, who left DOGE amid social media controversy, worked for xAI.
• TikTok is ramping up RTO, and some are balking at the new requirements.
• I spent 10 hours at a real-estate conference with hundreds of investors — and the major takeaway had nothing to do with market trends.
• Forget the Trump trade. The Musk trade is where it's at.
• A hedge funder shares his precise strategy for finding high-upside meme coins, and lays out his bets for 2025.

• I helped my mom set up her phone. It could have gone better.

  ---

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

• There's a new career trend on the rise among millennials: mini-retirement.
• A mini-retirement can provide a much-needed break from the 9-to-5 and help reorient your career.
• Three mini-retirees shared their experiences with putting a pause on their careers.

Florence Poirel spent over a decade climbing the corporate ladder at Google, working her way up to the position of senior program manager.

"I was promoted every two years," Poirel said.

Despite her corporate achievements, however, the 37-year-old Poirel didn't feel satisfied.

"I was seeing signs of work-related stress and just questioning what I was doing with my job and my life in general," she told Business Insider.

So instead of continuing to climb, Poirel decided to take a year-and-a-half mini-retirement last year.

Poirel's non-traditional career path is one that some millennials are opting to take. The goal for some is no longer to front-load their work in life and only relax in old age. Nor is it to speedrun their careers to achieve retirement as early as possible, as do participants in the FIRE movement — short for "financial independence, retire early." Poirel and other like-minded people are pressing "pause" on their careers with the goal of returning to work with a better sense of purpose and enjoyment.

Not your conventional retirement

What exactly is a mini-retirement? Jillian Johnsrud, a career coach who specializes in helping people achieve financial freedom, defines it as "any time someone takes a month or longer away from the 9-to-5 to focus on something that's important to them."

The definition of a mini-retirement is flexible and depends on individual preferences. But at the end of the day, it's meant to be a temporary departure from the path of working a 9-to-5 nonstop until official retirement.

Johnsrud is 41 and has taken 12 mini-retirements in her life so far. Most recently, she took a monthlong break last year to learn how to tango dance.

Since leaving Google, Poirel has prioritized resting, reconnecting with friends, and spending time with family. She's also still involved with professional pursuits in mini-retirement. With more free time, Poirel is providing career coaching services and helping a friend's startup.

Brian Li spent almost two decades building a successful career at various startups before mini-retiring at 42. Li is planning to return to work next month after a yearlong career break, but that doesn't mean he spent his time idling. He went into his mini-retirement with a plan to read books and take courses but soon decided to actively pursue more unconventional opportunities on top of that — such as working on an election campaign, learning cooking skills in Japan, and working on independent consulting projects.

The mini-retirement gave Li the flexibility to explore creative skills and learn in ways he couldn't at a traditional job.

"I made a concerted effort to go meet people and say, 'Hey, here are the things I want to learn, here's where I want to develop myself. Do you need help?'" Li said. "I was an apprentice, and so there were no boundaries for me to show up at work and say, 'I got to do the things that I'm getting paid to do.'"

An opportunity to reorient your career

People seek out mini-retirement for many reasons. Millennials are entering their second or third decade in the workforce. No longer new to the job market, perhaps they're evaluating what direction to take their career next. Or maybe they're trying to balance their career with young children. These big life changes make a mini-retirement especially appealing to Johnsrud's clients.

It doesn't have to be as serious as burnout, although Johnsrud certainly sees many cases of that. A mini-retirement can help people redefine their professional lives and shape their work into something more fulfilling.

At Google, Poirel was experiencing decreased motivation and energy and an increase in work-related stress. Poirel sees her mini-retirement as a way to steer her career away from corporate goalposts.

"Obviously there are ups and downs to that," Poirel said of workplace stress. But after finding herself experiencing heightened levels of dissatisfaction for many months, Poirel took it as a sign to take a break.

When her mini-retirement ends in September, Poirel plans to look for a job at a company focused on sustainability, a topic that aligns with her own values.

"I am not interested at all in climbing the ladder anymore. Higher job titles mean more responsibilities, more stress, more working hours, and that's really not something I want to do," she said.

For Li, his career priorities have changed over time. While Li has gotten a lot experience working in the startup space, but he's looking to expand his skill set for the next chapter of his career and work in a different environment.

"The boxes that I'm checking now are fundamentally different than the boxes that I was checking before my career break," Li said.

Some things can't wait until 65

Mini-retirees don't agree with the idea of waiting until your sixties to enjoy life.

