• When I was a little kid I wanted to have two daughters when I grew up.
• Later in life I realized that motherhood was not for me, but that didn't affect my friendships.
• Just because we chose different paths doesn't mean we can't be friends.

I've always been a researcher. I can spend hours researching different hotel options or scouring reviews for the pros and cons of each specialty pillow I am considering for my chronic neck pain. So, it made sense to bring this level of research and care to what is, in my opinion, one of the biggest decisions I have ever made: motherhood.

For me, making the decision to be child-free put a magnifying glass to the motherhood experience and strengthened the bond with my friends who chose to become mothers.

I wanted to have 2 girls

Like most young girls, I always envisioned having children. I always hoped for two girls. I had names selected and a vision for my life as a future mother. But it is not the job of little girls to think about what being a mother really entails. Sure, I saw my own mother, but despite seeing it with my own eyes, society is rather good about keeping the real work of mothering under wraps. Little girls don't get to see how it can wreck the body, the sleepless nights and the constant pressure mothers feel.

When I got married, I believed motherhood was the logical next step, even though the idea gave me pause, and I didn't quite know why. So, instead of going with my gut, I decided to employ the same skills I honed in writing a master's thesis and go on a fact-finding mission.

I needed to know what exactly went into not only having a baby but actually taking care of one. I decided it was the only way I could truly make the decision if motherhood was right for me. I approached my decision like a research project, and my research led me to my conclusion. Which was no.

But in doing my research, I learned more about what being a mother actually is. I did not shy away from learning about all the ways people give birth. I did not shy away from learning about what happens if a child cannot properly latch. I did not shy away from learning about the emotional toll mothers feel.

I have so much empathy for mothers

The rhetoric around child-free women is that we don't celebrate the mothers in our lives. That we see them as the enemy, or stupid. That is inherently untrue. The research that allowed me to make my own decision about motherhood helped me develop true empathy for the mothers in my life. It wasn't an us vs. them situation for me.

I saw in the eyes of my friends, the same ones I shared first crushes, homecoming dances, and college graduations with make the choice that was following their heart. And instead of letting these important relationships dissolve because "our lives were just too different," I could instead see them for what they actually were. They were women I cared very much about fulfilling their dreams of motherhood. I could be there for them — an ally and a friend.

Making different choices doesn't mean we can't still be friends

The hallmark of a true friendship is one that can grow. Just because these women in my life chose a different path than me does not mean that I cannot be there for them. Friendship is about supporting each other in our pursuits. Theirs was motherhood, and mine is not. These are my friends, and I'm on their team. Motherhood was their choice. My support for them does not simply vanish because they made a choice different from mine.

Recently, I was visiting a friend with a small child. She was struggling to decide the best way to proceed with her child's sleeping arrangement and felt pressure to make the right decision. Instead of shrugging and saying, "I don't know," I could tell her that I understood how child sleeping arrangements can be very cultural. Some believe the baby should sleep separately, and some believe it's better to keep the baby close by. I could see her face immediately light up at my knowledge about her struggle. And instead of being another person in her life there to judge her, I can be a sounding board for her.

My friend sat in front of me with a look of relief on her face; I know for a fact the last thing she needed was another person in her life judging her parenting choices. That's a real friendship. And all it took was a little bit of research.

• As 2025 approaches, it's hard to believe it's been almost 25 years since the turn of the century.
• Famous songs like Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" and NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye" were released in 2000.
• The camera phone and eHarmony are turning 25, too.

In the year 2000, no one could've predicted the impact Jennifer Lopez's green Versace dress, "American Psycho," or Coldplay would have on pop-culture history.

In the nearly 25 years since, Lopez has remained in the public eye, Austin Butler is set to star in an "American Psycho" remake, and Coldplay has gone on to release a slew of popular songs from "Viva la Vida" and "Clocks" to "A Sky Full of Stars."

Though the year 2000 may seem like it wasn't that long ago — especially with Gen Z's attempts to revive Y2K fashion — daily life looked significantly different: The average tank of gas cost $1.52, movie tickets cost $5.39, and Instagram was a decade from invention.

So, with 2025 just around the corner, here's a look back at some of the music, books, film, TV, tech, and newsworthy events that first captured our attention 25 years ago and have held on ever since.

NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye" was released on January 17, 2000.

In January 2000, boy band NSYNC released "Bye Bye Bye" as the lead single for their album "No Strings Attached."

The song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 list, and the music video became a cultural phenomenon, staying in first place on "Total Request Live" for 25 days. It was even nominated for Video of the Year at MTV Video Music Awards.

Ricky Martin's hit single "She Bangs" is turning 25.

Twenty-five years ago, Ricky Martin released "She Bangs," and the single climbed the charts. It reached 12th place on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for 18 weeks.

"I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack was also released 25 years ago.

When Lee Ann Womack released her country single "I Hope You Dance" in 2000, it became a hit. It reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and she earned a Country Music Association Award for single of the year.

Baha Men's "Who Let the Dogs Out" also turns 25 this year.

When Baha Men first released "Who Let the Dogs Out," it flopped, barely reaching the top 40. But slowly, the single gained popularity in the early 2000s, as the catchy lyrics and tune caught on.

Bon Jovi carried their career into the new decade with "It's My Life," released May 8, 2000.

In the '80s and '90s, Bon Jovi released massive hits like "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name," but the band released another hit single in 2000: "It's My Life." The song eventually climbed to the top of the charts, carrying the band into another decade of success.

Coldplay's debut album, "Parachutes," was released in July 2000.

Bandmates Chris Martin, Will Champion, Jonny Buckland, and Guy Berryman released their debut studio album, "Parachutes," in July 2000 under the name Coldplay.

The album featured the song "Yellow," which remains a fan-favorite.

The fourth book in the "Harry Potter" series, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," was released in July 2000.

Following the success of her three other books in the "Harry Potter" series, JK Rowling published her fourth book, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," in the summer of 2000.

In 2020, Screen Rant reported that the book has sold about 65 million copies, making it the second-most popular book in the series.

Twenty-five years since the book's release, the franchise is still extremely successful, with a film series, amusement rides at Universal Studios, a show on Broadway, and an upcoming TV series.

However, Rowling herself has been the subject of controversy in recent years.

It's been nearly 25 years since Julia Quinn released the first two books in the "Bridgerton" series, "The Duke and I" and "The Viscount Who Loved Me."

In the nearly 25 years since their release, Quinn's books have become the source material behind one of Netflix's most popular series to date: "Bridgerton."

The show, and its spinoff series, "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story," attracted 189 million views in the first half of 2024, with season three of "Bridgerton" accounting for 92 million in less than two months following its releases in May and June.

Season four is currently in the works.

"Erin Brockovich," starring Julia Roberts, came out in 2000.

"Erin Brockovich" is a biographical film about the real-life woman — played by Julia Roberts — who battled a California power company after it was accused of polluting a city's water. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture. Roberts took home the Oscar for best actress.

The movie "Almost Famous" is turning 25.

"Almost Famous" became a cultural juggernaut when it came out in 2000. The movie follows a high schooler who's writing an article for Rolling Stone about a new rock band.

It features an all-star cast, including Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Anna Paquin, and Zooey Deschanel. The film went on to be nominated for four Academy Awards, but it only took home one for best original screenplay.

Christian Bale took on the iconic role of Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho," released in April 2000.

Twenty-five years ago, a then 26-year-old Christian Bale starred as Patrick Bateman, a banking exec who moonlights as a psychopathic killer, in "American Psycho." The movie quickly became a cult classic — in 2013, the film was even turned into a Broadway musical.

The first "Scary Movie" was released in July 2000.

In the summer of 2000, "Scary Movie" was released to parody the most popular horror films of the time, including "Scream," "Sixth Sense," and "The Blair Witch Project." It went on to be a success, launching Anna Faris' acting career and sparking multiple sequels.

In October 2024, Marlon, Shawn, and Keenan Wayans announced they're returning to the franchise for "Scary Movie 6."

It's been nearly 25 years since Russell Crowe played Maximus in Ridley Scott's "Gladiator."

In 2000, Russell Crowe starred as Maximus, a vengeful Roman general, in "Gladiator." The following year, the film was nominated 12 times at the Academy Awards, winning best picture. Crowe also took home the trophy for best actor.

Its sequel, "Gladiator II," was released in 2024 and starred Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and Denzel Washington.

In August 2000, "Bring It On" was released.

In 2000, Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union starred as rival cheerleading captains Torrance and Isis in the hit teen movie "Bring It On."

