• Katherine Phillips was burned out, so she left San Diego and moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2019.
• She works remotely on a Destination Thailand Visa and lives in a $340-a-month apartment.
• She says her life has slowed down since moving to Chiang Mai and it's done wonders for her mental health.

Katherine Phillips, 32, had never been to Chiang Mai, Thailand, before she moved there on her own in 2019.

Phillips, who grew up in San Diego, always dreamed of traveling around Asia. Her mother is from the Philippines, and while she's been to Manila multiple times to visit family over the years, she never got the chance to explore the rest of Southeast Asia.

After finishing grad school and getting her master's in counseling, she was ready to take a break.

"I was really burned out," Phillips told Business Insider. "It was a lot of 15-hour days."

While she was keen on the idea of taking a gap year to travel, she also wanted to make sure she had some income.

When she stumbled upon a job listing for a one-year counseling position at a private international school in Chiang Mai, she decided to go for it.

Why Chiang Mai?

Chiang Mai is about 450 miles north of Bangkok and has long been a popular destination for tourists and expats alike, in part due to its relatively low cost of living.

Phillips says Chiang Mai caught her attention because it frequently came up on lists of popular destinations for digital nomads and expats. It felt like a safe place to live.

Her parents were shocked when she first told them about her plans to move abroad.

"I've always done everything by the books. And this was the first time I was like, 'I'm going to leave the country,'" she said. "They were like, 'You couldn't have just gone to a different state? You had to go to a whole other country?'"

While they were supportive, they were also worried because they couldn't quite understand why she wanted to do it.

"My mom immigrated to the States when she was 18 or 19. She came here and created this really amazing life for herself. And then I, on the other hand, wanted to do the opposite and leave the States," Phillips said.

Her parents have always been somewhat traditional, she said: "You get the degrees, you climb the corporate ladder, that kind of thing, and I was not for that at all."

The school helped Phillips with her visa application, and she stayed in her job there for two years.

When the pandemic started, everything moved online, including her counseling sessions, and she could feel herself starting to burn out again.

"It just started to not feel fulfilling anymore, and I felt like I was doing a disservice. I don't want to show up every day miserable," Phillips said.

After she left her job, she got an education visa and enrolled in a university to learn Thai.

Now, she works remotely for a marketing agency. She has a Destination Thailand Visa, which was introduced last year and can be used by digital nomads and remote workers.

In November 2022, Phillips moved into a one-bedroom apartment near Nimman, a trendy district popular with tourists and expats. Her rent is 11,500 Thai baht, or about $340, a month. It's her third apartment in Chiang Mai.

The 550-square-foot apartment has an open floor plan, two balconies, and a washing machine.

Better mental health, more free time

In recent years, Chiang Mai has become a popular choice for people around the world looking to relocate.

Data from the Bureau of Registration Administration of Thailand indicates that 163,036 foreigners were living in Chiang Mai province as of December 31.

Several people who moved to Chiang Mai previously told BI they were drawn to the area's low costs and laid-back lifestyle.

Johnny Ward, a travel blogger, previously told BI he managed to build his dream "James Bond" villa in Chian Mai for about $600,000. Fred Jones, a retired cop from Florida, previously told BI that life in Chiang Mai is cheaper, safer, and less stressful than back in the US.

Living in Chiang Mai has done wonders for her mental health, and she has more control over her time now. That's partially due to the nature of her work, which is more flexible and project-based.

"I have time for hobbies now. What is that? Because that never happens in the States," she said with a laugh. Now, she gets to do creative things, like learn how to dance the salsa and the bachata, as well as make videos on YouTube and TikTok.

That said, her journey wasn't without its challenges. There was a language barrier, and it took Phillips some time to get used to the food in Chiang Mai, which was more spicy than back in the US.

She added that there was also a part of her that felt like she was missing out on things that were happening back in the States.

However, now that she's been living in Chiang Mai for so long, she says she doesn't see herself moving back to the US.

"I honestly feel safer than I do in the States sometimes," she said. "I feel like everyone looks out for each other."

Ultimately, she's glad she took the plunge to make the move.

"You can always go back to your 9-to-5, to your life in the States, but I think it's worth just experiencing it at least once, to try it out and see," she said.

Do you have a story to share about moving to a new country? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

• Dolly Parton's husband, Carl Dean, has died at age 82 in Nashville.
• Parton and Dean first met outside a laundromat in 1964 and married two years later in 1966.
• Dean has largely stayed out of the spotlight since then, but he inspired Parton's hit "Jolene."

Dolly Parton's husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, has died at age 82, the singer said in a post on Instagram on Monday.

"Carl Dean, husband of Dolly Parton, passed away March 3rd in Nashville at the age of 82. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. He was survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie," the post read.

"Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy," the post continued. "The family has asked for privacy during this difficult time."

Parton and Dean met outside a laundromat on the day she moved to Nashville in 1964.

"I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me). He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about," Parton said of the meeting in a post on her official website.

Sparks flew between them almost immediately.

"My first thought was 'I'm gonna marry that girl,'" Dean told Entertainment Tonight in 2016 in a rare public statement for the couple's 50th wedding anniversary. "My second thought was, 'Lord she's good lookin.'" And that was the day my life began. I wouldn't trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth."

After two years of dating, they married in 1966 in a private ceremony in Georgia.

Since their marriage, Dean has largely stayed out of the spotlight.

Parton received her first songwriting award in 1966 for "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" recorded by Bill Phillips. Parton and Dean attended the ceremony and dinner together, but they did not continue making joint public appearances.

"After the dinner, we walked back out, and they brought us our car — I don't even remember what we were driving then — and we got in it and headed for home," Parton said at the Marty Stuart Jam in 2011, per country music news site The Boot. "Carl turned to me and said, 'Dolly, I want you to have everything you want, and I'm happy for you, but don't you ever ask me to go to another one of them dang things again!'"

Dean also inspired one of Parton's biggest hits, "Jolene."

The story for the song came from a bank teller who had a "terrible crush" on her husband, Parton said in a 2008 interview with NPR.

"And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. It was kinda like a running joke between us — when I was saying, 'Hell, you're spending a lot of time at the bank. I don't believe we've got that kind of money.' So it's really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one," she told NPR.

In 2019, the singer told Business Insider that a typical date night with her husband involved a romantic dinner at home, during which they would both get dressed up for each other.

"We've always been sweethearts as well as being best friends, as well as being husband and wife," she said. "So we just decide what we want to do."

A representative for Parton told BI that the singer had no additional comment.

• Hulu crashed during the livestream of the 97th Academy Awards.
• Some users reported error messages at critical moments of the show, including the best actress nomination.
• This is the first time the platform has streamed the awards live.

Hulu crashed during the livestream of the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, leaving fans disappointed and unable to follow along in real time for some of the biggest awards of the night.

For some users, the outage occurred during the best actress segment. Several Hulu users said the livestream went dark for them while Emma Stone was onstage introducing the award, before listing off the nominees.

"This evening, we experienced technical and livestream issues on Hulu which impacted some Oscars viewers," a Disney spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider. "We apologize for the experience and will make a full replay of the event available as soon as possible."

Earlier in the night, the Disney-owned streaming platform experienced technical issues as well.

According to DownDetector.com, some 33,650 customers reported experiencing problems with login and video streaming beginning around 7 p.m. ET. — just as the awards show commenced.

"Our team has identified the issue and users affected should be able to log back in again soon. We apologize for the inconvenience," Hulu wrote in a post on X addressing the issue.

About an hour later, the company replied to the initial post and offered an update on the outage.

"Thanks so much for hanging in there!" Hulu wrote. "Our team took the necessary steps to resolve this, so you should be all set after rebooting your device. We appreciate your patience!"

It was Hulu's debut streaming the Oscars and a setback for its standing in the streaming wars.

Live broadcasts are particularly attractive to advertisers looking to reach large audiences amid the decline of traditional linear viewing. Disney had said last week that it had sold out of all of its Oscars ad inventory, with brands including Rolex, T-Mobile, and Starbucks purchasing spots.

Hulu rival Netflix has been bolstering its live offering lately, streaming live sports, WWE, comedy, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Some of its streams have also suffered from technical glitches, including the highly anticipated boxing match between Mike Tyson and YouTuber Jake Paul last year.

March 3, 2025 — The story has been updated to include a statement from Disney.

• Michelle Trachtenberg was found dead on Wednesday morning. She was 39.
• She began her acting career as a child star and is best known for "Buffy" and "Harriet the Spy."
• Trachtenberg's famous friends and former costars paid tribute to the actor.

After Michelle Trachtenberg's death on Wednesday morning, celebrities and fans are paying tribute.

The NYPD told Business Insider that Trachtenberg had been found dead in a luxury apartment in Manhattan near Central Park. No cause of death has been given, and authorities said they're not treating the death as suspicious.

Trachtenberg, who began acting in commercials at age 3, had a decadeslong career in Hollywood, appearing in memorable films like "Harriet the Spy" and "EuroTrip" and TV series like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Gossip Girl."

As the news of her death spread, her famous friends and former costars shared their reactions and heartfelt messages online.

Sarah Michelle Gellar referenced "Buffy" in a tribute to Trachtenberg.

Trachtenberg joined "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as Buffy's sister, Dawn Summers, in season five. Her former on-screen sister Sarah Michelle Gellar, with whom she remained close, paid tribute to Trachtenberg in a touching post that paraphrased Buffy's famous speech to Dawn from the show's emotional fifth season finale.

"'Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live… for you,'" Gellar wrote.

Rosie O'Donnell said she wished she could've helped Trachtenberg.