This was especially true for Poirel, whose partner is 17 years older than her. "When I'm 60, he's going to be 77. That doesn't sound fun for me," she said.

Poirel also spent a month with her family earlier in her mini-retirement — something she hasn't done since she was a student.

Having young children can also be a catalyst for a mini-retirement. It definitely was for Johnsrud, who once took a 10-week mini-retirement to go on a road trip with her children.

"I was like, if we didn't do this now, I can't do this trip in 20 years," Johnsrud said. "There's no way 20 and 30-year-olds are going take 10 weeks out of their life to do 10 national parks in a pop-up camper with me."

For Li, a mini-retirement offered him time to focus on his newborn daughter and prioritize his family in a way that he couldn't have working a rigorous job at a startup.

"There are certain seasons in our life that if we don't do the thing now, it'll pass us by. It won't hold on the shelf until we're 65," Johnsrud said.

Do you have a mini-retirement story you want to share? You can reach Christine at [email protected]

• I traveled to Cortina d'Ampezzo, an Italian ski town that attracts wealthy vacationers.
• The town was dotted with high-end fashion and Michelin-rated restaurants.
• Beyond luxury, the town is home to some of Italy's best skiing.

Tucked away in Italy's Dolomites is a town with a massive reputation.

It's where George Clooney and Naomi Campbell have vacationed. It's where a James Bond movie was filmed. It's a town of brick-paved streets where fur coats, designer handbags, purebred dogs, and athletes can be spotted at every turn.

It's Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Over the past centuries, Cortina d'Ampezzo has become recognized as one of Europe's most expensive and exclusive ski towns. What started as a town enticing the British elite has become a destination for today's rich and famous.

While I'm far from famous, I spent a weekend vacationing and skiing in Cortina d'Ampezzo. There was plenty of luxury, but I also discovered a charming town filled with friendly locals and an undeniable emphasis on the outdoors.

Cortina d'Ampezzo's elite-filled history

Cortina d'Ampezzo has a lengthy history of appealing to the elite. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, wealthy travelers from England, Germany, and Russia traveled by train to vacation there. Following WWI, it became a popular spot for rich Italians.

In the 1920s, Ernest Hemingway arrived to write one of his first published works, and the town gained even more international notoriety after hosting the 1956 Winter Olympics, the first televised to an international audience. Following the Olympics, the region boomed.

Actors like Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot, and Audrey Hepburn vacationed in Cortina d'Ampezzo, and two presidential suites at the Cristallo Palace Hotel were named after its well-known visitors, Frank Sinatra and Peter Sellers. The town's fame has earned it the nickname "salotto dei famosi," or "the celebrities' living room."

Cortina d'Ampezzo also became a popular movie location. Scenes from the 1963 film "The Pink Panther" and the 1981 James Bond movie "For Your Eyes Only" were shot in the region, and most recently, Cortina d'Ampezzo was the backdrop for "House of Gucci," the film staring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver.

It takes a few moments in Cortina d'Ampezzo to recognize why the destination appeals to both vacationers and filmmakers. Practically every place in town has views of jagged mountains, charming chalets, and ornate churches.

Giulia Dal Pont remembers growing up in Cortina d'Ampezzo in the 1990s and not fully understanding the town's reputation.

"All the kids learned to ski, and every year, the skiing World Cup takes place," she told me. "That's normal."

"They come to film movies. Of course, they come," she said. "Growing up, I ran into celebrities downtown. This was my normality."

But to most, Cortina d'Ampezzo's wealthy reputation stands out. The town has around 6,000 residents and the population balloons to 50,000 at peak season.

Five-star hotels, Michelin restaurants, and designer ski clothes

As I planned my trip, I eyed luxury resorts. Five-star hotels like Rosapetra Spa Resort or the Grand Hotel Savoia Cortina d'Ampezzo usher in prices of $1,000-plus a night during peak season. Other luxury hotels are undergoing renovations ahead of the 2026 Olympics.

Even lower-rated hotels had elements of luxury in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

I spent two nights at Camina Spa Resort, where my $400-a-night room in the four-star hotel had amenities like ski shuttles and breakfast, as well as a spa with saunas, a steam room, and unfamiliar features like an "emotional shower," which I later discovered was an aromatherapy misting.

Walking through Cortina d'Ampezzo's expansive downtown area was exactly as I imagined.

Women in fur coats and hats walked along cobblestone streets. Tourists wearing $2,000 Goldbergh ski suits popped in and out of high-end stores like Dior and Louis Vuitton. There wasn't a souvenir shop in sight; instead, a cozy bookstore was one of the few places I spotted postcards.