The success of the film prompted several sequels in the following years.

"Survivor" made its debut in May 2000.

"Survivor" premiered on CBS on May 31, 2000. In the reality TV competition, strangers are placed in a remote and isolated location, then they have to find food and shelter, while also competing in challenges.

Each contestant is voted off the island one by one until there's only one standing survivor. That person wins $1 million. Over the last 25 years, "Survivor" has had 47 seasons, all of which have been hosted by Jeff Probst.

Another CBS show, "Big Brother," also debuted 25 years ago.

After "Survivor," CBS premiered another hit reality competition show in July 2000: "Big Brother."

The series follows a group of strangers who are forced to live together in a house while under constant surveillance. They compete in challenges and, in the end, one person wins $500,000.

Through the years, the show became increasingly popular, prompting spin-offs like "Celebrity Big Brother." So far, there have been 26 seasons, all hosted by Julie Chen Moonves.

The world's first camera phone was introduced 25 years ago.

Although camera phones are common today, the first phone for sale with a camera was released in 2000. The phone was called J-SH04, and it had just a 0.1-megapixel resolution.

A 2002 version of the J-Phone is pictured above.

The popular dating website eHarmony launched in 2000.

Before there was Tinder or Bumble, clinical psychologist Dr. Neil Clark Warren created eHarmony, a website designed to help you meet your perfect match.

The site initially had users answer more than 450 questions to help them better enter long-term relationships. Since then, the site has cut down its questions, but remained one of the top online dating services. In 2017, for example, eHarmony had 750,000 paid subscribers and 10 million active users.

The first "The Sims" game is turning 25, too.

The popular computer game, "The Sims," made its debut on February 4, 2000, and since then, the franchise has sold 200 million game copies, according to The Washington Post.

One of the most recent editions of the game, "The Sims 4: Life and Death," was released on October 31, 2024.

The teen clothing brand Hollister opened in 2000.

In 2000, Abercrombie & Fitch launched a new brand called Hollister, geared toward teenagers. The clothing store markets itself as laid-back attire, inspired by California's relaxed lifestyle.

Today, there are more than 500 Hollister stores worldwide.

2025 will also be the 25th anniversary of Jennifer Lopez's iconic sheer green Versace dress.

In a February 2024 "Life in Looks" interview with Vogue, Lopez said that her stylist at the time, Andrea Lieberman, asked her not to wear the dress.

"My stylist was like, 'Please don't wear it. Somebody else has worn it,''" Lopez said, adding, "I was like, 'Well, you bought it, and it looks the best, so I'm going to wear it.' And so I did. And it caused quite a stir."

Lopez isn't wrong — the world has her and that dress to thank for Google Image Search, according to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

It's also the 25th anniversary of the 2000 World Series — dubbed the "Subway Series" — as the Yankees took on the Mets.

In the end, the Yankees became champions, winning its third consecutive World Series four games to one.

Venus Williams will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of her first Wimbledon women's singles final win.

At just 20 years old, Venus Williams lifted the Wimbledon trophy for the first time in her career after defeating Lindsay Davenport.

Williams went on to win the Wimbledon singles' trophy four more times. She also has won six Wimbledon doubles titles.

It's been 25 years since the legendary 2000 presidential election, which ended with a Supreme Court case.

Twenty-five years later, it's easy to forget how close the 2000 presidential election was.

Democratic nominee Al Gore and Republican nominee George W. Bush went head to head, but on election night, it was unclear who won.

With the votes so close in Florida, the state ordered a recount. After a slew of legal fights around the recount in Florida, the Supreme Court decided that the initial results would be counted, giving Bush the election. He won by a .009% margin, or 537 votes.

The International Space Station is also celebrating a 25-year milestone: Its first live-in crew arrived in 2000.

Although President Ronald Reagan ordered NASA to build the International Space Station in 1984, it wasn't until 2000 that people actually lived on it.

Bill Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko, and Sergei Krikalev became the first three to reside on the ISS and live there for several months. Since then, more than 270 people from over 20 countries have visited the ISS, according to NASA.

• My husband and I went from the US to Berlin for a work opportunity two years ago.
• Renting in Berlin was incredibly difficult, and the city would get a bit too packed with tourists.
• We moved south to Dresden and have been so happy with its greenery, architecture, and nightlife.

Two years ago, my husband and I (along with our two cats) made the big move from Massachusetts to Berlin for a work opportunity.

We were excited to live in a capital city for the first time, as we'd always resided in the suburbs around Boston. Although the German city was beautiful, we had a tough time living there.

In February, we left Berlin and moved about two hours south to Dresden. It's been one of the best decisions we've made since arriving in Germany.

Here are a few things that pushed out of Berlin, plus a few ways Dresden really won us over.

Rent in Berlin skyrocketed, and finding housing became incredibly competitive

Berlin is known to be fairly affordable, especially compared to other European capitals like Paris or Amsterdam.

Still, over the last few years, it's become one of the most expensive cities for renters in Germany as housing costs have gone up.

Many projects to build more housing have been placed on hold as renters struggle to find apartments — the German capital had a vacancy rate of less than 1% as of 2023.

We've had far better luck finding a place to live in Dresden, probably because it's not a major city. Rental prices have also been more affordable for us.

Dresden gets less crowded with tourists

Berlin is one of the most visited cities in Europe, attracting millions of visitors each year. While we lived there, popular areas like Alexanderplatz, Brandenburg Gate, and Museum Island appeared to be constantly bustling with tourists.

During peak travel seasons, this led to overcrowded trains, buses, and trams along with delays for regular commuters like us.

In comparison, Dresden draws millions fewer visitors a year. We still get some tourists (particularly for its famous Christmas markets) but at a smaller volume.

Plus, since we can now afford to live in the city center, we can walk to most places and avoid crowded public transit and traffic congestion.

Dresden offers us better access to nature — and its architecture is beautiful

As nature lovers, we appreciate the green spaces and large parks in Berlin, but they don't compare to what we have in Dresden.

More than half of our city is covered in green spaces and forests. We love the beautiful Elbe River, which goes right through Dresden.

Plus, we're only about an hour from the gorgeous Saxon Switzerland (Saxony) National Park — a trip there could take about three hours from Berlin.

We also have access to paved paths along the river for biking, plus many beautiful hiking trails.

The city holds its own when it comes to architectural ambiance, too. While Berlin has many impressive landmarks, Dresden is also renowned for its architecture and cultural monuments, like Zwinger Palace and the Saxon State Opera.

We especially enjoy walking through its Old City to admire the intricate and opulent buildings with lavish sculptures and terraced gardens.

Berlin has a famous nightlife scene, but Dresden's is a better fit for us

Berlin's nightlife is legendary and filled with variety, especially compared to what you might find in Dresden.

Its techno clubs like Berghain and Sisyphos draw in international crowds with their parties and long opening hours — some go entire weekends without closing.

We're not big club people, so we prefer Dresden's laid-back bars and slightly quieter nightlife scene. Our smaller city has fewer clubs, and many of the ones we have feel more intimate.

Overall, we're happy with our choice to move

Dresden has been more affordable than Berlin, and our access to nature and stunning architecture has blown us away.

It feels like home to us now, and we're happier living in such a beautiful city.

• I've lived in Miami for more than six years, and the area has so much to offer visitors.
• As a Miami local, I enjoy exploring the culture and history in Little Haiti and Liberty City.
• North Miami Beach has some great outdoor activities, but South Beach can get crowded.

Miami is one of the most popular vacation spots in the United States, and for good reason.

Its proximity to the tropics ensures warm weather almost any day of the year, and Dade County's eastern border has miles of coastline.

Plus, there's so much more to experience in Miami than expensive cabanas, parties, and Cuban food, especially if you want to support local social, cultural, and economic diversity,

Having lived here for over six years, here are some of my favorite parts of Dade to visit — and one you may want to skip.

Immerse yourself in culture in Little Haiti.

Before moving to Miami, I didn't realize Southern Florida was home to such a large Haitian and Haitian-American population.

If you're unaware like I was, do yourself a favor and spend a day immersing yourself in Little Haiti. Stroll through the Little Haiti Cultural, Complex, soak in the neighborhood's murals, and eat some pikliz and Haitian patties.

Be sure to stop into Libreri Mapou, a bookstore that sells French and Creole titles year-round. Or, if you're a literary enthusiast, plan your trip in the spring so you can swing by the Little Haiti Book Festival, which has tons of booksellers, authors, and more.

Allapattah has some incredible Dominican food.