In a statement to Us Weekly, Rosie O'Donnell, who played the beloved nanny of Trachtenberg's character in her 1996 film debut "Harriet the Spy," called the younger actor's death "heartbreaking."

"I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped," O'Donnell told the publication.

Alyson Hannigan said her thoughts are with Trachtenberg's family and friends.

Alyson Hannigan, who played Willow Rosenberg in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," shared a series of photos of herself and Trachtenberg on Instagram.

"I am deeply saddened by the news of Michelle's passing. She brought a loving energy to the set of Buffy. My thoughts are with Michelle's family and friends," Hannigan wrote in her caption.

Emma Caulfield shared a throwback photo of herself and Trachtenberg.

"I'm so sorry your bright light died so young," Emma Caufield, who played Anya on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," wrote in her Instagram story caption. "Our Buffy family lost a little sister today... Rest in peace lovely Mish Mish. You were loved."

James Marsters shared a heartfelt message about Trachtenberg.

James Marsters, who played Spike in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," worked closely with Trachtenberg from the time she joined the series as a teen in 2000.

"My heart is heavy today. We have lost a beautiful soul. Michelle was fiercely intelligent, howlingly funny, and a very talented person," the actor wrote on Instagram. "She died much too young, and leaves behind scores of people who knew and loved her."

"My heart goes out to her family who are good people, and are suffering the greatest loss anyone could bear. I hope everyone can give them space to heal in this most difficult time. Godspeed Michelle. You are missed," Marsters added.

David Boreanaz sent prayers to Trachtenberg's family.

David Boreanaz played the vampire Angel, Buffy Summers's longtime love interest, on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." He was a series regular on the first three seasons of the show before departing for his own spinoff.

Michelle Branch shared a photo of Trachtenberg with broken heart emojis.

Michelle Branch was a musical guest star on the sixth season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Blake Lively posted a lengthy tribute to Trachtenberg.

Blake Lively, who played Serena van der Woodsen in The CW teen drama "Gossip Girl," shared a photo of herself and Trachtenberg from the show on her Instagram story. Trachtenberg played fan-favorite antagonist Georgina Sparks in the show.

"This was the first day I met Michelle. She was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%," Lively wrote in her caption.

The "It Ends With Us" actor also recounted how Trachtenberg would always have "yummy caramel smelling lip gloss" on because "she didn't just want to sparkle on camera, she liked creating a nice experience for anyone who was in her orbit, even down to the subtle smell of her lipgloss because she cared about the sweet details."

Lively then called Trachtenberg "a kind person, through and through."

"Hold those you love and have loved dear. The world lost a deeply sensitive and good person in Michelle. May her work and her huge heart be remembered by those who were lucky enough to experience her fire," Lively wrote.

Ed Westwick shared a photo of Trachtenberg as her "Gossip Girl" character.

Ed Westwick played reformed bad boy Chuck Bass throughout all six seasons of "Gossip Girl."

"So sad to hear of the passing of @MichelleTrachtenberg," he wrote in his Instagram story. "Sending prayers."

Chace Crawford shared photos of himself and Trachtenberg over the years.

Chace Crawford played Nate Archibald on "Gossip Girl."

"Michelle was one of a kind. I remember her coming on set for the first time and just absolutely owning it. She was a force of nature and just so so unapologetically funny and magnetic.. remembering those years with a big smile. Just a terrible loss. Love you," Crawford wrote in his Instagram caption.

Shawn Ashmore called Trachtenberg an incredible person.

Shawn Ashmore and Trachtenberg dated in the 2000s. In his post about her death, he called it an "incredible loss."

"Incredibly sad to hear about Michelle's passing. She was an incredible person and I will always remember the years we spent together fondly," he wrote. "She was loving, quirky and would never pass up a law and order SVU marathon:) My condolences to her mother Lana and sister Irene!"

Kim Cattrall shared a throwback photo of her and Trachtenberg.

Kim Cattrall and Trachtenberg acted together in the movie "Ice Princess" in 2005.

"Rest in peace sweet Michelle 💔" Cattrall captioned the post.

Mara Wilson mourned the loss of her childhood friend.

Fellow child star Mara Wilson posted a photo of Trachtenberg on her Instagram story.

"My heart is breaking for my childhood friend. Your memory will be a blessing Michelle," Wilson wrote in her caption.

Christy Carlson Romano said she and Trachtenberg "grew up in NY audition rooms" together.

"My heart aches for Michelle Trachtenberg. We grew up in NY audition rooms together and our moms were friends. We reconnected in LA during our messy young Hollywood era. It was like no time passed. Her sassiness always made me laugh," Christy Carlson Romano wrote on her Instagram story.

The actor said she "wished" they had stayed in touch.

"I never got to tell her that years before we reconnected I wrote and recorded this song for her movie 'Ice Princess.' It never made the cut, but every time I thought of her it would go through my mind and now it will forever. Rest in peace," she wrote.

Kate Beckinsale said her heart "aches" for Trachtenberg's mother.

Kate Beckinsale posted an old paparazzi photo of herself and Trachtenberg on her Instagram story.

"What a terrible shock and loss, my god. My heart aches for your mama. Fly safe little bird," Beckinsale wrote in her caption.

• "The White Lotus" star Patrick Schwarzenegger says he sometimes wishes he didn't have a famous last name.
• He says people who criticize him for being a nepo baby don't see the work he puts into his career.
• But nepotism isn't only in Hollywood; the business and tech worlds have their fair share of nepo babies, too.

Patrick Schwarzenegger, 31, says a famous last name like his can sometimes be a burden — especially since he's also trying to break into Hollywood.

In an interview with The Times published on Sunday,"The White Lotus" star pushed back against nepotism claims from people who say that he only landed the role on the award-winning HBO show because of his familial ties.

"I know there are people who'll say I only got this role because of who my dad is," Schwarzenegger told The Times. "They're not seeing that I've had 10 years of acting classes, put on school plays every week, worked on my characters for hours on end or the hundreds of rejected auditions I've been on."

Schwarzenegger is the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, a bodybuilder, actor, and former governor of California, and Maria Shriver, a journalist and niece of former US President John F. Kennedy.

"Of course, it's frustrating and you can get boxed in and you think at that moment, I wish I didn't have my last name. But that's a small moment. I would never trade my life with anyone," Schwarzenegger said.

At the end of the day, he is "very fortunate" to have the life and family that he has, including "the lessons and values" that his famous parents have instilled in him.

Nepotism is everywhere

Nepo babies, or "nepotism babies" have been a hot topic since New York Magazine published a story in 2022 about the famous kids of Hollywood celebrities.

Many nepo babies have criticized the label, saying that it diminishes the work that they put into their careers.

In June, Emma Roberts — Julia Robert's niece — called out the use of the label, saying that people who criticize nepo babies "don't see all the rejection along the way."

Some parents of nepo babies have weighed in on the discourse, too.

In 2023, Tom Hanks — whose son was cast to play his younger self in the film "A Man Called Otto" — said it's no surprise that all four of his kids are in the industry since it's "the family business." He added that if he had been in a different field, "the whole family would be putting in time at some point."

But nepo babies aren't just in Hollywood; The business and tech worlds have their fair share, too.

All five of LVMH chairman and billionaire Bernard Arnault's children work at the company and its brands.

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, the eldest sons of US President Donald Trump, manage the Trump Organization together.

Even regular people who aren't rich or famous use their connections to gain an advantage in the workplace.

A 2023 survey of 2,000 workers conducted by Applied, a recruitment company, showed that 68% of Gen Z workers have used nepotism to land a job offer.

Career coaches previously told Business Insider that it's fine to use your network sometimes.

"Using your network and personal connection to learn information and gain introductions is generally seen as acceptable, even sensible. However, using your network to get unfairly hired into a role you may not be deserving of is generally seen as unacceptable," Hannah Salton, a UK-based career coach and author, said.

Although most reputable companies tend to have fair recruitment processes that don't allow nepotism, in practice, it's often hard to ensure impartial hiring always happens, she said.

A representative for Schwarzenegger did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

• Ayesha Curry says she prioritizes her relationship with Stephen Curry over their four children.
• "And that works for us because then you have two happy people raising the kids in the house," she said.
• Prioritizing each other involves making time for each other, such as going on date nights, she said.

Ayesha Curry believes that partners should put each other first in order to be good parents.

In an interview with People, Curry spoke about prioritizing her relationship with her husband, NBA player Stephen Curry, over their kids.

"I think for us, our relationship always comes first. Then we're parents," Curry told People. "And that works for us because then you have two happy people raising the kids in the house. So the family sector in our lives always comes first."

The couple, who tied the knot in 2011, share four kids: Riley, Ryan, Canon, and Caius — whom they welcomed in May.

This isn't the first time that Curry has spoken about how she and her husband make their marriage work.

In a 2019 interview with HelloGiggles, Curry shared that her parents and her in-laws were the ones who showed the couple the importance of prioritizing each other.

"And then also the biggest thing, both of our parents are still married and have been married for 30-plus years, and the one thing that they both shared with us — some through learning it the hard way, some through just making sure that they do it — is just making sure that we put each other first, even before the kids, as tough as that sounds," Curry told HelloGiggles.

This involves making time for each other, including date nights, she said.

"Because when you become a parent, you want to put your kids first, and we do, but we do it second to our relationship. Because ultimately, when our relationship is good, the kids are happy, and they're thriving, and our family life is good," Curry said.

At the end of the day, their relationship sets the basis for their family life.

"We have to put that into perspective and realize that it's not us being selfish, it's making sure we set a strong foundation," she said.