In the heart of downtown, an Audi sits in a glass box. Why? I'm still not sure.

The dining is also on par with high-end fashion and expensive hotels. Cortina d'Ampezzo is home to two Michelin-starred restaurants, SanBrite and Tivoli. Six other Michelin-recognized restaurants are in town. Regardless of a restaurant's status, it seemed hard to find a bad meal.

Dal Pont said tourists arrive in Cortina d'Ampezzo searching for excellence. "What has been there and has not changed are people's expectations of Cortina," Dal Pont said. "Everything is expected to be nice and borderline perfect."

That's what I experienced. Meals — whether on the mountain or in town — were delicious. Stores were pristine, with hangers and clothes positioned perfectly on racks. Art galleries filled storefronts showcasing expensive work.

All of this means that vacationing in Cortina d'Ampezzo can be pricy. It's Italy's most expensive ski town, and my weekend cost just over $2,700.

Skiing is the town's main draw

Not everyone arrives in Cortina d'Ampezzo to see and be seen. The town's ski areas are part of the Dolomiti Superski, the largest ski network in the world, with 775 miles of slopes across 12 resorts.

Cortina d'Ampezzo's mountains are world famous. Ski events are hosted each year. For instance, the World Cup Alpine Skiing took place during my visit, and for a few days, the town was flocked with professional athletes competing in downhill speed racing.

For amateur skiers and snowboarders, the slopes were still appealing, mainly thanks to the striking views of the nearby mountains. I'm lucky to live in one of the world's best ski destinations, but the Dolomites had landscapes that couldn't compete with Colorado's Rockies.

If you are in Cortina d'Ampezzo for luxury, the nods continue on the mountain. Ski lifts are plastered with red Prada advertisements, and a Gucci-themed après spot drew crowds.

Regardless of your status, Cortina d'Ampezzo has its appeals

Vacationing in Cortina d'Ampezzo felt similar to vacationing in Colorado's wealthy Aspen ski town. Prices often shocked me, and I felt a bit out of place in my thrifted ski pants.

Even if I wasn't buying a new pair of Golden Goose sneakers or dining at Michelin-starred restaurants, Cortina d'Ampezzo had its charm. The views were breathtaking, and the locals I met were warm and inviting.

There were times during my trip that I completely forgot I was in a ritzy ski town. Instead, I was enjoying snowy slopes with fellow skiers and snowboarders and sipping spritzes with a crowd of strangers.

That's what Dal Pont said she hopes others take away from Cortina d'Ampezzo.

"I would like people to come away saying the mountains were amazing and the center of the town had a soul," she said. "A special something."

• Karina Nguyen left engineering for research after watching Claude get better at coding in a previous role at Anthropic.
• In a recent podcast interview, she said soft skills will remain important even as work changes.
• Nguyen, now at OpenAI, said creativity and emotional intelligence remain some of the hardest things to teach AI.

In a world where certain jobs could one day be rendered obsolete by AI, OpenAI researcher Karina Nguyen said she expects soft skills to endure as highly prized.

She also expects that to be the case in the realm of AI research.

"I just think people in AI field are like — I wish they were a little bit more creative and connecting the dots across different fields," Nguyen said on a recent episode of "Lenny's Podcast."

Nguyen, who previously worked at Anthropic, said that above all else, she expects AI to automate "redundant tasks for people." She added that the models she works with can struggle to grasp skills that often come so naturally to human beings.

"I think it's the dream of any AI research is to automate AI research," Nguyen said. "It's kind of scary, I'd say, which makes me think that people management will stay, you know? It's one of the hardest things to — emotional intelligence, with the models, creativity in itself is one of the hardest things."

At OpenAI, Nguyen said her role is heavy on "management and mentorship," despite originally being passionate about engineering. She said the shift came about during her tenure at Anthropic — after observing Claude's rapidly advancing capabilities, Nguyen came to a realization about her career.

"When I first came to Anthropic, I was like, 'Oh no, I really love front-end engineering,'" Nguyen said. "And then the reason why I switched to research is because I realized, at that time, it's like, 'Oh my god, Claude is getting better at front-end. Claude is getting better at coding.'"

Nguyen and OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Business Insider prior to publication.

"It was kind of this meta realization where it's like, 'Oh my god, the world is actually changing,'" she added.

Nguyen said that models are only improving, becoming increasingly cost-efficient as "small models" prove themselves "smarter than large models." As the costs associated with artificial intelligence drop, Nguyen expects the technology to proliferate even further, unlocking work that she considers to have been previously "bottlenecked by intelligence."