You'll know you're officially in Allapattah when you see lampposts and street corners adorned with signs depicting alligators.

"Allapattah" is the Seminole word for "alligator," and the name stuck even though these reptiles mostly live in the Everglades now.

It's one of the oldest neighborhoods in Miami, and many locals consider it one of the best places to order Dominican food in Dade. Club Tipico Dominicano is a popular pick.

Plus, Allapattah is home to Rubell Museum and SuperBlue, two destinations where you can enjoy a renowned art scene.

Liberty City and Brownsville have some of the city's best-preserved African American history.

Liberty City and Brownsville are historic neighborhoods within Miami.

Take a step back in time when you visit the Historic Hampton House in Brownsville, a converted hotel that once hosted the likes of Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Then, stop into the Joseph Caleb Auditorium or the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center to enjoy a local show from some of the neighborhood's most talented performers.

Finally, end your day by ordering food from some of Liberty City's best restaurants, like World Famous Theo's Seafood and Pasta or World Famous Rib Shack.

There's a lot to do in Downtown Miami.

Situated on Biscayne Bay, Downtown Miami is an expansive neighborhood bustling with activities.

This part of the city technically includes Brickell, Miami's Financial District, but I want to focus on all the attractions just north of the Miami River.

This part of Miami is one of the few walkable places in the city, so ditch your car and spend time on foot or exploring via the free Metromover.

Definitely take time to explore HistoryMiami Museum, Frost Museum of Science, Pérez Art Museum, and Bayside Marketplace.

Stay in the county but leave the city with a visit to North Miami and North Miami Beach.

North Miami and North Miami Beach technically aren't part of the City of Miami, but they're part of Miami-Dade County and worth a visit on your next vacation.

Outdoor activities are popular in these areas. If you have a day to spend in nature, hike or kayak through Oleta River State Park.

Alternatively, if you only have a few hours to spend here, drop by Greynolds Park or the Ancient Spanish Monastery to enjoy an afternoon surrounded by sun and palm trees.

Consider skipping South Beach.

Similar to North Miami, South Beach isn't technically in the City of Miami. It's part of Miami Beach, the official name for the city that lies just to the right of Miami proper.

You have to cross one of Dade's many bridges to get to Miami Beach, and South Beach is one of the most popular parts of the beach you can visit.

If you've never been to Miami, by all means, pass through South Beach. Its beaches, architecture, and nightlife are famous for a reason.

However, I don't think it's the best beach in Dade. From a resident's perspective, South Beach often gets too crowded, and the amenities aren't as nice as you can find on other stretches of sand.

Plus, parking is expensive on South Beach. Whether you want to book a hotel on Ocean Drive or spend a day on the sand, expect to pay a decent chunk of change.

If you're looking for something quieter, try North Beach or Hollywood instead.

• Business Insider asked travel planners what destinations they think will be popular next year.
• South Asian countries Sri Lanka and Bhutan are catching more people's eyes.
• If you want a more unique European vacation, plan a trip to Slovenia.

Whether you travel frequently or once a year, it can be difficult to determine which places are worth visiting.

To help you narrow down your list (or discover something new), Business Insider asked travel planners about the more under-the-radar destinations their clients are asking about for 2025.

Here's what they said.

Sri Lanka is a bucket-list-worthy destination.

Kimberly Denison, a Virtuoso travel advisor and the founder of Denison Travel, said more people are setting their sights on Sri Lanka.

The South Asian country is home to a plethora of beaches and rainforests, making it easy for travelers to explore the scenery through engaging activities like hikes or surfing sessions.

"Most people don't realize how geographically diverse Sri Lanka is and that it makes it a wonderful destination for folks who enjoy having a wide range of scenery and experiences without extensive amounts of travel in between," she told BI.

Istria is making a name for itself with high-quality cuisine.

Although the Dalmatian Coast is typically top of mind in Croatia, Molly Arena, a luxury travel advisor at Fora, said to keep an eye on Istria.

The region, located on a northwest peninsula of Croatia — which also shares land with Italy and Slovenia — has everything from medieval towns to beautiful beaches to explore. However, it's perhaps best known for its offerings for foodies.

"Rising interest in culinary travel fits perfectly with Istria's offerings of truffles, olive oil, and wine," she told BI.

It's also a nice alternative to the often crowded European regions of Tuscany in Italy and Provance in France.

Bhutan's decreased tourism tax is enticing.

Bhutan, a small country bordering India and Tibet, offers adventurous activities like river rafting excursions, hot-stone baths, and hiking trails. However, Rochelle Hathaway, a travel advisor at Fora, said the destination is also known for its tranquil atmosphere.

One of the highlights of the country is its dzongs, which are fortified monasteries with intricate architecture.

Some countries charge tourists a fee to visit and access local amenities, stores, restaurants, and accommodations. That's true for Bhutan, but in recent years, the country has decreased its tax rate from $200 a day to $100 a day.

Hathaway predicts this will help to attract more tourists in the new year.

Some tourists headed to Indonesia are skipping Bali and heading to Java instead.

Lael Kassis, the vice president of marketing innovation and development at EF Go Ahead Tours, said she's seeing more clients booking trips to the Indonesian island of Java.

"Travelers are slowly discovering there is a lot more to Indonesia than just Bali," he told BI. "The Island of Java — filled with culture, history, and volcanoes — is just a quick trip from Bali and easy to combine when traveling."

In particular, Kassis said, the Borobudur Temple and Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park are sites attracting tourists to Java.

Uruguay is a vibrant destination for tourists.

Arena told BI that Uruguay is a hot spot for art and culture.

"There are many museums and galleries to choose from throughout the Punta del Este, Montevideo, and Colonia del Sacramento regions in Uruguay, in addition to renowned art and film festivals such as Este Arte, Montevideo Art Festival, and the José Ignacio International Film Festival," she said.

The historic quarter in Colonia del Sacramento is even a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beyond that, though, the country is also known for its beautiful beaches.

"Uruguay has one of the world's best beach resorts in José Ignacio, often likened to the Hamptons," she said.

Slovenia seems likely to attract outdoorsy tourists.

Travelers are increasingly seeking destinations where they feel they can do and see it all. Because of that, Denison anticipates a boom in Slovenia tourism within the next year.

Slovenia is fairly small but also geographically diverse, making it easier for visitors to see a lot of the country — and its many different landscapes — in a short period of time.

"Boasting mountains, lakes, vineyards, and the Adriatic Sea all in a compact and uncrowded setting, it offers the kind of exclusive, personalized experiences that today's travelers crave," she said.

• One Georgia high school has gone all-in on artificial intelligence.
• Students at Seckinger High School learn math, science, English, and history through an AI lens.
• Teachers say students are more engaged and better prepared for the jobs of the future.

Prior to joining the faculty at Seckinger High School, art teacher Megan Fowler's only experience with anything even resembling artificial intelligence was a single graphic design class in college.

But as her teaching career progressed, "I just felt like what I was teaching was not necessarily applicable to students' future careers," she told Business Insider.

Now, Fowler, who is in her 13th year of teaching, uses AI every day. Whether she's teaching students how to use large language models like ChatGPT as an artistic thought partner, introducing kids to the ethical considerations of generative art, or spearheading AI-centered professional development content for fellow teachers, Fowler has fully submitted to the power of machine learning.

Seckinger High School, located in Gwinnett County, Georgia, opened its doors in August 2022, right as AI went big. The public school, with an enrollment of about 2,000 students, operates like any other public school in Georgia's largest school district, with one critical distinction: Students at Seckinger learn all the standard fare — math, science, English, and social studies — via an AI-embedded educational experience.

With outside help from tech partners and community collaborators, including Google and Microsoft, as well as higher ed experts and school district leaders, Gwinnett County Public Schools created an "AI-ready" framework for Seckinger students, replete with six components ranging from technical proficiency to ethics, said Sallie Holloway, director of artificial intelligence and computer science at the district.

"Our students are making connections to their future that is not as common in other schools," Holloway said.

Teachers and administrators at the school see it as their responsibility to prepare students for the jobs of the future, many of which will require advanced knowledge of AI, four Seckinger educators told BI.

And it's an approach that is likely to pay off, according to education experts.

Bree Dusseault, managing director at the Center for Reinventing Education, cited an Institute for the Future statistic that approximately 85% of the jobs that will be available in 2030 don't yet exist.

"So, how do we build a school system that is helping prepare our students for this new future?"

How it works

Seckinger staff members explain the school's AI approach using a water-based metaphor. Students can choose to swim, snorkel, or scuba dive in the oceans of AI.