The Currys aren't the only celebrity couple who've spoken about making time for each other despite their busy schedules.

Robert Downey Jr. and his wife, Susan, shared that they don't go more than two weeks without seeing each other and being together as a family.

Gordon Ramsay's wife, Tana, says that she and her husband often get dressed up to go out on dates without their kids.

"In our relationship, having little kids again, our present to each other on our last anniversary was, we have to go to the theater once a month, and we have to go out three times a month, and we're not allowed to wear trainers," Tana said.

A representative for Curry did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI outside regular hours.

• The 31st SAG Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday.
• Celebrity couples, like Jonathan Scott and Zooey Deschanel, made a splash on the red carpet with their outfits.
• Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman opted for matching monochromatic looks.

On Sunday, some of Hollywood's biggest stars showed up at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles for the 31st Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards.

While the event was filled with couples dressed in their best outfits, Kristen Bell — the host — left her husband, Dax Shepard, at home to look after the kids. "We don't have very many babysitters who are ever available," she told People.

Nonetheless, the show must go on; Here's a look at some of the best-dressed couples of the night.

Jeff Goldblum and Emilie Livingston

Jeff Goldblum and his wife, Canadian dancer Emilie Livingston, arrived at the event hand in hand.

Goldblum wore a dark suit with a bowtie and a green scarf, while Livingston opted for a bejeweled silver gown.

Jonathan Scott and Zooey Deschanel

Jonathan Scott and Zooey Deschanel are a match made for the red carpet. The couple showed up in coordinated black-and-white outfits with bowties.

Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman

Adrien Brody, who was nominated for best male actor for his role in "The Brutalist," and his partner Georgina Chapman opted for matching monochromatic looks for the red carpet.

Brody wore a black tuxedo with a bowtie, while Chapman was in a sculptural strapless gown from her own clothing label, Marchesa.

David and Emma Gyasi

David Gyasi wore a simple black suit with a high-neck white shirt, while his wife, Emma Gyasi, nearly stole the spotlight from him in a stunning red gown.

William Jackson Harper and Ali Ahn

William Jackson Harper and Ali Ahn stood out from the crowd in their outfits.

Harper looked dapper in his embossed navy-colored suit, while Ahn wore a cream gown with feathered shoulder details.

Zoe Saldaña and Marco Perego

Zoe Saldaña, who won best supporting actress for her role in "Emilia Pérez," looked stunning in her black velvet gown with bejeweled ruffled detailing.

Her husband, Marco Perego, an Italian film producer, opted for a more subdued gray suit with an olive-colored polka dot shirt.

Leighton Meester and Adam Brody

Leighton Meester and Adam Brody were both decked out in earth tones as they hit the SAG Awards red carpet together.

Meester wore a strapless dark green gown with cut-out details, while Brody wore a brown suit with a black tie.

• The 31st SAG Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday.
• Many celebrities weren't afraid to show up in bold ensembles, some featuring elements like feathers and fringe.
• Danielle Deadwyler, Demi Moore, and Anna Sawai all wore sculptural gowns that turned heads on the red carpet.

The 31st Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards took place on Sunday at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Unlike other awards, such as the Oscars or the Golden Globes —which also honor directors, writers, musicians, and production teams — the SAG Awards are dedicated exclusively to recognizing actors.

Before the ceremony, which was hosted by Kristen Bell, some of Hollywood's biggest celebrities posed for the cameras on the red carpet.

Here are some of the most daring looks from the night.

Danielle Deadwyler

Danielle Deadwyler, who was nominated for best supporting actress for "The Piano Lesson," made a bold statement at the SAG Awards in a custom Louis Vuitton gown.

To complement her look, she wore bright red eyeshadow and matching red pumps.

Cynthia Erivo

Cynthia Erivo made a dramatic entrance in a vintage Givenchy gown designed by Alexander McQueen.

Her dress, made from a textured metallic fabric, featured fringe details at the neckline and sleeves.

Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis — who was nominated for best supporting actress for her role in "The Last Showgirl" — channeled showgirl energy at the SAG Awards with her black sequinned gown with a feathered top.

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda, the recipient of this year's SAG Life Achievement Award, turned heads on the red carpet in a custom Armani Privé dress.

The peach-colored ensemble, which featured a wavy black pattern and a fringe skirt, was a departure from her usual menswear-inspired outfits.

Anna Sawai

Anna Sawai stunned on the red carpet with a custom Armani Privé strapless gown.

Her dress featured red crystals on the front with sheer side panels and a black velvet back.

Timothée Chalamet

Timothée Chalamet, who won best male actor for his role as Bob Dylan in "A Complete Unknown," wore a leather suit with a neon green shirt to the ceremony. To complement his look, he accessorized with a bejeweled bolo tie.

The actor's stylist, Taylor McNeil, seemingly drew inspiration from Dylan himself, posting a reference photo of the musician in a similar outfit on his Instagram story.

Fran Drescher

Fran Drescher, the president of the SAG-AFTRA actors' union, went for a menswear-inspired look.

Drescher rocked a baby pink satin pantsuit at this year's red carpet event — an outfit that looked similar to the one she wore to the 2022 Directors Guild of America Awards. This time around, she opted for open-toed wedges instead of pointed-toe shoes.

Demi Moore

Demi Moore, who won best female actress for her role in "The Substance," wore an edgy, drop-waist Bottega Veneta leather gown.

She styled her long black hair in loose waves and kept her makeup simple, but accessorized with a statement necklace and bracelet from Tiffany and Co.

Carl Clemons-Hopkins

Carl Clemons-Hopkins, known for his role as Marcus on "Hacks," turned heads on the red carpet in a black jumpsuit with oversized sleeves.

Tyler James Williams

Tyler James Williams, who plays Gregory Eddie in "Abbott Elementary," wore a red oversized suit with a cinched waist on the red carpet.

Banita Sandhu

Banita Sandhu, known for her role as Sita Malhotra in "Bridgerton," wore a sculptural metallic dress on the red carpet.

• Burnout from running a fashion consignment business led Michelle Morigeau to ditch the city and start a homestead.
• In 2021, she and her husband bought a 4-acre plot in British Columbia for about $458,000.
• They've been growing their own food, and plan to build a rammed earth house where they can live sustainably.

At the end of 2019, Michelle Morigeau felt like she had hit rock bottom.

As the owner of a Calgary-based fashion consignment business, she often got up at 4 a.m. to start work. Between overseeing the operations of her three physical resale stores and managing some 18 staff members, Morigeau was completely burned out.

"I just felt trapped and overwhelmed," Morigeau, 47, a YouTuber and homesteader, told Business Insider. "The hustle and bustle, the grind of being in the city, the noise, the traffic, the sirens — everything just got too noisy in my head."

Even though she lived in a beautiful rental house in the city and drove a new Jeep, her life felt unfulfilling.

Fast-forward to 2020, Morigeau — like many business owners — was forced to temporarily close her stores due to the pandemic.

By coincidence, her father-in-law, who was stuck in Mexico because of the lockdowns, needed someone to take care of his lakehouse until he got back. His property was in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia, about a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Calgary.

"All of a sudden, my husband James and I were in the truck and out here at his lakefront property, and life just went from a hundred to zero," Morigeau said. "We fell into this mountain and forest life for about six months, and it gave me enough time to realize that this was somewhere that I wanted to be."

Slowly, the idea of leaving the city started to grow on her.

"I told my husband, maybe we could make it work living rurally in the mountains. And luckily, he was on board," Morigeau said.

Escaping the city for a slow, rural life

In May 2021, after a year of searching, the couple moved into a four-acre property that they bought for 650,000 Canadian dollars, or about $458,000.

A four-bedroom house — built in the '80s — stood on the land, offering views of the nearby mountain range. The plot was situated in a lake community in East Kootenay — the same area where her father-in-law lives — and offered ample space for the couple's homesteading ambitions.

"It's the same area that we were in when I fell in love with this place, so we knew we wanted to be around here," Morigeau said.

Since her husband was a builder, they also wanted to have enough space on the property to do DIY projects, she added: "We wanted space to be able to build a self-sustainable lifestyle, such as grow our own food and rear chickens."

Morigeau says her friends and family were initially skeptical when they first heard about her move.

"They said, 'What are you going to do out there? What is there to do?'" Morigeau said, recalling their reactions. "But the funny thing is that we have endless things to do — we've got at least 20 years of projects that we have planned."

Some of the biggest changes they've done to the property so far include adding a wood storage hut that doubles as a chill spot, expanding their chicken coops, and building an off-grid sauna out of rammed earth.

"We're also building a 1,300-square-foot geothermal greenhouse," Morigeau added. "That's a big project we're working on right now because we plan to grow food all year round."

They're about 70% done with the greenhouse. Once that project's completed, the couple is planning to build a 3,000-square-foot carriage house — a shop with a suite above — out of rammed earth.

Their eventual plan is to move into that upper suite while they demolish and rebuild the main house — where they're living now — also using rammed earth.

Living sustainably

The couple first learned about rammed earth construction through Morigeau's brother, who lives in Tasmania.

"He sort of put the bug in our ear by sending us YouTube videos," Moreigeau said. "We didn't really think too much of it until we moved out here."

That's when they learned about the properties of houses built from rammed earth, such as their resistance to fire and their ability to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature all year round.

"It gets really cold here in the winter, and it's really hot in the summer, so it'll be good if the house could stay a nice temperature," Morigeau said.

Moreover, a house built from earth has a low carbon footprint — which aligns with their desire to live sustainably and in harmony with nature.