"I'm thinking about healthcare, right?" Nguyen said. "Instead of going to a doctor, I can ask ChatGPT or give ChatGPT a list of symptoms and ask me, 'Would I have a cold, flu, something else?'"

Nguyen said she's been spending "a lot" of time thinking about what her future might look like in a working landscape altered by AI. She said that if the models she's helped build eventually automate her current job, she may spend her time writing "short stories, sci-fi stories, novels," or working as a museum conservator.

"I feel like I have a lot of job options," Nguyen said. "I would love to be a writer, I think. I think that would be super cool."

• Alec and Hilaria Baldwin have been married since 2012 and share seven kids.
• The couple's eldest child was born in 2013, and their youngest was born in 2022.
• The family of nine will star in the new TLC reality TV series "The Baldwins."

Alec and Hilaria Baldwin are pulling the curtain back on their bustling family life.

The "30 Rock" star, the yoga instructor, and their seven kids are taking the spotlight in the new TLC reality TV series "The Baldwins."

"We're inviting you into our home to experience the ups and downs, the good, the bad, the wild, and the crazy," Alec said in an Instagram video announcing the show in June.

The reality series promises to give an intimate look at the life of a couple who's been the subject of public interest and some controversies over the years.

The trailer for "The Baldwins" revealed that the show will address the difficulties of parenting in the aftermath of the 2021 accidental shooting that occurred on the set of Alec's movie "Rust," which killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The movie's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, and Baldwin was acquitted of the same charge after pleading not guilty.

"Honestly, from the bottom of my soul, I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have you and these kids," Alec tells Hilaria at one point in the trailer.

Here's everything you need to know about the couple's kids before the series premiere of "The Baldwins."

Alec and Hilaria Baldwin's first child together, Carmen, was born on August 23, 2013

Alec and Hilaria met at a restaurant in New York City in 2011 and married in 2012. The following year, Hilaria gave birth to their first child together, Carmen Gabriela.

It wasn't the first child for Alec, who was previously married to the actor Kim Basinger. The pair share a daughter named Ireland Baldwin, who was born in 1995.

They welcomed four sons between 2015 and 2020: Rafael, Leonardo, Romeo, and Eduardo

Alec and Hilaria's first son, Rafael Thomas, was born on June 17, 2015. Hilaria shared the news with fans on Instagram at the time.

"We are happy to announce the birth of Rafael Thomas Baldwin 💙," Hilaria captioned a photo of her holding hands with the baby.

Leonardo Ángel Charles followed on September 12, 2016.

"We are so pleased to introduce you to our new baby, Leonardo Ángel Charles Baldwin. It was such a special day bringing him into this world 💙," Hilaria shared on Instagram that year.

Hilaria gave birth to the couple's fourth child, Romeo Alejandro David, on May 17, 2018. The wellness enthusiast shared a photo of her and Alec with the newborn on Instagram, writing: "He's here! He's perfect! 8lbs 2oz 💛 #wegotthis2018."

Alec and Hilaria's fifth child, a son named Eduardo "Edu" Pao Lucas, was born on September 8, 2020. "We had a baby last night. He is perfect and we couldn't be happier 🌟," Hilaria wrote in part on Instagram.

Alec also shared the same photo of him and Hilaria with their newborn baby on his Instagram account. "I love you, @hilariabaldwin," he wrote in part. "My karma is your karma. Your karma is mine."

Their sixth child, daughter María Lucía, was born via a surrogate on February 25, 2021

Alec and Hilaria welcomed María Lucía Victoria, nicknamed Marilu, several months after the birth of Edu.

A few days after her birth, Hilaria shared a photo of the newborn on Instagram with the caption: "We are so in love with our daughter, Lucia. Just like your brothers and sisters, you are a dream come true."

Hilaria, who previously opened up about miscarrying at four months pregnant in 2019, refers to Edu and Marilu as her "two rainbow babies."

"We are living each day, bonding, and grateful for all of the very special angels who helped bring Lucía into the world," Hilaria wrote in part in another Instagram post after Marilu's birth. "María Lucía Victoria and Eduardo Pau Lucas: our babies who bring light into our lives—almost like twins, we love you so much."

Their youngest child, daughter Ilaria, was born six months later

Ilaria Catalina Irena was born on September 22, 2022.

Hilaria referred to the newborn as their "tiny dream come true," in an Instagram post.