"We like to say that all of our kids are swimming in AI," said teacher Jason Hurd, who heads the AI career and technical education pathway at Seckinger. "They are exposed to it, have access to it, see it integrated into their lessons across all content areas at school."

Next are the snorkelers, students who want to dive a bit deeper into the tech. They might take an AI elective class or join the robotics team.

Scuba divers, meanwhile, are the students who opt to enroll in the school's AI pathway, which immerses students to the nuanced mechanics of AI via three advanced courses. These students finish high school prepared to go into a specific field involving AI, Hurd said.

AI integration at Seckinger looks very different depending on the class, subject, and teacher.

For example, Scott Gaffney, a social studies teacher, uses AI to teach students historical problem-solving. In one instance, Gaffney presented students with an outbreak of cholera in 1854 London and asked them to use AI to map the spread via dot distribution. The students then used AI to analyze the data and pinpoint the nexus of the outbreak to a specific street, he told BI.

"Gen Z processes information way faster than previous generations," Gaffney said. "It's fun to present them with a challenge and task them to use AI to get the solution."

Hurd's AI pathway course covers everything from programming to applied reasoning to ethics.

"I tell students that some days it will feel like a math class, some days it will like a philosophy class, some days it will feel like a history class," Hurd said.

How it's working so far

The school, which is currently in its third year of operations, is still in pilot mode as the district waits to see what aspects of Seckinger's AI approach are ready to scale and share across the rest of the 142-school system, Holloway said.

But the anecdotal results thus far have been overwhelmingly positive, educators said.

"Kids aren't skipping class as much and there's a genuine interest in how teachers are teaching this content," Holloway said. "It's not a magic bullet, but they really are seeing an increase in engagement."

It helps that students at Seckinger generally feel like they know why they're learning something and how it might help them down the line, teachers said.

While there was some early community skepticism around Seckinger's AI concept, educators said that parent attitudes have done a 180 in the last three years.

"Parents want their kids to go here, and kids want to be here," Fowler said.

Still in its infancy, the school has yet to graduate a cohort that spent a full four years at Seckinger. Hurd, who runs the AI pathway, said he's gotten great feedback from former students who have gone on to enroll at Georgia Tech. Similarly, Fowler said she's seen some students go on to study digital art or user experience after graduating from Seckinger.

Looking to the future

Part of the fun — and challenge — for Seckinger teachers is staying up-to-date with the rapidly evolving technology. When the district first began discussing the idea behind Seckinger in 2019, ChatGPT had yet to be released. Today, it has over 180 million users.

"Algebra has always been algebra and will be forever," Hurd said. "But the field of AI is constantly changing.

While some schools and districts are taking a hard-line approach to dealing with AI in education — banning tools like ChatGPT or Gemini from school servers — Seckinger staff are excited to see how their students can use AI to one day change the world.

"There were once things called Google and Wikipedia that people thought would ruin education," Gaffney said. "They haven't. They've actually sharpened our future leaders."

• After 20 years, my husband blindsided me and said he wanted a divorce.
• Facing a future I never imagined, I booked a solo trip to Belgium, which ignited a new love of travel.
• Since then, I've traveled to 21 countries, embracing new adventures and discovering new joys.

"My soul is deeply unhappy. I want a divorce." He said abruptly, with no softening of the hammer he'd just dropped.

My husband of nearly 20 years dumped me unceremoniously on an otherwise unremarkable Friday evening in January. We'd spent the day together, running errands and sharing fries at lunch. Sitting down to dinner in our dining room, I'd asked if he was okay. He'd been distant lately, but I hadn't seen this coming.

The day after he left, I was on my friend's couch sobbing until I couldn't breathe, while she rubbed my back. "What do you want your next chapter to look like?" She asked.

I didn't know what kind of music I liked, let alone how to rewrite a life whose chapters had long been written. For years, I'd let my daughter or husband choose the soundtrack while I rode along, abandoning myself to the roles of wife and mother. When we divorced, I didn't just lose my marriage, my co-parent, my "person," I lost the roadmap to the future we'd planned so diligently, together.

"I don't know," I told my friend. "I think I want to travel." But I'd never traveled alone, and I didn't know if I was brave enough to do it as a 50 year old single woman.

The timing was actually right

The divorce came at personal trifecta: I had no job, my daughter's enrollment in boarding school left barren the nest I'd feathered, and I was turning 50. Soon after, I returned to the workforce as a school administrator. My job anchored me.

With Thanksgiving approaching, I faced five and a half days alone, as my soon-to-be ex-husband had our daughter for the holiday. Hands shaking, I booked a plane ticket. My destination criteria: flight time under eight hours and $700 and a country I hadn't visited. I flew to Belgium.

In Brussels, I wandered cobblestone streets bedecked with hanging greens and Christmas lights, watching as workers erected a huge tree at La Grand-Place. I sampled buttery chocolate from artisanal shops and salty frites from stands whose windows opened to the street. I daytripped to Bruges and took a self-guided walking tour along the charming canals. As I wandered, a veil of contentment draped itself over the ache of this lonely holiday.

A new year, a new adventure

The following Thanksgiving, alone again and with the same criteria, I traveled to Portugal. On a food tour, I sampled savory salt cod mixed with mashed potatoes; creamy, custardy, pasteis de nada tarts; and ginjinha, a sour cherry liqueur infused with cinnamon. I took trains to the Seussical-like Pena Palace in Sintra, and to Porto, where I learned how port wine was made. Navigating train schedules and solo dining slowly flexed a growing travel muscle.

Traveling made me feel empowered

Over time, I grew braver, traveling further afield, eventually finding myself in Kathmandu, Nepal for a writing workshop. There, among marigold leis and prayer beads, I met a community of creatives who became close friends. As we walked in meditation around the watchful eyes of Boudhanath Stupa, in step with the Tibetan Buddhists who held it sacred, I felt at peace for the first time since the breakup.

In the six years since my husband left me, I've traveled to 21 countries and my 50s look nothing like I'd imagined they would. I've bathed in thermal baths in Budapest, floated down the Mekong River in Laos, hot-air ballooned above the otherworldly landscape of Cappadocia and foraged for cloudberries in Finland. I've found my footing in the world, choosing adventures he wouldn't have favored. I'm grateful for my divorce. From the wreckage, arose a life more robust and fulfilling than I'd ever dreamed possible.

• Traditional luxury vacations are evolving as the travel industry expands.
• Gen Zers now have more of a say, changing how the wealthy travel.
• From 'coolcations' to hyper-specific wellness getaways, these are the new trends to know.

Who cares about luxury bags, watches, or coats when you can put that money toward your next lavish trip?

That seems to be the thinking of some wealthy consumers right now, as demand for luxury goods slows, but travel and experiences continue to gain traction, according to Bain's latest deep dive into the luxury industry.

The type of people spending more on travel is also changing. Notably, younger, aspirational travelers are entering the mix. They want to ensure their trips are stress-free, value-oriented, and full of high-end experiences.

With the industry expanding and younger generations coming into the fray, the classic luxury holiday involving lounging around a 5-star hotel by the beach isn't quite cutting it anymore.

Here's a closer look at luxury travel trends that are picking up speed heading into the new year:

Social media is dictating wealthy travelers' itineraries, thanks to Gen Z

When it comes to luxury family vacations, Gen Z is increasingly calling the shots.

Inspired by social media and what they want to post on their Instagram and TikTok accounts on holiday, younger travelers are becoming more opinionated about the activities they want to do and the destinations they wish to visit.

Julia Carter, the founder of the luxury travel agency Craft Travel, told Business Insider that the phenomenon has become increasingly pervasive. Now, roughly 80% of family trips her company organizes are influenced by Gen Zers, who suggest destinations and activities based on what they've seen on social media.

"It's definitely the hotels that they're most interested in," Carter said. "You can go to London or Paris, but unless you get these money shots, as they say, how do you show that you really did it in style? The hotel is the proof."

Health and wellness are top of the holiday agenda

Wellness tourism is growing, and it's getting a lot more specific, according to luxury travel network Virtuoso's 2025 trend report.

From genetic testing and menopause therapy to virility treatments and brain-boosting, luxury hospitality venues tapping into wellness tourism are popping up around the world, the report said.

Slow travel isn't going anywhere

Black Tomato has also seen demand increase for what it dubs "silent travel," whereby clients who predominantly live in big cities seek intentional, quiet resets away from the hustle and bustle.

These vacations can last as long as a month, aligning with the already popular slow travel movement, which has seen people crave longer and less rushed holidays.