"It would be what I would consider a healthy house, as opposed to the stick frame homes and stuff that they build now with materials that are probably carcinogenic for you," she said.

Earthen houses are not a new invention; this type of architecture has been around for years — like in the mud-brick buildings of Yemen's ancient walled city of Sana'a, and in Djenné, a town in Mali known for its adobe architecture.

Prior to building the sauna, the couple had never worked with rammed earth buildings before, Morigeau said.

But a big hurdle they're facing now is obtaining the necessary permits for their construction.

"Unfortunately, where we live, we need permits. We didn't move quite far enough away that we could not have the government involved," Morigeau said, adding that rammed earth is not part of the building code here in Canada.

"They're asking us to drop a lot of money in engineering, which we already had done, but now they want us to get architects involved," Morigeau said, adding that their discussions are an ongoing process.

Becoming self-sufficient

Morigeau has already started cultivating parts of their land. In addition to being self-sustainable, she also started a farm stand on her property in hopes of growing enough food to provide for the community.

"We have a huge garden," she said. "We grow enough food to feed us all summer as well as have the farm stand. And I preserve everything too."

She and her husband aren't the only ones interested in homesteading, the practice of living self-sufficiently off the land.

The lifestyle has grown in popularity in the years since the pandemic, per the Homesteaders of America, a grass roots organization that advocates for an agrarian lifestyle.

A 2022 poll of 4,000 homesteaders conducted by the organization found that food security and a desire for a simpler lifestyle were among the main reasons respondents started homesteading.

Several homesteaders that BI previously spoke to shared that the lifestyle was a way to reject the status quo and have control over their environmental footprint.

Morigeau said she learned everything she knows about gardening through trial and error and YouTube. She also picked up some tips from neighbors who lived in the area.

"I didn't grow anything in the city," she said. "This past summer was the first time I didn't have to look anything up while I was gardening."

Breaking free from materialism

Morigeau says that her life now is so much more peaceful compared to when she was living in the city. She also feels more connected to nature and to the people around her.

"We take care of each other, from our neighbors lending us big equipment to build our projects, to me taking care of their kids and making them granola," Morigeau said.

In a way, leaving Calgary was a way for her to start over, although it did take her some time to fully settle into life here.

She continued running her business remotely for the first year and a half before she was ready to give it up.

"I thought that I could do it remotely. The money was good and everything, but constantly having that pull back to the city, I needed to break that tie to really dive into my new life here," Morigeau said.

She eventually found someone to sell the consignment business to, but preferred not to share how much she sold it for.

"The first year of even considering it was really hard, since it was a business that had been passed down to me in 2013 by my mom when she passed away," Morigeau said. "Not to mention, James built me all of my stores, he put all of his love and energy into them. Letting that go was really, really hard."

Now that she's been out here for some time, Morigeau says she feels less attached to material things. She no longer cares about labels; all her clothes have to be practical since she spends a lot of time outdoors.

"After about a year of being out here, I had gone back to the store. I remember sitting in there, where people are buying Louis Vuitton and all of the famous brands, and just thinking, 'None of this really matters,'" Morigeau said. "That was when I realized that my passion for that business had died."

Her expenses are also lower now, because she feels less of a need to shop. Not only that, they're about a 40-minute drive to the nearest town — which doesn't even have a mall, she added.

"In the city, if I was bored, I would go shopping and buy things that don't really matter. Out here, there's not really anywhere to do that," she said.

Looking back on their journey, Morigeau says that their perseverance got them through even the toughest days.

"My advice to anyone would be, if it's something that you really want and you put your mind to it, it will happen for you," she said. "Because there were so many things that we came up against, and it took time, but we just kept persevering, and then it happened for us."

Have you recently relocated to a new country and found or renovated your dream home? If you have a story to share, contact this reporter at [email protected].

• The Hollywood producer Will Packer credits Beyoncé with teaching him how to deal with rejection.
• Beyoncé turned down a role in a movie he was producing five times, Packer said.
• He improved the script after each rejection and ultimately got her to change her mind.

The Hollywood producer Will Packer knows rejection is a part of life and work. After all, Beyoncé turned down a role in a movie he was producing five times before he convinced her to sign on to the project.

During an appearance on Tuesday's episode of "The View," Packer spoke about what he learned from his experience of getting rejected by the singer.

"Beyoncé told me no. I wanted her to be in this film, and she was very — she's a wonderful human being but said, 'Will Packer, I'm not doing your movie,'" Packer told "The View" cohosts, recounting the singer's words.

Packer, known for films such as "Girls Trip" and "Ride Along," said he made changes to the script based on the feedback he received from Beyoncé.

"I didn't go back or push back and didn't say, 'Oh no, woe is me.' And actually, I was making my project better each time," Packer said.

Although it took him five times "because Beyoncé is very particular," at the end of the day, he "only needed one yes."

"You only need one, so whatever your Beyoncé is, right, keep seeing if there is a way to adjust and learn something from the 'No,'" he said.

Beyoncé changed her mind, Packer said

In the end, Beyoncé changed her mind and agreed to star — alongside Idris Elba — in 2009's "Obsessed," the film Packer was producing.

When it comes to handling rejection, Packer's advice aligns with the guidance the career happiness strategist Amy Nguyen previously described to Business Insider.

"Mindset is important here because rejection doesn't mean that you are a total failure or a loser," Nguyen said. "Think of rejection as a lesson and get what you can learn from there so that you can improve yourself for the next job."

Representatives for Packer and Beyoncé did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent by BI outside regular hours.

• Kylie Kelce is expecting her fourth child with her husband, former NFL player Jason Kelce.
• Her advice includes extending patience and providing postpartum support.
• "Remember that your wife is growing a human," Kelce said.

Kylie Kelce is expecting her fourth child with retired NFL player Jason Kelce — and she knows a thing or two about dealing with pregnancy.

During an interview with Alex Cooper on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast on Wednesday, Kelce shared three things that men should do for their pregnant wives.

"Remember that your wife is growing a human," Kelce, 32, told Cooper. "Sometimes I think guys are like, 'Oh, she's fine.' And I'm like, no. You're actively building a human being, so, like, just give her some grace."

It's also important for men to adopt a "this, too, shall pass" attitude, and remember that the challenges of pregnancy — such as mood swings — are temporary, she said.

"I've had pregnancies where I've been really, really emotional, and after the pregnancy, I'm like, 'Jason, I don't know how you did that. Jesus, thank you for sticking with me," Kelce said.

The couple has been married since 2018, and they share three daughters — Wyatt Elizabeth, Elliotte Ray, and Bennett Llewellyn — with a fourth daughter on the way.

Lastly, Kelce says new mothers need their husbands' support during the postpartum period, too — perhaps even more than during the pregnancy.

"Postpartum is one of the hardest things I've ever done in my whole life. Labor is like a drop in the bucket compared to postpartum," Kelce said.

She added that she didn't feel immediately connected to her eldest daughter, Wyatt, the first time she brought her home.

"I did not feel that immediate, like, 'This is my baby,'" Kelce said. "I didn't have that sensationalized, like, 'I'm a mother now.' It was like a slow ease in."

The first few weeks postpartum were difficult on her body as well, she said.

"We're both in diapers. I have a cooling pad on my lady bits. I am afraid to sit down at any given point because it hurts so bad, and at the same time, every two hours, I'm supposed to connect you to my boob and something's going to happen," Kelce said.

Postpartum typically refers to the first six to eight weeks after delivery. During this period, many changes — both physical and emotional — occur in a woman's body.

Physical symptoms that new mothers may experience include breast engorgement, cramps, and vaginal bleeding. Some women also experience emotional symptoms, such as postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety.

"Postnatal depression and anxiety are incredibly common and it is so important that it is identified early to help you receive the support and treatment that you may need," Dr. Brooke Vandermolen, an OB/GYN, previously told Business Insider.

"Communicating your feelings can really help so others around you know how you are feeling," she said.

In addition to getting enough rest, new mothers should also pay attention to their diet, stay hydrated, and limit their physical activity at least until their doctors give them the go-ahead, per Cleveland Clinic.

A representative for Kelce did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI outside regular hours.

• Heidi Ganaden and her husband left their big-city corporate jobs to open a hotel on an island.
• The couple moved from Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, to Siargao, also known as the country's surfing capital.
• One pandemic and a category 5 typhoon later, they've finally settled into their new lives.

Heidi Ganaden and her husband never thought they'd run a hotel by the beach in Siargao, an island known as the surfing capital of the Philippines.

The two of them were working corporate jobs and living in Manila, the capital city. She was in the telecommunications industry, while he was a landscape architect.

As avid surfers, the couple enjoyed hanging out by the beach but weren't too familiar with Siargao; Ganaden had visited once before in 2005, while her husband had never been there before. The island is one of more than 7,000 that make up the Philippines.

But a quick weekend trip in 2018 — it's only a two-hour flight from Manila — to visit some friends who were trying to set up a business there left them with a favorable impression of the island.

Not long after they got back to Manila, they received a call from their friends in Siargao about a plot of land by the beach that was available for lease.

"We thought, OK, maybe we can try and look at it. Maybe we can just put up a small shack so that we can go to Siargao, and we'll have a place where we can stay," Ganaden, 46, told Business Insider.

When they went to view the plot of land, they realized it was in a central location that was popular with tourists. New establishments, like restaurants, were also popping up all around the area.

They also noticed that more and more people were visiting Siargao, and they decided it might be a better idea to build accommodations instead.

"We actually didn't have the idea for a hotel initially. It was really an accident," she said. "We were in a central spot, and we thought it would be a waste to just offer it for a long-term lease, so we ended up with a small hotel."