"How grateful we feel to welcome our newest little daughter into this world," the couple told People magazine that year in a statement. "Just as magical and filled with love as every other little person we have been blessed with."

"The Baldwins" will feature all seven children and give a more personal look at Alec and Hilaria's parenting styles.

Alec said he and his wife decided to participate in a reality show "in place of doing a movie or a play."

"Now I think to myself, 'Am I going to be away from my kids five nights out of the week until 11 o'clock at night?'" Alec told People magazine earlier this month of the decision to star in a reality TV show with his clan. "For me, work-related things really aren't that critical anymore. I thought, 'I get to spend time with my family.'"

"The Baldwins" premieres on TLC on Sunday at 10 p.m. ET.

• Nike will partner with Kim Kardashian's Skims to launch NikeSkims womenswear brand.
• The collaboration aims to enhance Nike's appeal to female athletes and consumers.
• Like the Jordan brand, NikeSkims is intended to be a long-term partnership.

Nike is extending its brand lineup through a rare partnership with Kim Kardashian's Skims. It's a bet that her star power can have a similar impact as Michael Jordan has on the sportswear giant — for women.

The two companies announced NikeSkims on Tuesday, a line of training apparel, footwear and accessories for women. While Nike regularly partners with athletes and celebrities for limited-edition sportswear, this seems a step up from that typical collaboration.

It's the first time Nike has partnered with an existing external company to create a brand. It's a "win-win" for both companies, Rachel Wolff, retail analyst at Business Insider's sister company EMARKETER, said.

As Nike pushes ahead with its play for appealing to all genders by upping its bets in female athletes, a deal with a womenswear superpower like Skims will fuel its "gender offense," as CEO Elliott Hill called it during a recent earnings call. The long-term deal, which neither company revealed the financial details of, marks the beginning of a womenswear-specific brand intended to exist alongside Jordan, Nike, and Converse.

It does, however, call to mind Nike's biggest partnership yet — with Michael Jordan. In 1984, the popular basketball player inked a deal with Nike for $500,000 a year, plus royalties, Forbes reported. They introduced the world to Air Jordans the following year with the release of the Air Jordan 1 sneaker.

As the sneakers grew in popularity, it extended beyond basketball shoes to include streetwear. Today, Jordan himself has a $3.5 billion net worth, and Nike paid him some $260 million before tax over its past fiscal year, per Forbes.

Forty years later, the Jordan brand is still a revenue driver for the company. It brought in approximately $6.9 billion in wholesale equivalent revenue for fiscal 2024 — about 17% of Nike's total wholesale equivalent sales.

Like it used Jordan's massive popularity decades ago, Kardashian's global influence and more than 350 million Instagram followers will be a valuable boost in visibility for Nike. She cofounded Skims in 2019 as a shapewear brand before expanding into loungewear, and it has boomed in size, reaching a $4 billion valuation in 2023.

"Nike has the opportunity to capitalize on Skims' intense popularity among women consumers, who are an important target audience for the athletic brand, while Skims gets access to a much larger group of consumers as well as Nike's manufacturing capabilities," Wolff said.

Nike representatives directed BI to a press release in response to a request for comment. Skims did not immediately respond.

The two brands have been working on NikeSkims since 2023, the New York Times reported. Skims CEO Jens Grede drew parallels between Skims and Nike in October 2024, but experts seemed hesitant to agree at the time.

While Nike has become a brand that can sell "a lot of things to a lot of people," as BMO analyst Simeon Siegel put it, others have said Skims' proximity to Kardashian could be a problem.

"Skims is not likely to be a 'for everyone' brand because there are going to be people who don't want the association with Kim Kardashian," Matthew Quint, director of the Center on Global Brand Leadership at Columbia Business School, said in October.

However, it's hard not to think of Kardashian "as the Michael Jordan of influencers," Grede told NYT. Her net worth, as estimated by Forbes before the deal, is $1.7 billion.

NikeSkims is expected to launch this spring with a global expansion planned for 2026. Skims' power to attract consumers was demonstrated in its collaboration with outerwear brand The North Face, which sold out within hours of launching on December 10, Women's Wear Daily reported.

• Grant Sabatier believes there's never been a better time to be an entrepreneur.
• Building a business is less risky now with lower barriers and democratized knowledge.
• He recommends starting with building skills around AI.

If you haven't started a side business or built a secondary income stream, Grant Sabatier wants you to reconsider.

"We all know that no jobs are secure," the investor, author, and creator of Millennial Money told Business Insider. Why not put your future in your own hands?