Samy Ghachem, general manager of La Dolce Vita Orient Express, told BI that he calls the movement "slow cruising" and said it originated shortly post-COVID-19.

Since then, Ghachem said: "People have developed an appetite, an interest, a desire to slow down, to increase the quality of the experience, and to appreciate that experience more."

The rich are paying to 'get lost' on vacation

One of the quirkier trends set to pick up speed is a desire among travelers to challenge themselves in the wild.

As Scott Dunn, a luxury travel agency founded in the UK, reports in its "What's Hot for 2025" report, there's a growing interest in remote experiences with clients seeking "to step out of their comfort zone, and use travel as a medium for discovery, deep immersion and transformation."

Black Tomato offers a "Get Lost" service, where clients are challenged to find their way out of a remote destination while being monitored by a support team.

Travelers who book the service often don't know the terrain or what they will be required to do upon arrival, but that appears to be exactly the point.

They're also loving the luxury all-inclusive

Luxury all-inclusive trips also seem to be having a moment.

Travel agent Fora told BI it's seen a 324% increase year-over-year in bookings across top-booked all-inclusive brands in 2024. Scott Dunn also listed the luxury all-inclusive as a key travel trend for 2025.

While convenience and the feeling of luxury for decent value are big draws, all-inclusive resorts that offer more than relaxing by a beach are among the most popular options.

As Scott Dunn reports, clients are booking all-inclusive venues that "go beyond the typical 'fly and flop' beach hotel to encompass everything from safari camps and remote lodges, to cruise journeys and wellness retreats."

Wealthy travelers pay big bucks for unique experiences

From flying to Texas for the best views of the solar eclipse this year to heading to Australia to catch a glimpse of the rare pink Lake Hillier or the Namib desert for the fairy circles, Black Tomato and Scott Dunn report seeing an uptick in clientele crafting itineraries around "once-in-a-lifetime" moments in nature.

The trend aligns with the "last chance tourism" trend that Will Bolsover, founder and CEO of Natural World Safaris, told BI is gaining momentum.

"We're seeing more of our clients booking trips and requesting experiences because they know they might not always be available," he said. "Sometimes these requests are related to specific iconic locations that are at threat of climate change, such as travelers wanting to see Mount Kilimanjaro while there's still snow at the peak and seeing Antarctica before the ice melts," he added.

They're swapping the beach for 'coolcations' in the summer

Some wealthy travelers are booking escapes to destinations known for cooler summer temperatures, a switch from the traditional desire to head to the beach.

Scott Dunn, for example, reported a 26% increase in bookings for trips to Finland and Norway this summer, while Luggage Forward, a global door-to-door luggage delivery service, said it's seeing more of its clients head to cooler destinations.

"With most of our clients being US city dwellers, we are seeing a rise in their interest in more remote, colder countries," Luggage Forward's co-CEO Audrey Kohout said. "This kind of travel is more adventurous than your typical summer beach vacation, with outdoor winter activities like skiing being the focal point of many of these trips."

Luxury vacations offering access to racket sports are all the rage

Sports like padel and pickleball are growing in popularity in the US, and the desire to keep playing on holiday is taking hold.

According to Virtuoso's 2025 travel report, luxury resorts are increasingly building "state-of-the-art" courts and facilities for racket sports to attract wealthy guests.

Dubbed the "racketeering trend," pioneers of the sports/luxury travel combo include the British billionaire Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, whose exclusive Necker Island retreat now houses courts for padel, pickleball, and tennis.

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

Welcome back to our Sunday edition, a roundup of some of our top stories of the last week. I hope you're enjoying some well-deserved rest — or if you have a ton of unwanted gifts to return in person this weekend, good luck with those lines in stores.

We're skipping the dispatch today while we take a bit of time off ourselves, so let's get right to this week's reads.

On the agenda today:

• Elon Musk's private jets made 355 flights this year. Here's where they went.
• Suchir Balaji's mom talks about his life, death, and disillusionment with OpenAI.
• In the fallout of the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni saga, crisis PR faces a reckoning.
• Luxury vacation rentals are the real winners of the Airbnboom.

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

A year of Elon Musk's private jet travels

The private jets of the world's wealthiest man spent a lot of time in the air in 2024. BI used jet-tracking data to chart the 335 flights Musk's private jets have taken so far this year.

The results help show how extensively Musk has burrowed into Trumpworld and, alongside his coming advisory role to the new White House and millions of dollars in donations, provides another window into his growing political involvement.

Here's where Musk's private jets traveled in 2024.

BI interviews mom of OpenAI whistleblower

Former OpenAI employee Suchir Balaji made waves when he spoke against the startup, discussing how it might be breaking copyright laws.

In November, the young engineer was found dead. The tragedy struck a chord, stoking conspiracy theories, grief, and debate. What do we lose when AI models gain? In an exclusive interview with BI, Balaji's mother offered clues.

Read the full interview.

PR's image problem

Blake Lively's bombshell lawsuit against her "It Ends With Us" costar Justin Baldoni thrust crisis PR into the spotlight. Lively accused Baldoni, his publicist, and a crisis PR expert of smearing her in the press in retaliation for harassment complaints.

Details from the legal complaint offer a peek behind the curtain at the public relations industry. It's also giving the profession a bad rap, experts told BI.

An industry in crisis.

Leading luxury

Travelers are spending less on cheap Airbnbs. But high-end vacation rentals are booming, and that taste for luxury is pushing the short-term rental market to new heights.

And as demand booms, Airbnb's competitors are entering the fray. Some of them boast personalized experiences and 24/7 customer care — for up to thousands of dollars per night.

Hotels are out; luxe rentals are in.

This week's quote:

"My mindset has always been, look, I'll set a really high bar, but I'll not let the microevents or little things take away too much energy. That's made me better at my job."

— Aamanh Sehdev, a 28-year-old who went from summer intern to McKinsey partner in 7 years.

More of this week's top reads:

• It's extremely rare for prisoners to win lawsuits on Eighth Amendment claims.
• The 'godfather of EVs' explains why China is winning the race to go electric — and why hybrids are a 'fool's errand'.
• Paying off student-loan debt and traveling the world: How the overemployed use their extra earnings.
• Skipping college and switching jobs: What older Americans regret about their careers.
• Where the richest people in the world spend the December holidays.
• 25 top stocks to buy for up to 97% upside heading into 2025: UBS
• Internal document: AWS has planned lower spending on ZT Systems, a data-center-gear maker being acquired by AMD.

• Netflix streamed two NFL games and got a TV-sized audience.

  ---

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

• On my first international trip when I was 21, I got food poisoning.
• I was sick for days in a room with no air conditioning, and my mom flew over to help me recover.
• We ended up having an amazing few days together.

When I stepped onto my first-ever international flight, it was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime. I was finishing up my final semester at university and thrilled to join an exchange program in Italy, where I would spend a few weeks.

Then, six hours into the flight, I ate a dodgy chicken sandwich. While the two girls seated next to me enjoyed gin and tonics, I avoided their side-eyes while puking my guts up.

After the longest flight of my life — both figuratively and literally — I arrived in Rome feeling pretty shoddy.

I had been awake for over 30 hours, spending the last 18 or so vomiting and nauseous. To top it all off, it was 110 degrees in Rome and an hour after our flight we began a walking tour of the city. Not one to give up or cause a fuss, I tried my best to keep up.

Thirty minutes later, I passed out on the sidewalk.

I spent my first day in Rome in the hospital

Going to a hospital on your first day in a foreign country is an experience. There was only one doctor in the whole building who spoke English, and could barely get my consent for the blood tests, ECG, and ultrasound they performed.

Ruling out any serious medical issues, the hospital staff pumped me through with IV fluids and prescribed some anti-nausea tablets before sending me on my way.

While I felt a little better leaving the hospital, I just couldn't fully recover in the hot, sticky air of our un-airconditioned student accommodation. Days went by with me trying and failing to keep water down, and the program group was preparing to leave for Florence.

When I didn't know what to do, I called my mom

I was too sick to travel and too overwhelmed to figure out my next steps. So I did what any anxious 21-year-old would — I called my mom.

Before leaving for Italy, my mom had jokingly said she had a passport and would come over if I needed her to. Mind you, she only had a passport because she had attended a destination wedding with a large group of people a few years prior. A seasoned traveler, she was not. And yet, she got on the first flight she could to come and rescue me.

A few hours after our call, my mom was in the air and on her way to Rome. Living with autoimmune disease, and having never traveled overseas on her own, this was a huge feat. But I think she was running on pure momma-bear instinct.