Trading city life for island living

By the end of the year, the couple had signed a 15-year lease and started clearing out the land. They preferred to keep the amount they spent on the lease private.

They broke ground in 2019. That same year, Ganaden and her husband decided to quit their jobs to focus on the project.

"We thought it was now or never," Ganaden said. "We had no idea what we were doing, but we did it anyway because we were invested in it. We wanted to make it work."

The construction of their hotel took place in phases, and they hired some 15 contractors to help out. Ganaden estimates that they spent about 20 million Philippine pesos, or about $340,000, on the construction of the hotel.

The building process was fraught with challenges. Even though the island was developing, it was difficult to find raw materials and skilled construction workers, Ganaden said.

"Imagine a whole island where everybody was building with just two hardware stores," she said.

To meet their project timelines, the couple decided to use prefabricated materials. Everything was brought over to Siargao from Manila — even the contractors they hired.

"We had to bring them in and house them because for prefabricated material, there's a required skillset for it," Ganaden said.

They named the hotel "Lubihan," a term in the local dialect that refers to the coconut grove that once grew over the land. The entire property spans just over 4,000 square feet and has 13 guest rooms and one staff room.

"Since my husband is a landscape architect, he was able to make everything work. Even with the 14 rooms, we have a very nice common garden and a lounge area at the back," Ganaden said.

Nightly rates vary across the different room types.

"We can go as low as about 3,000 pesos all the way to as high as 5,000 pesos," she added.

One challenge after another

The couple's hotel journey hasn't been easy.

When early 2020 rolled around, they faced a major setback: the pandemic. Like much of the world, Siargao — and the Philippines — went into lockdown.

The couple was able to rent out a few of their completed rooms to travelers who were stuck on the island, and they dedicated their time to finishing the rest of the hotel.

But just as tourism in Siargao started to recover from the effects of the pandemic, a natural disaster struck.

In December 2021, Super Typhoon Rai — a category 5 storm — swept through parts of the Philippines, including Siargao, uprooting trees, wrecking buildings, and leaving destruction in its wake.

Lubihan was no exception.

"Our entire roof was peeled off like a sardine can, the majority of our glass doors broke and were dislodged by the strong wind. It was a disaster," Ganaden said.

All their staff members lost their homes.

"We had no power for months, no phone signal for months too," she said, adding that the island was almost cut off entirely from the rest of the world due to the damage sustained by the island's transport infrastructure.

But with grit and determination, and help from their community, the couple was able to rebuild the damaged parts of the hotel and their lives.

"It was months of recovery — emotionally, mentally and physically," Ganaden said.

They were new to the business

That aside, running a hotel with no hospitality background came with its own set of challenges.

"We are learning as we go, in terms of how to operate and what's needed by the hotel," Ganaden said. "For example, the kind of fittings that would last longer, or the kind of linens that would make laundry easier, things like that."

"I think if you have a background in hospitality, you'd know these kinds of things. But since this is our first time, we're doing trial and error on a whole lot of things," she added.

They have six full-time staff members, including an operations officer who lives on-site.

Ganaden's daily routine starts with dropping off her seven-year-old daughter at school. Then, she scans through the hotel's reservations for the day and stops by the hotel to check in on things.

"Then, it's island life after that. In our neighborhood, we have a CrossFit gym right next to us. And of course, if the tides are OK, we go out to surf," Ganaden said, adding that she pops back into the hotel after to keep an eye on things.

Island life is busy, too

In 2019, Siargao was voted as the best island in the world by Condé Nast Travelers.

Since then, tourism on the island has been on the rise. In 2024, Siargao was also included among Lonely Planet's top seven tourist destinations in Southeast Asia.

The island saw a total of 529,822 foreign tourist and domestic traveler arrivals in 2023, per the latest data available from the Philippines Department of Tourism. This is an increase from 181,188 foreign and domestic traveler arrivals five years earlier in 2018.

Siargao may be developing, but the island still retains its untouched feel that many similar beach destinations — like Bali and Hawaii — have lost due to over-tourism.

It's a far cry from the corporate life that Ganaden was used to back in Manila, but her days are still busy.

"We do also have meetings, especially with other business owners that we collaborate with, but they're very informal. All in flip-flops or barefoot by the beach, drinking a cocktail — so that's how our meetings are now," she said.

She says that her background working in an office taught her to be disciplined, which, in turn, helped her greatly in managing the hotel business.

One thing she really appreciates about life in Siargao is the tight community on the island.

"Even if you live in a village in Manila, you probably will not know your neighbor. In Siargao, everybody just talks to each other, which is very, very nice," she said.

That said, she does occasionally miss city-living and the convenience that comes with it.

"We don't have a fast food chain on the island. It's both good and bad, because sometimes you have cravings for a burger," Ganaden said.

The infrastructure on Siargao has also improved tremendously in recent years, she said, adding that fiber internet was only properly rolled out on the island the year before.

Prior to that, businesses like hers relied on Starlink for connectivity.

"A lot of remote workers want to live here, but they can't because of the internet," she said. "When we started having Starlink all over the island, a lot of them started coming in and working from here."

These days, Ganaden goes back to Manila with her family at least once every quarter.

"On the island, we all have this unwritten rule that you need an island break," she said. "We go back to Manila to decompress — because our hustle is on the island — and then we come back again."

Looking back on their journey, Ganaden says that it was a big leap for them to go from working in the city to running a business on an island with no experience.

"We were scared, but we knew that because of the discipline we had in corporate jobs, we'd be able to survive and find a way to make it work," she said. "I told my husband I know that if I'm pushed to the wall, I will find a way to climb over that wall or break that wall."

"That's how I am, so I was pretty confident about going into the entire thing scared," she said.

Have you recently relocated to a new country and found or renovated your dream home? If you have a story to share, contact this reporter at [email protected].

• Usher says he avoids working with his wife, a music executive, in order to protect their relationship.
• "Your things are your things. My things are mine," Usher said during a podcast appearance.
• Therapists previously told BI that partners should set boundaries with each other for a healthy relationship.

Usher prefers to keep business and pleasure separate, especially when it comes to his relationship.

During an appearance on Tuesday's episode of the "Baby, This is Keke Palmer" podcast, Usher spoke about how he would rather not work with his wife, Jennifer Goicoechea, a music executive, even though they're in the same industry.

"I definitely rely on her opinion about things. She's an incredible sounding board and brings calm to some of my madness sometimes," Usher told podcast host Keke Palmer. "But if we had to work together, oh my God, it wouldn't work. It would damage our relationship. I would never do that."

The "Yeah!" singer started dating Goicoechea in 2019 and married her during the 2024 Super Bowl weekend — after his halftime performance.

Although Goicoechea is established in the music industry — she is a senior vice president of A&R at Epic Records — Usher says he doesn't think they should expect to be involved in each other's work unless they want to.

"Like, matter of fact, we have a policy, you know. If this is a business that you're in, I'm going to help establish and work on it. But it's your business, you know, and then we have the things that we do together, but it's not a mandate. It's a choice in relationship," Usher said.

At the end of the day, he feels that setting boundaries is healthy.

"Your things are your things. My things are mine. I have something I'm passionate about, I need your support, I need your help, I want to get counsel. But those kinds of boundaries established, I think, are hopefully going to make this a more sustainable relationship," Usher said.

"This is my third one," he said, referring to the marriage, "and I'm trying to make sure I don't take this ring off."

Usher shares two children, Sovereign Bo and Sire Castrello, with Goicoechea. He has two other children, Usher "Cinco" Raymond V and Naviyd Ely, with his ex-wife Tameka Foster, whom he was married to from 2007 to 2009. He was also previously married to Grace Miguel from 2015 to 2018.

Having boundaries is crucial for a healthy relationship, Janet Park, a therapist at Healing Phoenix Therapy, told Business Insider previously.

"Boundaries establish what we feel OK with and don't feel OK with in a relationship. In that vein, boundaries are important because they serve a critical role in establishing safety and trust in a relationship," she said.

Additionally, if a person fails to honor their own needs and limitations, they may be setting themselves up for feeling uncomfortable or unfulfilled in the relationship down the line, she said.

One of the most important things about establishing boundaries is that it should sound more like a request, and not a demand, Adrienne Clements, a therapist in private practice, told BI previously.

"This can look like saying, 'Would you be willing to give me solo time in the house today?' as opposed to 'I need some solo time in the house today,'" she said.

A representative for Usher did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.

• Terry Crews said he and his wife managed to rebuild their marriage.
• They have been married for 36 years but nearly split for good years ago due to his infidelity and porn addiction.
• "It's work. It's really work. You have to get better at it, it's a skill," Crews said.

Terry Crews and his wife, Rebecca King-Crews, know just how much effort goes into making a marriage work.

In an interview with People, the actor spoke about how they overcame all the challenges they faced in their years together.

"Me and my wife have been married 36 years and, at year 20 though, it was over. And we totally rebuilt our relationship," Crews told People. "And we decided we were going to be stronger together. It was a decision that we decided to make."

The couple got married in 1989, several years before Crews joined the NFL, and two decades before he made the transition to acting. They have five children together.

The "White Chicks" star added that love isn't just about feelings.

"It's work. It's really work. You have to get better at it, it's a skill," Crews said. "There's a lot of things I had to relearn."

He says he thinks of him and his wife as a "testament" to the fact that two people can make a relationship work as long as they are both willing to tough it out.

"It's wild because there was a point when, when I wanted to quit, she didn't want to, and then when she wanted to quit, I didn't want to," he said. "And I was just glad we didn't want to quit at the same time."