Plus, it's an excellent time to get into the business of business.

"There's never been a better time to be an entrepreneur," Sabatier declares in his latest book "Inner Entrepreneur," which he describes as a blueprint he's designed, having launched seven businesses, acquired three, and sold one.

BI spoke to the entrepreneur, whose latest venture is an independent bookstore he opened in the Clintonville neighborhood of Columbus, about why the time is ripe for entrepreneurship and what businesses he would build if he had to start from scratch.

The barriers to entry have never been lower

It's a lot easier and cheaper to start a business in 2025 than ever.

"Before, you had to really stop and figure out everything and maybe apprentice or put down a lot of money and take a big risk," said Sabatier. "But now there are just so many blueprints available and so many ways to learn. Really successful entrepreneurs are sharing a lot more than they ever have, so as knowledge has been more democratized the barrier is just a lot lower. You can evaluate a business idea with a lot more information than you ever could have before."

In fact, one of the biggest misconceptions about entrepreneurship is that it's "super risky," he said. "I argue that having a full-time job, in many cases, is often riskier than having a business that you built yourself. Because, at least with your own business, you can control more of the variables than if you're working for someone else."

It's also cheaper to start and scale a business than it ever has been. If you're starting with consulting, which is how Sabatier began his entrepreneurial journey, "you really don't need much money at all," he said. "You might need a website, which you can now put up using AI for like $15, and you can set up social media profiles for free."

What he would do if he had to start from scratch in 2025: Lean into AI

Until Sabatier opened Clintonville Books, which he considers "more as an investment in my neighborhood and in my happiness than as a capital investment," he had exclusively built and scaled online businesses.

If he lost everything and had to start over in 2025, "I would definitely learn how to build different AI agents and use them to code software products and different AI tools," he said — and he predicts it would be easier to get started than it was in 2010 when he got laid off from his 9-to-5 and tried entrepreneurship out of necessity.

"I had to learn how to build websites from scratch. You can now use AI to learn how to build websites, and within a few hours, you can build a simple platform and then build a tool that ideally has a subscription component to it."

If launching an AI company feels daunting, a more manageable first step is to learn about artificial intelligence, how it works, and how you can leverage it.

"Skills are future currency. Skills are ultimately what allow you to adapt and build resilience, and, as we know, the world's just changing faster than ever," he said, emphasizing that if he were to add one skill to his repertoire today, it would be AI. "Do your best to stay up to date on it. It's impossible to keep track of everything, so try to pick a lane and spend a couple of hours a week experimenting with the tools just so you can have a conversation and you can stay relevant."

It'll also be helpful in a corporate setting if you're job hunting.

"More recruiters and companies are going to be adding those questions about AI fluency and experience to their interviews and screenings," he said. "The more you know about it and the more well-versed you are, the more attractive of a full-time job candidate you are, so it's just as useful in your full-time job hunting as it is pursuing entrepreneurship."

• Tori Dunlap is a multimillionaire while her partner made $60,000 in 2024.
• The couple, who talked about money on their first date, prioritize transparency and communication.
• They discussed prenups and splitting expenses equitably, avoiding traditional gender roles.

This as-told-to essay is based on conversations with Tori Dunlap, a 30-year-old Seattle-based financial educator, and her partner. They both asked that his identity be kept concealed for privacy reasons.

Dunlap is the founder of Her First 100K, a financial education company geared toward Gen Z and millennial women. She is also a multimillionaire, New York Times best-selling author, and podcast host.

Her partner has a graduate degree in athletics and works multiple jobs within the athletics and education space. He supplements his income with side gigs such as dog-sitting and private training and made around $60,000 in 2024.

The couple has been together for over two and a half years. They spoke with Business Insider to share how they manage and discuss money in their relationship. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Dunlap: We started talking about money on our first date. By then, he knew feminism was a huge part of my work and values.

When the bill came, I could tell there was some sort of internal conflict. He said, "I would really like to pay, but I don't want to offend you. Can I pay?"

Partner: I wasn't sure what the expectation was in terms of who pays or splitting the bill, so that was my way of saying that I'd like to pay for the bill. The meal was something like $100, which wasn't as much to Tori, but was quite a bit for me at the time.

Dunlap: It was really sweet. For me, that was an immediate green flag that ended up being a good sign for our financial conversations and the rest of our relationship. It's sometimes hard to have these conversations, but they prevent you from feeling resentment and souring your relationship, so I think they're 100% necessary.