I can't describe the immense relief I felt when I saw her.

After I recovered, my mom and I had an amazing few days together

Moving into an air-conditioned hotel room and having my mom at my side, I slowly began recovering. It took a few days for me to start feeling better, but with little sips of water and small bits of food, I eventually got my appetite and energy back.

Though I had been ready to call the whole trip off and come home, my mom wouldn't have it. We ended up spending a few days in Rome together, and it was the best experience.

We saw the Colosseum and the Vatican, ate pasta next to the Pantheon, and caught a glimpse of Trevi Fountain.

I don't think I would have had the chance to travel with my mom if it weren't for this trip. While it didn't go to plan, and I didn't finish the program I'd signed up for, I have the most spectacular memories walking the streets of Rome with my mom, and I wouldn't give them up for the world.

• Millions of people got married in 2024.
• Photographers were there to capture every moment, from walks down the aisle to first looks.
• Many of the most beautiful photos captured candid moments between newlyweds.

As the year comes to a close, newlyweds around the world are reflecting on their weddings.

Many are likely gazing at their wedding photos as they reflect on the best days of their lives.

There isn't one way to create a beautiful wedding photo, but the best shots of 2024 featured intimate moments between couples, colorful decor, and stunning scenery.

The best wedding photos of 2024 documented the love and joy of the occasion.

Nargis Aslan of nagi.graphy snapped a shot of a groom throwing his bride over his shoulder as they exited their outdoor wedding ceremony.

Their glee was clear in the picture, from their smiles to those of their guests cheering them on. A dog running out of frame adds to the carefree joy of the moment.

An aerial view offered a new perspective for some weddings.

Kayleigh Taylor Photography took to the skies to capture the full scale of an outdoor wedding by a massive tree.

She snapped the photo while the guests were still standing after the bride walked down a winding aisle made of flowers. The scene looks like something out of a fairy tale, from the secluded tree in the center of a field to the bride's veil flowing out onto the grass behind her.

Timing was everything for some pictures.

In Nicole Rae Photography's shot, a rainbow array of smoke bombs exploded behind two grooms as they kissed at the altar.

The smoke enhanced the existing colors in the scene, from the flowers framing them to a body of water in the distance.

Other shots highlighted the decor couples used at their weddings.

At first glance, the newlyweds in Amrit Photography's shot almost look like they are walking through a snowy landscape. The bride's red lehenga pops against the pale backdrop.

The photo becomes more beautiful the longer you look at it as you take in the massive arch behind the couple and the flowers surrounding them.

Quiet moments between newlyweds made for some of the sweetest photos.

Lisa Ziesing of Abby Jiu Photography snapped a shot of a bride and groom hugging in front of a pink wall in a museum. The bride held her bouquet while they embraced.

The photo was taken through a doorway, so it feels like a peek at an intimate moment between the newlyweds.

Photographers documented once-in-a-lifetime moments with loved ones.

Intergenerational love between the bride and one of her family members is the star of this shot taken by Edward Winter of READYLUCK Photographers.

The bride and her loved one only had eyes for each other, grinning at each other with eyes full of emotion.

Glamorous locations made some wedding photos stand out.

A bride and groom posed on a beach in this photo from Darren and Shamakia Williams of DSW Photography.

The couple stood against a sandy formation, and their glamorous wedding attire contrasted with the natural beauty of the beach.

Other photos popped in black and white.

Michelle Pullman of St. Chelle snapped a candid, black-and-white shot of a bride dancing in a sparkly minidress at her reception.

Her friends laughed and danced around her, and the bride moved with carefree ease.

The best photos showed off the couples' personalities.

Lynn Lewis Photography's shot of a bride and groom grinning in the woods in their wedding attire is full of romance.

But the roller skates they added to their looks become the star of the shot. The bride kicked her foot up through a slit in her dress, showing off her white skates.

Some photos showed off the unexpected moments.

Henry Tieu Photography's shot of two brides holding hands would have been beautiful in any weather, as a mountain overlooks the beach they stand on.

But the rainbow soaring across the sky above them made the photo feel like one in a million.

Couples put their spin on wedding traditions in many photos.

In Love Is Rad's shot, a groom jumps out of a hallway to reveal himself to his bride for their first look in front of a rustic building. The bride typically reveals herself to the groom in a first look, so the contrast in their photo is fun.

The couple smiled and leaned toward each other, seemingly totally focused on one another.

Bridal attire was the star of many shots.

Fashion plays a big role in many weddings, as Samantha Clarke Photography spotlighted with this bridal portrait.

The bride stood on a staircase, and her dress cascaded behind her. Candles and flowers lined the stairs, coordinating with the bouquet the bride held in her hand. The shot oozes glamour.

The wedding guests' joy was clear in the pictures as well.

Paul Williams of Ginger Beard Weddings offered a new perspective on the end of a wedding ceremony, photographing a couple from behind as they exited their ceremony.

The couple raised their arms in excitement moments after they were officially married, and the angle spotlighted the intricate setting, the red and pink flowers decorating the space, and the guests supporting the bride and groom.

The settings for many weddings stunned in photos.

A couple's mountaintop adventure elopement was the subject of this photo taken by Sean Oblizalo of Vows and Peaks Photography.

You might see a couple holding hands and gazing at each other at any wedding, but the water and snow-covered mountain behind them took the photo to another level.

Joy shined through in the pictures.

The Wedding Toast snapped a shot of a couple during their wedding ceremony.

The groom adjusted his wife's necklace as flower petals flowed around them. They both wore quiet smiles, capturing the excitement of the day.

Floral backdrops made some pictures pop.

The beauty of the brides embracing in Terri Baskin Photography's shot is the focus, but the floral arch behind them makes them shine even brighter.

The flowers covering the archway created a subtle rainbow effect.

And most importantly, the love between couples was clear in every shot.

Ruby Olivia Photography documented a dance-floor kiss between newlyweds in black and white.

From their intimate embrace and their loved ones dancing around them to the groom's ring glinting as he holds his bride, the photo captures the love that fills a wedding day.

• Reddit Answers is the social media site's new AI-powered search tool.
• Reddit Answers uses AI to summarize information from posts.
• We tried an early-access version. Here's what we found.

It's been a good year for Reddit.

The company went public to much fanfare. It has continued to grow in value as it makes its useful data available to AI companies like OpenAI and Google. It's also leveraging AI to refine its own search, muscling in on traditional search engines.

At an event in October, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said users are already Googling "with the intention of ending up on Reddit."

"I think what's happening is people know that Reddit has answers, advice, perspectives on just about whatever you're looking for," Huffman said.

With this in mind, Reddit unveiled Reddit Answers earlier this month. The search tool uses AI to scour information from community posts and repackage it as a concise answer to a question. In its announcement, Reddit said the feature will provide information, recommendations, discussions, and "hot takes" based on questions submitted by users.

Reddit Answers is still in beta and is only available to "a limited number of users in the US," the company says. Reddit granted Business Insider limited access to try it out. Here's what we found.

How Reddit Answers works

Reddit Answers shows a large search box at the bottom of the screen where users can input their questions. After asking a question, Reddit's AI generates a summary followed by subsections with bullet points, each with hyperlinks to their source on Reddit.

The format of Reddit Answers is similar to the format of Google's AI overview, which is now found at the top of a Google search.

Business Insider asked each search engine the same questions about the best method for smoking brisket. Each search engine provided a summary followed by recommended techniques. Each technique in both summaries was followed by information with a hyperlinked source.

The notable difference between Google's AI overview and Reddit Answers is that all the sources linked in the Google overview went to sources outside of Google, including some to Reddit.

Reddit Answers struggled with recent news

Reddit Answers seems to work well for generalized advice like cooking tips, but it showed some difficulty with newsier items and sometimes makes mistakes in its summaries.

When asked, "Who won the New Orleans Saints game?" on Sunday, December 15, Reddit Answers said it could not find any information on the topic. When rephrased to "Who won the New Orleans Saints game today?" the site generated a summary from the New Orleans Saints vs Philadelphia Eagles game from September 22, three months prior.

Each summary that Reddit Answers generates ends with three recommended "subreddits" related to the topic.

Subreddits are individual pages dedicated to discussing a particular topic. For questions about the Saints game, Reddit recommended r/eagles, r/saints, and r/nfl.

BI also asked Reddit about the recent controversy surrounding actor Blake Lively. On December 20, Lively filed a complaint against her "It Ends With Us" costar, Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and conspiring to damage her reputation.