This isn't the first time that Crews has spoken about the challenges he faced in his marriage.

Crews shared how his past infidelity and porn addiction had affected his family during an episode of Dax Shepard's"Armchair Expert" podcast in 2023.

Crews said he would "start an argument" with his wife whenever she tried to ask him questions about where he was when he was feeding his porn addiction at adult bookstores near truck stops. He would also "be angry" at his kids "for getting in the way."

He also said he cheated on his wife by getting a handjob in a massage parlor while filming his first-ever movie in 2000, and "kept that secret for years."

He eventually decided to confess to his wife about the cheating a decade later when he began seeking help for his porn addiction. Although she left him at that time, they eventually reconciled after Crews went to rehab.

Crews and his wife aren't the only celebrities who have spoken about the steps they take to build and maintain a healthy relationship.

Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey don't go more than two weeks without seeing each other and their family.

Rob Lowe, who has been married to Sheryl Berkoff for over 30 years, said they go to couples therapy regularly because "it's like taking your car in and making sure the engine's running great."

Barbara Grossman, a couples counselor, previously told Business Insider that her tips for a successful marriage include sharing emotional baggage, carving time out to be together, and actively communicating grievances.

"I encourage people to talk about their past because it usually reveals the historical reasons for their behavior, opinions, and attitudes," Grossman said. "If you open up about situations — including unresolved feelings toward a family member, friend, or lover — it develops understanding, trust, and connection."

A representative for Crews did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.

• The Kansas City Chiefs are playing the Philadelphia Eagles at the Super Bowl today.
• The Chiefs' executive chef, Erin Wishon, said that a popular breakfast item among players is steak and rice.
• Recent studies suggest that consuming 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight is ideal for maximizing strength gains.

The Kansas City Chiefs are playing in the Super Bowl today, and their food and nutrition team has been working to fuel them for success.

In an interview with Us Weekly, the Chiefs' executive chef Erin Wishon spoke about the type of meals that the players are eating in the lead-up to the big game.

"I think something that people might find surprising is there's a lot of steak and rice for breakfast," Wishon — who works for the Chiefs through Aramark Sports + Entertainment at Arrowhead Stadium — told Us Weekly. "We have a couple players that eat two steaks — 12-ounce filets — and rice at breakfast. And then sometimes also at lunch."

The meal is nutritious and highly satiating, Wishon told Business Insider in a statement.

"The steak, particularly a lean beef tenderloin filet, provides high levels of protein, iron, vitamin B12, and healthy fats. Paired with rice, which offers quick carbohydrates, this combination makes for a highly satiating meal, especially for those with lean dietary preferences," Wishon said.

In addition to steak and rice, other dishes regularly prepared for the team include seared salmon, halibut, broccoli, and teriyaki chicken thighs, she said.

"Of course, homestyle comfort foods such as fried chicken, mac and cheese, chicken Alfredo, meatloaf, and lasagna remain popular choices as well," Wishon said.

After working with the players for so long, Wishon says that her team has become familiar with their tastebuds.

"We're with them three or four meals a day, six or seven days a week for six-plus months of the year. We know what they want. Whether it's a special condiment or a brand of vegan patty, whatever it might be. We try to match everything as close to home as we can," she said.

The Chiefs will face off against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

The teams will be fighting for the title for the second time in three years — they last met at Super Bowl LVII in 2023, which the Chiefs won 38-35.

Leslie Bonci, a dietician who has worked with the Chiefs, previously told Business Insider that the players love eating breakfast.

"Breakfast is always a big hit, their favorite meal of the day," Bonci said, adding that some players even eat breakfast foods before a game.

She also shared that they eat different meals depending on their goals: "gaining plates" for those trying to build muscle, "trimming plates" for those trying to lose weight, and "healing plates" meant to boost recovery. Regardless of their goals, protein is a huge component of each meal.

The Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce eats about 4,000 calories a day, and his personal chef, Kumar Ferguson, describes the player's protein-heavy diet as "healthy steakhouse cuisine" featuring "steaks, chops, chicken, and stuff like that."

What's a good breakfast?

What many people think of as a "traditional breakfast" may not look the same for everyone, Yasi Ansari, a sports dietician based in LA, told BI.

"It is important to put together a meal that helps meet someone's needs for protein, carbohydrates, fats, fluids, and overall energy goals and helps them start their day off strong and alert — ideally through a food-first approach," she said.

For instance, eating a full breakfast — like steak and rice, in the case of the Chiefs players — will help athletes meet higher needs for protein, carbohydrates, and overall energy, she said.

"Generally speaking, beef can offer a good source of protein, zinc, iron, and vitamins B-12 and B-6, which can help support red blood cell formation, energy production, oxygen transport, and nervous system functioning," Ansari said, adding that beef can also contribute to the body's supply of creatine, which supplies energy to muscles.

Ultimately, factors such as genetics, gut health, body composition goals, and physical activity level will affect the amount of protein a person needs to eat each day, dietitian Kylene Bogden told BI previously.

That said, recent studies suggest that consuming 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight is the ideal amount for those who want to maximize strength gains.

Chicken and beef contain similar amounts of protein, although the amount of protein per ounce will depend on the cut of meat, Ansari said.

"If someone prefers beef, I encourage looking for leaner cuts of beef. The leanest cuts of beef have the word 'round' or 'loin' in the name," Ansari said.

Generally, for breakfast, she recommends a combination of lean protein, carbohydrates — from starches such as potatoes, grains, or nutritionally dense breads — and a side of fruits or vegetables.

February 10, 2025: This story has been updated to include comments from Wishon.

• Paul and Patricia Grogan, both 81, built an energy-efficient passive solar home near Dublin in the 1970s.
• After almost 50 years, they're listing the 4-bedroom property for $1.32 million.
• "There'll be a lot of tears when we leave this place," Paul said.

It was the early '70s, and Paul and Patricia Grogan were looking for a new home.

The couple, who met in college in the '60s, lived in a cozy family house in an outer suburb of Dublin back then but dreamed of building one on their own.

"We suddenly thought we'd love to maybe strike out and be a bit adventurous. So we started looking for sites," Patricia, 81, a former teacher and retired special needs assistant, told Business Insider.

They stumbled upon a stunning plot in Kilcroney, a small town about 30 minutes outside Dublin. It was slightly over an acre, with a stream running through it, and offered views of a small mountain nearby.

"It was a forest and there were grass and trees and weeds growing up to it. You couldn't get into it actually," Patricia said. "But it was a beautiful spot."

The couple knew that they had found the perfect place to settle down. But before any construction could take place, the couple had to clear the site.

"We spent many happy picnics with friends out here clearing the site," she said. "And we had to take out a few trees in order to have room to build the house."

Building an energy-efficient house

Living in Ireland, where the skies are often cloudy, they wanted their house to let in as much natural light as possible. They also wanted to be able to enjoy the views of the surrounding natural landscape.

Their architect helped them design the house, which is a four-bedroom, two-bathroom, greenhouse-like structure with a fully glazed front.

"I suppose we liked the idea of being able to see things out of the house — just like our previous house," Paul, 81, who does consulting work for the design and maintenance of database systems, told BI, "There was glass all around the courtyard, where we had a little garden with bamboo growing in it."

The glass front turned their house into a passive solar home, which meant that it could collect and retain heat from the sun to warm its interiors, thereby reducing their energy consumption, he said.

Be it earthen homes that keep cool in the summer or resilient towns that can survive a category-four hurricane, there has been a growing interest in sustainable houses in the face of rising temperatures and the climate crisis.

But in 1976, the year they built their house, it wasn't common to think about houses that way, Paul said.

"It was unusual at the time to have such a system, and it works pretty well. We do have to provide supplementary heat on very cold, wet days, though," he said, adding that they have a few radiators and a wood fire stove on the first floor.

During the summer, when the temperatures are slightly higher, the couple opens all the sliding doors on the glass front of the house, he said.

It's the only house in their neighborhood that's designed this way, he said.

Paul added the house has a building energy rating of C1 — which is on par with houses built in the country since the year 2000. In comparison, most houses in Ireland built before the 1980s typically achieve a low D or E in terms of energy ratings.

"So heating costs would be lower than most of the Irish housing stock," he said.

It helps that the property is surrounded by trees that offer some shade during sunny days.

"If we feel the heat is getting too much, we can open the windows upstairs and get a draft down through that," he said.

It took less than eight months for their house to be built, Patricia said.

Their friends came out to help them with tasks like painting the beams, she said: "We've done nothing to them since. They've just got a nice mellow color now."

The couple says they spent about 35,000 Irish pounds to build the house back then. The Irish pound was replaced by the euro in January 1999.

"It wasn't a very expensive house to build. We were surprised, but that's because of probably the simplicity of the construction and the bit of work we all put in to help keep the cost down," Paul said. "But that was 1976, and things were cheaper then, too."

A home filled with beautiful memories

When they bought the plot of land, the couple had three kids, but by the time they moved into the house, they had four.

"We got a surprise pregnancy, and it was quite stressful at the time, but we did it," Patricia said.

Every nook and cranny of the house is filled with beautiful memories, Paul said.

"It's been a very happy house for bringing up the children. They all loved the fact that there's plenty of wildlife around here and in the forest," he said.

They've kept dogs, cats, and hens throughout the years. At one point in time, they even had ponies, too, Patricia said.

Her favorite spot in the house is her office on the second floor.

"Somebody came out here recently and said, 'I don't know how you managed to do any work here. Just looking out in the garden is lovely," she said.