We know almost all of each other's finances. I know how much he has in his Roth IRA, he knows how much I have in my brokerage account. We've known each other's salaries since very early on.

And because we know how much each other makes, I'm not going to put him in a position where he feels like he has to spend way more money than I know he's willing to spend just to please me.

My success doesn't intimidate him

Partner: When we met, she and I were in such different positions in terms of finances and careers. It felt like I had two options: I could be intimidated and feel threatened by her, or I could see it as her life and what she's built.

When looking at somebody like Tori, who's incredibly successful, it could be easy to worry about how she might view me. I remember thinking about how we don't roll in the same circles and live in very different worlds.

Dunlap: I remember around three months into our relationship, I'd bought us lunch at a teriyaki restaurant. He was very vulnerable and sweet and said to me, "I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I feel sometimes that I'm not doing enough or providing enough as a man. I want this to be an equal relationship, and I'm worried sometimes it doesn't feel that way for you."

Partner: But she was incredibly understanding and supportive, and so even from an early stage, I realized that I could come to her, and she would be willing to listen.

Dunlap: I thought it was so brave of him to be so vulnerable in this conversation. I've realized how much patriarchy and gender roles seep in — the mindset that men are supposed to be providers, make more money, take their girlfriends out on dates all the time, and pay for everything.

I don't feel that way, especially since I make more.

We split expenses based on equity, not equality

Dunlap: I told him that, regarding money, I'm not looking for equality; I'm looking for equity. I don't need him to split things 50-50 with me because that's not fair or equitable.

Partner: In my previous relationships, it was mostly 50-50; if somebody covered drinks, the other person got the meals. For Tori and me, that doesn't make any sense. We typically try to split about 30-70, which feels pretty fair.

Dunlap: I also have a more expensive lifestyle than he does. If I'm interested in going out to dinner someplace that I know is out of his budget, I'll pay for it because I was the one who wanted to go, and it feels unfair for me to make that decision but still ask him to pay for his meal.

As for housing, I rent a three-bedroom, two-bath townhouse for $3,250 a month. I've lived alone since 2018 and, frankly, love it.

Partner: I live with three of my friends and pay $975 a month. Since Tori and I don't live together, we don't have to split those costs, but we've had conversations about what it would look like.

Dunlap: If we did move in together and the rent was $3,000, I wouldn't ask him to pay $1,500 because that is not commensurate with how much we each make.

We also set expectations ahead of time. We went to Europe the past two summers, and before we left, we had a conversation about who was covering which costs. I covered the flight there and most of the accommodations, much of it using points, and he covered the shorter flights between locations while on the trip.

It's not about how much you make — it's what you do with it

Dunlap: One of my favorite things in the world is that I outearn almost any man I talk to. I don't need a man to spend his money on me to remind me that I'm worth it, but I do need him to be there when my parents get sick someday, and I'm not doing well, and I'm going to be there for him.

My partner shows me he loves me in a million different ways, some of which involve money and most of which don't.

One of the things that I love about him is that even though he doesn't make a ton of money, he maxes out his Roth IRA every year. I was honestly kind of shocked that he was managing to do that.

It's not how much money you make, it's about what you do with it.

Partner: My parents didn't make a whole lot growing up, and they talked to my sister and me about money from a pretty early age.

When I was in middle school, if we did all of our chores for the week, we got $6 to spend, $3 to save, and $1 to share. I've always been a saver. Even from an early age, I usually took my "spend" money and put it into my savings.

When I was in high school and college, my parents helped me put some money away to get the ball rolling, and they always told me to max out my Roth IRA. I also watched a lot of YouTube videos from financial channels to understand more.

Dunlap: It's all about habits and behavior. I truly think, especially in a relationship, money is not everything, but how somebody uses money is a good sign of how responsible they are.

Learning to move past a scarcity mindset is important

Partner: I had a scarcity mindset for quite a few years. Back in 2022, I had four different jobs, coached in multiple organizations, and wasn't paid very well. I budgeted a lot, down to the cent. I was very cognizant of how much I made and where the money was sitting.

Dunlap: It was really difficult for him to believe he was worth spending his own money on, or that eating at a slightly nicer place wasn't a waste of money, or that he could invest in enjoying his hobbies even if he wasn't making money from them.

Partner: I think the biggest thing I've learned from Tori is that it's OK to spend money on yourself and splurge from time to time.

Dunlap: I celebrated my past two birthdays while we were in Europe, and both times, we went to Michelin-star restaurants that he paid for as a birthday gift.

Prenups and thinking about the future

Dunlap: I think by the third month of dating, I brought up the word "prenup."