BI asked Reddit Answers on December 26, "Why is Blake Lively trending, and what are the key takeaways?" Reddit Answers responded with a one-sentence summary that said Lively had recently attended the "It Ends With Us" premiere on August 8 and listed some takeaways from the event.

The section that Reddit dedicated to the film's costars, Lively and Baldoni, did not mention any of their legal disputes. That section had one hyperlink to a Reddit post where one user commented on Lively's dress at the premiere five months earlier.

"Gorgeous. But I want someone to spill the Justin Baldoni sized tea. SPILL IT," the comment says.

Reddit Answers performed better on complex subjects that have multiple viewpoints

Reddit Answers was better at pulling together differing viewpoints from posts across Reddit about complex topics. BI asked Reddit Answers, for instance, "What are the pros and cons of a universal basic income?"

Reddit Answers responded with a summary that said universal basic income is "a hotly debated topic with strong opinions on both sides."

It listed three pros and three cons of a universal basic income. The pros were economic stimulation and poverty reduction, empowerment and freedom, and simplification of welfare systems. The cons were high costs and funding issues, inflation and market distortion, and work disincentives.

Each pro and con was followed by a link to one or two Reddit posts on the topic. Most posts linked to the pros (three out of five) came from the subreddit r/casualconversations. The other two posts linked to the pros came from r/neutralpolitics and r/basicincome.

Two of the linked posts for the cons came from r/askaliberal, and two others came from r/neutralpolitics. The remaining two reference links for cons came from r/askreddit and r/nostupidquestions.

Most of the linked reference posts for the pros and cons only included a link to the Reddit post from which Reddit Answers pulled its information. Some of those Reddit posts cited other publications. One referenced a Stanford University article, while another included a broken link to an Encyclopdia Britannica webpage.

All the Reddit posts that Reddit Answers linked to as sources for the universal basic income question were at least six months old. The oldest post was six years old and was linked as a source three times on the page.

All told, Reddit Answers has the potential to quickly summarize Redditors' views on diverse and complex topics, but it appears to have some learning to do itself before it can truly compete with Google.

• Brenna Lasky, 34, spent eight years working in recruiting for Meta, Google, and Salesforce.
• Lasky now has a career coaching business and shares insights for applicants struggling to land jobs.
• She suggests fixes for applicants struggling to get past certain stages of the application process.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with 34-year-old Brenna Lasky, who worked in recruiting at Google, Meta, and Salesforce. Her identity and employment have been verified. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I spent eight years recruiting for tech companies, including Meta, Salesforce, and Google. I learned a ton about what hiring managers are looking for.

Prior to working in Big Tech, I really struggled with my own job search process and received rejections. I was mass-applying. I was playing a numbers game. I wasn't revising my resume. With each application, I was just sending it out and hoping for the best.

I launched a career coaching business in September to help job seekers understand where they might be missing the mark and how they can get into Big Tech. My goal is to help demystify the job search process and understand what it takes to get into companies.

If you're applying to roles but find yourself getting stuck at one of these points in the application process, I would encourage you to take a step back to understand where you may need to make adjustments.

If you're not getting interviews

Usually, if you're not getting interviews, it's related to your résumé because your résumé is the first step in the process. I would check to see if your résumé a laundry list of everything you've ever done or if you're doing a good job of showing the relevant skills and how your past experience directly relates to the role that you're applying to.

Also, if you're mass-applying and not tailoring your résumé, there's a good chance you might not be hitting all of those minimum qualifications.

The reason why people say to tailor your résumé or make sure that you include keywords is not necessarily because there's this evil applicant tracking system that is going to auto-reject your résumé. It's instead because recruiters are comparing résumés against the minimum qualifications.

Obviously, it's super time-consuming to change your résumé every single time if you're doing tons of applications. So something that I always like to recommend to my clients is having a baseline résumé. If you're a program manager, have your program manager résumé. Then, based on each job that you apply for, go through those minimum qualifications and feel free to add small tweaks here and there.

I also always suggest to clients that I work with, if you do know someone who works at a company that you want to work with, definitely reach out to them. If you can get a referral, especially in Big Tech, that will help you. That being said, referrals aren't a guarantee for getting a job. Your referral isn't going to be there holding your hand or doing actual interviews with you.

If you're not getting past the screening call

Each team has a different individual process, but as a general rule of thumb, you'll always start with a recruiter screen. That'll be around 30 minutes. It's really just a quick pulse check on whether the person did what their résumé claims and if they are able to potentially do the job at hand. Having really solid answers where you can come into the interview and feel confident is worth the extra time it takes.

There's pretty much a guarantee that there are four common questions that you'll be asked in recruiter screens:

Tell me about yourself.

Why are you interested in this position or company?

Why are you looking for a new role?

What are your salary expectations?

Rather than simply relaying your experience, connect the dots for your recruiter on why you're a good fit for the role and why they should move your application forward. A mistake a lot of people make is they rely too much on their past experience. I always recommend that applicants speak to the job that they want to have.

If you're not making it to the final round

After the screening call, you'll typically do a 30-to-45 minute hiring manager screen. They'll give you the goals of the team and what they're looking for. Then, that hiring manager will decide if this is someone they want to move forward with.

Once you meet with the team, you'll typically meet with two to four decision-makers with whom you'd work daily. Those interviews are typically geared toward behavioral questions and technical skills.

I always suggest coming up with five to six stories that highlight your impact and achievements as evidence as to why you're a great fit for the role. I like this number because it gives you a broad enough range to pull from depending on the questions, but it's not so overwhelming that when you're on the spot, you panic and try to go through 20 different examples.

To understand what examples to speak to, I would suggest going back to the job description and looking at the bullet points or the minimum qualifications. For each one of those bullet points, come up with an example of how you were able to help solve that problem.

• When my therapist suggested decluttering might ease my anxiety and OCD symptoms, I was skeptical.
• I decided to try it and started looking for a method that might help me with the process.
• It became easier when I focused on what to keep rather than what to get rid of.

Anxiety and OCD had been manipulating my life like puppet masters for almost two years when my occupational therapist recommended trying decluttering to help ease my symptoms. At that point, though I'd noticed some improvements from a year in therapy, I'd also been struggling with a few health conditions, including long COVID, and felt like I was trudging along.

Over time, I'd become afraid of leaving my own home as I was petrified of getting sick again. My life often felt meaningless and unrecognizable. I couldn't see how getting rid of some belongings could help. Despite my skepticism, I was desperate to feel like myself again. I yearned for my home to no longer resemble an obstacle course.

My therapist helped me see why the clutter was such an issue

My apartment was already cluttered and stressing me out, and then my mom moved; everything I had stored in her garage was suddenly in my living room. My son and I had to create pathways among the boxes to move from one room to another.

"You're repeatedly having to step over your past — you're being reminded of it every day," my occupational therapist said. He had summarized in one sentence exactly why I'd been unable to move forwards. I started decluttering immediately after that appointment.

I tried a few different decluttering methods

I looked for a system to help me along the way. The KonMari method caught my eye first, but my sentimental nature decided that everything sparked joy — even a bag of rocks. I'd spent decades giving objects the same sentimental value as the memories they represented, and now, it was hard to get rid of them.

The four-box method — sorting items into boxes labeled keep, donate/sell, storage, and trash — also didn't work for me. When indecisiveness caused by my anxiety took over, almost everything ended up in the storage box, which I basically saw as a "maybe" box. All I ended up doing was pushing it around the apartment. I worried I might regret getting rid of something, so I decided it was safest to get rid of nothing.

However, through working with my occupational therapist, I realized guilt played a part in my holding onto some things — as though getting rid of an item would also mean getting rid of that memory. So, I took a deep breath and prepared to be ruthless.

Reframing the process of decluttering helped me tackle it

The next method involved deciding what to keep instead of what to get rid of. This mindset shift made the decluttering process more enjoyable; it was easier to focus on items I treasured than those I would get rid of, even if the end goal was the same. Inspired by decluttering blogs, I also considered whether I would buy the item now if I didn't already own it to help me decide how much I wanted anything I wasn't sure about.

Whenever I struggled with indecisiveness (which was often), I remembered that my home should — and could — be a place where I relax, rather than a cluster of clutter and unmade decisions.

With each carload donated to charity, the stress began to leave my body. The catharsis of releasing my grip on each box as I handed it over gave me the calmness and clarity I craved. I was giving myself permission to move on — permission to stop letting my past rule my present and future.