Paul's favorite spot in the house is the kitchen because "that's where everybody congregates." It overlooks the garden, and it's where they've had many "wonderful parties," he said.

When the couple first moved in, there were only two or three neighbors. But over the years, the community has expanded to include about 17 houses, each on about an acre or more of land, Paul said.

"And we're all in the same WhatsApp group. So if anything happens in the area, everybody's on," he said.

There's a walking trail that runs along the area and into the forest that the couple and a few neighbors have cultivated and maintained over the years.

"We encourage all the neighbors or their children to walk around the area, which means we all meet one another fairly regularly as they're passing by," Paul said.

It's a close-knit community where everyone looks out for each other.

"In fact, we have a long drive — it's about 500 meters from the house down to the road. When we leave our bins out, we have to bring them down to the end of the drive. But our next-door neighbors, when they're going for a walk, they'll pick up our bins and bring them up to the house," he said.

Plans to downsize

At the moment, only the two of them live in the house; their four daughters are all grown up, and three of them live in London.

"We've grown into it. We've taken over, we've spread ourselves out," Patricia said.

However, maintaining a house and garden of this size takes a lot of work. As they're getting older, they've decided to list the house on the market for 1.275 million euros, or about $1.32 million.

"I spent a lot of time in the garden, which I really loved. But I'm just coming to the point now where I'd like to do some other things in my life besides gardening," Patricia said, with a laugh.

Their plan is to move into a smaller place closer to Dublin, where it's easier to get around.

"We both still drive but would like to use more public transport, which is free for pensioners in Ireland," Paul said

They'll be sad to leave their neighbors, he added.

While their eldest daughter considered buying the house a few years ago, Patricia says she knows the house requires "a big commitment."

The property is about 40 minutes from the Dublin airport and about 15 minutes from the coast, making it a great place to live, especially for those who can work from home — like he does, he added.

In fact, working from home was a major factor in his decision to continue working beyond the normal retirement age.

"I love my work, the mental challenges it presents, and the ongoing relationships with my clients," Paul said. "I may slow down a little, but love the stimulus of problem-solving and ongoing study of new technology my work provides."

"The trees, we think, have kept the place, the air, and us very, very healthy," Patricia said. "We feel the trees have looked after us, and they're very big now, but definitely they've looked after us."

In many ways, it's been a home that has grown with them.

"We were excited at the beginning about just doing something very different, but it's been a very happy place for the family," Paul said.

One thing's for sure, Paul said: "There'll be a lot of tears when we leave this place."

• Nicolas Cage used his Saturn Awards acceptance speech to rally against the use of AI in filmmaking.
• "I say, protect yourselves from AI interfering with your authentic and honest expressions," Cage, 61, said.
• The use of artificial intelligence in films has been controversial, and Hollywood seems divided.

Nicolas Cage, 61, is rallying his fellow actors against the use of artificial intelligence in the filmmaking industry.

After winning best actor for his role in the dark comedy film "Dream Scenario" at the 52nd annual Saturn Awards on Sunday, Cage used his acceptance speech to voice his concerns over the potential dangers of using AI in films.

"But there is another world that is also disturbing me," Cage said, per Variety. "It's happening right now around all of us: the new AI world. I am a big believer in not letting robots dream for us. Robots cannot reflect the human condition for us."

He called it a "dead end" if an actor allowed AI to manipulate their performance "even a little bit," because "an inch will eventually become a mile, and all integrity, purity, and truth of art will be replaced by financial interests only."

Cage also said he believed that all art forms were meant to reflect the human condition — something that "robots" cannot do.

"If we let robots do that, it will lack all heart and eventually lose edge and turn to mush," Cage said.

"I say, protect yourselves from AI interfering with your authentic and honest expressions," he said.

This is not the first time the "Longlegs" star has spoken about his concerns about AI in films.

In July, Cage told The New Yorker he was "terrified" that he would have his likeness manipulated by AI without his consent even after he dies.

"I mean, what are you going to do with my body and my face when I'm dead? I don't want you to do anything with it!" he said.

Cage is no stranger to having his likeness manipulated for a film.

In November 2023, he told Yahoo Entertainment that his Superman cameo in "The Flash" turned out differently than he had filmed. Although he wasn't aware of what had happened, he said he didn't think it was AI.

A divided Hollywood

The use of AI in Hollywood has been a controversial topic in recent years and was a key issue of contention during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which lasted 118 days.

Hollywood seems to be divided on the use of AI in films.

During an appearance on "The Adam Buxton Podcast" in May 2023, Tom Hanks said that AI and deepfakes meant that he could appear as his younger self or continue appearing in films even after death.

"Anybody can now recreate themselves at any age they are by way of AI or deepfake technology. Because look, I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that's it, but my performances can go on and on and on and on," Hanks said on the podcast. "Outside the understanding of AI and deepfake, there'll be nothing to tell you that it's not me and me alone. And it's going to have some degree of lifelike quality."

Hanks starred in the 2024 film "Here," which used generative AI to "de-age" him and his costar, Robin Wright, so that they could portray the same characters over a 60-year span.

Conversely, some actors, like Sean Penn, are against using AI to recreate his likeness in films.

In September 2023, Penn argued hypothetically that studio execs who want to create AI versions of him should be willing to let him do the same to their daughters.

"It's an indecent proposal. That they would do that and not be taken to task for it is insulting. This is a real exposé on morality — a lack of morality," Penn told Variety.

More recently, the postwar drama film "The Brutalist" — starring Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones — became the subject of debate when its editor, Dávid Jancsó, revealed to video tech publication Red Shark News that the production team used AI to tweak and "perfect" the two lead actors' pronunciation so they sounded like native Hungarian speakers.

"The Brutalist" won three awards at the 2025 Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture Drama. It also secured 10 nominations for the 97th annual Academy Awards, which are scheduled for March 2.

A representative for Cage did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.

• Matthew McConaughey's mother, 93, says that a positive attitude helps her stay well at her age.
• Kay McConaughey told Austin Lifestyle that she tries to avoid stressful situations wherever possible.
• She also makes a conscious effort to keep her mind active by reading and keeping up with current affairs.

Matthew McConaughey's mother, Kay McConaughey, is 93, and she's still in great shape thanks to being stress-free.

In an interview with Austin Lifestyle, McConaughey — born Mary Kathlene McCabe — said that she's able to lead a vibrant life because she eats well, exercises regularly, and has a positive attitude.

"But, the biggest thing for me is I don't stress. Like, if you and I were really good friends and, and you were talking to me and you had a situation, I would listen to you and I would give you advice and if you didn't take it, then that's it, I wouldn't stress over it," McConaughey told Austin Lifestyle.

She also tries to avoid getting into stressful situations.

"If I see that's where I'm headed, I back off. I'm not going to let people do that to me," she said.

Not only that, McConaughey said that she "never really had any reason to" be stressed when she was younger either.

"I was really popular and I had a zest for life and stress is not a word I can apply to me, ever," she said.

Additionally, she does Pilates four times a week and eats a "very healthy breakfast" consisting of yogurt and "lots of different fruits."

"My father was very healthy and he taught my sister and I that you are what you eat, and you are what you think, and I've tried to live by those two things, really and truly, because if you think you're dumb, guess what? You're probably dumb. If you think you're smart, then you're probably smart," McConaughey said. "So, I have always thought I am what I think, and that's why I think positive."

While she says that her family doesn't have "any sweets in our house, ever," she enjoys drinking wine every day — one glass at 5 o'clock and another glass when she goes to bed.

She acknowledged that keeping her body and mind active at her age requires a conscious effort.

"I read a lot, I keep up with things, you have to work at it at my age. I keep up with current events on my iPad," she said. "I want to know what's happening in the world. I'm curious, very curious about life, still."

Research has shown that chronic stress can weaken the immune system and may also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and gastrointestinal problems.

Just 30 minutes of low to moderate-intensity exercise each day, like walking, can stabilize mood and improve sleep.

Practicing "micro-meditations" that take less than a minute to complete daily can also help to lower stress levels and improve mental health, Dr. Kien Vuu, a physician who specializes in antiaging and regenerative medicine, told Business Insider previously.

One technique involves a simple exercise of focusing on your breath as you inhale for a count of four, hold for a count of seven, and exhale for a count of eight, he said.

Business Insider reached out to Kay McConaughey via a representative for her son, Matthew McConaughey. They did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular hours.

• Bianca Censori, Kanye West's partner, went almost fully nude while walking the 2025 Grammys red carpet.
• Censori, 30, has been romantically linked to the controversial rapper, 47, since January 2023.
• She is an architectural designer at Yeezy, per a LinkedIn profile matching her description.

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is no stranger to making headlines, but his partner Bianca Censori may have outshone him this time.

On Sunday, the rapper, 47, hit the 2025 Grammy Awards red carpet clad in a black shirt and pants, while Censori, 30, wore a black fur coat that she removed to reveal a virtually transparent mini dress underneath.

Censori has been spotted wearing sheer outfits in public multiple times before.

In March, she pulled up to a drive-thru with Ye in a super sheer black bodysuit. A month later, in April, she went to dinner with him in Los Angeles in a completely see-through tube dress and hot pink stockings. In December, she was also seen strolling around Art Basel Miami in a similarly racy nude bodysuit that left little to the imagination.

In January 2023, TMZ reported that the pair had symbolically wed without a marriage certificate in a private ceremony in Beverly Hills. Earlier in the month, they were spotted sharing a meal at the Waldorf Astoria, and Ye was wearing a new ring on his left-hand ring finger in photos taken by TMZ that day.