Partner: I was surprised and taken aback at first. None of my friends and their partners are in a situation like ours, so that's never been a thing. My parents didn't have a prenup, and none of my family members have prenups.

Dunlap: I think hearing the word prenup has a lot of emotional weight for most people. But every single person who gets married has a "prenup" — it's just usually already decided by the state. At least we can decide if the government-assigned "prenup" is actually what we want.

And I always say that going through the prenup process largely prevents you from ever having to use it because you're being so transparent about money and what you each care about.

Partner: The more we talked and the more I thought about it, it didn't really phase me. I completely understand that she's worked really hard to get to where she is, and she wants to make sure that she protects herself.

Dunlap: I strongly believe each person in a relationship should have some of their own money and then a joint bank account, so we wouldn't ever completely combine our finances.

Ultimately, who you choose as a partner is a financial decision that will impact you for the rest of your life.

I wouldn't go into business with somebody without understanding how they managed money or what their goals were. It's the same thing with partners, but love is involved, so people think it's not a business decision. But it actually is.

If you and your partner have a unique way of managing money and would like to share your story, email Jane Zhang at [email protected].

• I spent a year teaching English in Japan. The experience was thrilling and a total culture shock.
• Living in Japan as an American is a 24-hour immersive learning experience.
• I returned to the US for my career, but feel like life in Japan is probably better.

Having grown up and lived in the US my entire life, my first night in Tokyo as a fresh college graduate was a full-on culture shock.

I couldn't read the restaurant menu, so I had to point at pictures and hope for the best.

I walked past crowded shops and nightclubs where employees tried to entice people to come in. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I smiled, nodded, and drifted along in a daze.

I felt like the only American for thousands of miles. One gangly blond guy from Iowa plunked down in the middle of the world's most populous city. It wasn't lonely or scary — it was thrilling.

I moved to Japan after college in 2001

My first job out of college was teaching English in Japan as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program.

I'd made friends from Japan while volunteering as an English conversation partner for English language learners at my college. I became fascinated with Japanese history and culture.

So, when I learned that the JET Program offered a steady paycheck and helped to find an apartment, it was a no-brainer.

I felt like part of a community in Japan

My everyday work life was in a quiet suburb of Tokyo called Hidaka. I made a comfortable, mostly tax-free, salary of about $2,500 a month (300,000 yen), teaching English at local middle and elementary schools and working with Japanese teachers and students.

Though I couldn't speak the language very well, I quickly made friends with my Japanese colleagues — the teachers would host monthly enkai ("drinking parties") with dinner, beers, and karaoke.

People at the grocery stores and restaurants were exceptionally kind and patient with me, and a random middle-aged mom in the neighborhood even pulled over in her car and gave me a ride to school a few times. I felt like I was connected to a larger community.

I learned how to conduct myself appropriately. Whether it's taking off your shoes upon entering the house, knowing how to use chopsticks, or communicating in a softer, more indirect, and polite style in the workplace, living in Japan as an American is a 24-hour immersive learning experience.

My college connections hooked me up in Tokyo

Some of my fondest memories were outside of Hidaka, in Tokyo.

One of my friends from Japan, who I met in college, introduced me to his circle of college peers in the city.

Through those connections, I was able to experience a whole other side of Japanese culture.

I went to a weekend retreat at a hot springs spa resort. And I ate sushi at a tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant near Tokyo's largest fish market, where the tuna get dragged in fresh off the boat every morning.

Why I moved back to the US

After a year in Japan, I moved back to the US for a job opportunity to become a speechwriter for the Governor of Iowa.

While teaching English in Japan was fun and liberating, it didn't feel like the best long-term career choice for me.

I could have easily stayed in Japan and kept teaching English for another year, or two, or three.

In the end, though, I felt I'd have better career opportunities in my own native country and native language.

After working in politics, I've gone on to have a varied career, working in marketing, banking, technology, and for most of the past 15 years I've supported my family as a full-time freelance writer. I'm grateful for all of it and have probably made a lot more money in America than I would have as an American expat in Japan, with more career flexibility and autonomy.

However, all these years later, I still have fond feelings for Japan and keep in touch with my college friends there. My family and I visit them, and they come and visit us. My children were the ring bearers for one of my friends' wedding ceremonies.

Compared to Japan, America's individualist culture sometimes feels too stressful, selfish, and competitive. I'm grateful for my life here in the US, but often feel that life in Japan is probably better — a little more peaceful, generous, and gentle.