This came just two months after West finalized his divorce from Kim Kardashian.

Censori and Ye have yet to publicly confirm their marriage, but the rapper did refer to her as a "stepmom" to his children in a since-deleted birthday tribute post on Instagram in January 2024, per People.

Before news of their relationship broke, Censori hadn't been in the spotlight in the same way as Ye's more high-profile exes, like Kardashian and Julia Fox.

Here's everything you need to know about Censori and her connection to Ye. 

Censori is an architectural designer at Yeezy

According to Censori's LinkedIn account, she began working as an architectural designer at Yeezy in November 2020 and has been working full-time at the company.

Before that, she worked as a student architect and design consultant at DP Toscano Architects, an architectural firm in Collingwood, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. 

Censori was also part of the architectural team involved in renovating Ye's Tadao Ando-designed beachfront property in Malibu, per The New Yorker. The rapper paid $57 million for the concrete home in 2011, gutted it, and sold it at a loss for $21 million in 2024.

She previously ran a jewelry brand called Nylons

Censori started Nylons, a jewelry company, just after she finished high school, she told i-D in 2016. "I started playing around with mesh, then putting crystals inside the meshing, just making really simple thin chokers," she said.

She began the company while studying at the University of Melbourne, where she pursued both undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture. The business served as a "creative outlet" while Censori was in architecture school.

She's also a visual artist. 

In 2022, Censori appeared in a group show called "Vital Pleasures" at the Australian gallery It's Nice Inside. She and fellow artist Tanil Raif produced a sculpture of a woman bent over, seemingly covered in vines.

Ye released a song that appears to reference Censori in December 2022

NME reported in December 2022 that Ye dropped an original song that sampled the Alex Jones interview in which he praised Hitler, and also referenced some of his recent controversies and antisemitic remarks. Ye shared the song on Instagram on December 7, 2022, per NME, but the post has since been deleted. 

The caption of the song, which sampled the 1973 Donny Hathaway track "Someday We'll All Be Free," appeared to reference Censori. 

"Censori overload. The variable epitope library from the antigen promotes an immune response in the body," the caption read, a play on the term "sensory overload."

According to Page Six, one of the lyrics of the song reads, "And the Bible said, 'I can't have any more sex 'til marriage."

This story was originally published in 2023 and was updated after Bianca Censori's Grammys appearance.

• Soo Jae Lee and Jeffrey Castro left their NYC studio to live in a tiny house on wheels in Portland.
• "To our astonishment, we didn't slow down. Mother Nature truly keeps you on your toes," Castro, 47, said.
• After two years, they sold the tiny house and said they wouldn't do this full-time again.

Soo Jae Lee and Jeffrey Castro started following tiny house videos on YouTube in 2015.

The couple was living in a 400-square-foot studio apartment in Manhattan at that time, and they were always trying to find ways to make the best use of their limited space. In their apartment, they even built a king-sized loft bed to create a tiny living room space beneath it.

"The studio we lived in in Manhattan made us feel like we would be able to adapt to an even smaller space," Castro, 47, told Business Insider. "We already felt as though we had too many things and were ready to live with even less."

The idea of living in a tiny house started to take root. That, along with the desire to be near nature, led the couple to move to the West Coast in 2019.

They started off in an apartment in the Alberta Arts District of Portland, Oregon. Castro was working remotely for an online media company, while Soo Jae left her fashion career to develop the couple's brand SooJ and Jef, where they sold original artwork — including paintings, textile arts, and punch needle kits — and taught punch needle workshops.

By the end of the year, they had met with designers to start on the plans for their personalized tiny house. However, the pandemic hit — and their build was placed on indefinite hold because of the lockdowns.

They ended up buying a tiny house on wheels from a listing on Facebook Marketplace for about $60,000, and parked it on a lot they leased from farm owners on Sauvie Island — about a 30-minute drive from Portland. Rent was $675 each month and included utilities.

There were four other tiny houses — all occupied — on the farm, in addition to the owners in the main house, Castro said.

"The community was situated on an organic herbal medicine farm that housed animals for homesteading," Castro said. "We seized this opportunity, as it seemed like a rare chance to experience living in a wildlife sanctuary."

Sauvie Island measures about 24,000 acres, making it the largest island along the Columbia River. About 11,643 acres are designated as the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area. According to the Sauvie Island Fire District, there are about 445 households on the island.

The couple knew it wouldn't be easy, but they were eager to embark on a new adventure.

"In retrospect, we realize that we had jumped into the deep end before fully grasping the concept of 'living tiny,'" Castro said.

Tiny living on a farm

When the couple moved into their new tiny house, they made several changes to the interiors.

They moved the existing bed into a fixed lofted position, installed a shower system, and updated the composting toilet. To brighten things up, they also gave their tiny house a fresh coat of paint. All these updates amounted to slightly under $2,000, Castro said.

Being in such a different environment from what they were used to felt new and exciting.

"We had the opportunity to witness nature and wildlife in their most undisturbed state," Castro said. "Every evening, we are treated to the most breathtaking sunsets. The silence at night is equally captivating."

At that time, the couple relied on selling their handmade crafts at local markets to make a living, especially since Castro was laid off from his job when the pandemic hit.

Since they lacked a studio space, their tiny house also served as a makeshift factory, quickly filling up with products and art supplies.

As part of their lease with their landlord, the couple was also required to help out around the farm, Castro said.

But due to their lack of farming skills, their duties were limited to garbage handling, composting, watering, and overseeing the quails on the farm.

To supplement their contributions, the couple also offered to help in other ways, such as painting signs, filming video content for the farm, and photographing products.

The other livestock — such as pigs, goats, and ducks — were primarily cared for by the main family, but since the pens were located near their parking spot, observing them became a part of the couple's daily routine.

Having grown up in the suburbs of New Jersey and Long Island, and later in New York City, living with animals was an eye-opening experience for them, Castro said.

"I adored all of them, and their charming and sometimes shocking behaviors surprised me," he said.

Grappling with unexpected challenges

The couple is part of a growing group who are interested in living tiny.

Housing keeps getting more expensive all around the world, which means that tiny houses are often seen as a cheaper alternative to buying real estate.

Living tiny is also a way to live simply: Six people who live in tiny houses told BI previously that the lifestyle forced them to declutter and cut back on unnecessary spending.

But as much as the couple enjoyed living in their tiny house, they eventually realized that adapting to their new environment was tougher than they had anticipated.

"I would say it took a few months to really sink in that this living situation was not what I expected," Castro said.

Since Sauvie Island was primarily a wildlife area, their internet connection was often spotty, he said.

"We relied on cellular WiFi, which was unreliable and slow at best," he said, adding that their internet plan cost $110 a month.

They also frequently experienced power outages, especially during fire season when the power was turned off during high wind conditions, he said.

When winter came, frozen pipes became a problem — even with heated hoses, Castro said: "In some cases, we faced water shortages for days."

Their location also left them exposed to the elements. Castro remembers the wildfires that broke out across Oregon in September 2020, when smoke filled the air all around them and created hazardous breathing conditions for weeks.

For him, that — coupled with the then-ongoing pandemic restrictions — felt like a "turning point" on their journey.

"When the wildfire smoke engulfed the island, it kept us locked inside the tiny house because of the high toxicity levels," Castro said. "Stepping out the door required an N90 mask, the air was horrible-smelling, and we saw no sunlight that entire time."

The lockdowns also meant they had nowhere else to go — not even into Portland.

"Our small world had become even smaller and dangerous. This situation felt completely beyond our control, and that was terrifying," Castro said.

The following summer, there was also a massive heat wave in the Portland area, where temperatures soared to 116 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Unfortunately, we lacked a cooling system or ice," he said.

"Unfortunate timing" led to their experience

Compared to the city, life on the farm sometimes felt just as fast and overwhelming.

"To our astonishment, we didn't slow down. Mother Nature truly keeps you on your toes," Castro said. "There was always something to prepare for living on the farm, and all of it felt like a tight deadline."

It also made them realize that they took for granted how living and working in the city had kept them from worrying about preparing food on days they couldn't leave their homes.

Looking back, Castro says that experience helped them realize that they were out of their element.

"I fully understand that some of the challenges we faced are common daily struggles, and I'm not complaining," he said. "Honestly, I didn't enter this journey with a clear sense of self or my capabilities."

In many ways, it was "unfortunate timing" that led them to have the experience they had, he said.

Despite that, Castro is grateful for the chance to experiment with a lifestyle like this, which helped him grow and learn.

"In fact, I'm proud of how Soo Jae and I overcame the obstacles we put ourselves through," he added.

Saying goodbye to tiny living

After two years, they moved into an apartment and decided to list their tiny house for sale.

After weeks, they finally sold their tiny house to a couple in Canada who wanted to use it as a vacation home. They preferred to keep the amount they sold the tiny house for private.

In 2023, the couple moved yet again, this time into a rental house in Portland. However, with their lease ending soon, they are now thinking about their next move — which includes leaving Oregon.

While their future plans are still uncertain, they know they will not live in a tiny house on wheels full-time again. At most, Castro said, it will be "as a retreat or studio or rental only."

That said, the couple would be happy to move back to a big city.

"New York and New Jersey have always felt like home, so it would be a comfortable transition," Castro said.

Despite the challenges they faced, he says he doesn't want to discourage anyone from pursuing this option.

"True freedom is the ability to experiment and to push beyond your own borders," Castro said. "I am also so grateful to have a partner to take this journey with and stick it through together."

Do you have any housing or relocation regrets? If you have a story to share, contact this reporter at [email protected].