It wasn't totally smooth sailing, but I eventually got it done

I hadn't been prepared for when OCD tried to control the situation, though. After a few weeks, I began to feel on edge if I didn't declutter a certain amount of items each day. When I realized what was happening, I forced myself not to declutter for a few days, so I could calm the OCD and return with the right mindset.

A few months into the process, as I continued to declutter my apartment, my sleep improved, and my energy levels increased. I experienced fewer anxious thoughts, and when they did occur, I had the energy to rationalize most of them.

I was untangling myself from the burdens of my past as I removed their physical manifestations from my apartment, freeing up the space in my home so I could finally relax, and giving myself something to focus on other than my spiraling thoughts.

After decluttering, I feel relieved

Although I don't believe decluttering opened up a magic portal to my recovery, I have no doubt it helped tremendously. I managed to declutter most of my belongings in what felt like an act of liberation. I've only kept things that I either need or treasure.

My home isn't picture-perfect, and neither is my mental health. But I'm happy. It took me 21 months to finish decluttering my home — I had to pace myself as I couldn't do it every day, or for hours at a time. I finished completely about nine months ago. And in the time since I first started, I've gone from having severe anxiety and being incapable of leaving my home without prior planning, to living a life I can honestly say I adore.

By working with my therapist, reading self-help books, decluttering, going for daily walks, meditating, journaling, and rediscovering the things that bring me joy, the symptoms caused by my anxiety have lessened. I also received support from loved ones, improved my food choices, and developed a morning routine that gives me a feeling of purpose again.

Although anxiety and OCD are still unpaying tenants in my mind, they don't have the level of control they did before. By getting rid of the things that brought me anxiety, I've created space for the things that bring me joy.

My home and mind are no longer caverns of chaos.

• 10 Goldman Sachs partners shared the books, speeches, and plays that inspired them this year.
• President John Waldron recommended a book about Dwight Eisenhower that taught him about leadership.
• See what 9 other Goldman execs said made them better leaders, industry experts, and humans in 2024.

Goldman Sachs' top brass are revered as some of the sharpest minds on Wall Street — but staying on top of your game takes work.

As 2024 comes to a close, Business Insider asked 10 senior officials of the powerhouse global investment bank — a leader in M&A dealmaking and advice — to share at least one thing they read, watched, or listened to that made them smarter and better at their jobs over the last year.

One Goldman partner recommended a play that helped her think about the long-term impact of her actions. Another partner touted a lecture by a famous philosopher on the importance of organizational trust that can be streamed from Spotify.

As Carey Halio, Goldman's global treasurer, put it, learning is an "endless" pursuit for leaders of the bank, which ranked No. 1 in M&A volumes last year, according to deal tracker LSEG.

"The more you can expand your knowledge base, the better you will be at your core function, the more you will be able to connect the dots and the more effective you will be as a leader," Halio told BI.

Here's what top Goldman executives like President John Waldron, Vice Chair Rob Kaplan, and M&A cohead Stephan Feldgoise shared as their top recommendations from 2024. The responses all come from Goldman partners, the bank's highest rank outside the C-suite. They are in the partners' own words, edited only for length and clarity, and are organized alphabetically by last name.

Jared Cohen

Title: President of Global Affairs and cohead of the Goldman Sachs Global Institute

Recommendation: "The Guns of August" by Barbara Tuchman and "A Peace to End All Peace" by David Fromkin

Why: Earlier in my career, I found that you couldn't truly understand World War I without reading these books. Now, they help me make sense of the world we're living in. Tuchman offers a sobering reminder of how quickly things can fall apart. Many leaders took peace in Europe for granted in 1914, as they did in 2014 and even 2022, with devastating results. Fromkin is especially worth reading this year after the fall of the brutal Assad regime in Syria. That country's borders emerged in large part as a legacy World War I.

"A Peace to End All Peace" details the history behind the headlines, and it remains a key text for anyone trying to understand one of the world's most challenging but amazing regions.

Stephan Feldgoise

Title: Cohead of Global M&A

Recommendation: "The Confident Mind" by Dr. Nate Zinsser

Why: Dr. Zinsser teaches performance psychology at West Point, working with members of the military who need to perform and excel in high-stress situations.

I found the concepts around preparation and mental positivity to be useful for me personally but also highly valuable in mentoring and developing the next generation of Goldman Sachs leaders as they move into roles where they face performance challenges in high-stress environments.

Most valuable were the very specific and learnable techniques that can be taught to next-generation leaders to build confidence and improve performance.

Gizelle George-Joseph

Title: COO of Global Investment Research

Recommendation: "The Promise of Leadership," readings curated by the Aspen Institute's Finance Leaders Fellowship

Why: A selection of readings curated by the Aspen Institute's Finance Leaders Fellowship as part of the final week-long intensive seminar had the most significant impact on my leadership this year.

There were many aspects of the readings and the seminar that resonated, including a deep discussion on happiness and what makes for a good life: health, wealth, knowledge, friendship, good moral character – all of it? There was also a heart-wrenching reminder of both the courage and the depravity that can exist in the world through stories of survivors of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, as told by New Yorker writer Paul Gourevitch in the book "We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families."

From the readings, which included works by Frederick Douglas, Wendell Barry, and Mary Oliver, I took away multiple concepts that I continue to contemplate both as a leader and a citizen of the world and these have guided many of my endeavors and decisions this year. My takeaways included the importance of taking action to create change in big and small ways and enjoying the journey of life itself.

Carey Halio

Title: Global Treasurer

Recommendation: Speeches by the Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson

Why: This fall, I really enjoyed two speeches by Vice Chair Philip Jefferson from the Federal Reserve on the history of the discount window since it was initially created in 1913, and how it has provided liquidity to the US banking system and broader economy in different environments.

Despite being someone who has been a student of the banking industry for over 25 years, I learned new points that help me think about our approach to the discount window today. It was a good reminder to not only constantly seek out information but to look at history as a tool for understanding the path in front of you.

I am a firm believer that you can always learn more about your industry and your area of expertise – it is truly endless. The more you can expand your knowledge base, the better you will be at your core function, the more you will be able to connect the dots, and the more effective you will be as a leader. While this example is unique to my work, I think the theme applies more universally.

And, if you are interested in banking, I highly recommend this speech and this speech.

Rob Kaplan

Title: Vice Chairman

Recommendation: "War" by Bob Woodward

Why: I have always been interested in learning about how leaders operate under highly ambiguous and stressful conditions. Whether it is Woodward, William Manchester, or David Halberstam, authors who explore leadership actions in difficult situations that changed the course of history can provide compelling lessons on decision-making under pressure.

Making one decision versus another, having even a slight misunderstanding, or making a seemingly minor miscalculation can cause mistakes that may look innocuous at the time but can have a lasting impact.

Ericka Leslie

Title: COO of Global Banking & Markets

Recommendation: "Trust the Universe," a lecture by Alan Watts

Why: Throughout my career, I have found the philosopher Alan Watts to be particularly inspiring as I think about how to lead different organizations and functions. I regularly revisit his famous lecture "Trust the Universe" on Spotify and recommend it to my colleagues each year. He argues that most people fail to trust the organization they are in and try to control it, which eventually leads to failure.

If you trust the system, as long as you believe in it, then your ability to get the most out of other people to scale and grow your business is greatly enhanced. Through trust and delegated authority, businesses can grow, and organizations can scale. This idea is borrowed from the way the human body operates, and he presents it as a more natural way to create meaningful impact in an organization.

These lessons are both timeless and universal and something I try to integrate into my work every day.

Asahi Pompey

Title: Global Head of Corporate Engagement and Chair of the Urban Investment Group at Goldman Sachs

Recommendation: "Good Bones," a show by the playwright James Ijames

Why: I saw "Good Bones" at the Public Theater — not once, but twice — because it was that compelling. The play explores the complexities of urban renewal projects, asking essential questions like: Who belongs in a neighborhood, and who benefits from its evolution?

The work my team and I lead is centered on creating durable, lasting economic progress, with over $20 billion deployed in community development projects like affordable housing. "Good Bones" was a welcome reminder that as investors, we should never lose sight of the history and the voice of a community — to build long-term trust, and ultimately, to deliver sustainable impact.

When it comes to running a team and leading an organization, the same ideas are at play. Building and managing relationships with honesty and empathy, especially during times of change, creates a foundation of collective resilience, which is essential for the long-term success of an organization.

Padi Raphael

Title: Global head of Third Party Wealth Management in Goldman Sachs Asset Management

Recommendation: "The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution" by Gregory Zuckerman

Why: One book I read this year that stands out to me is "The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution" by Gregory Zuckerman, a compelling biography of a titan of the hedge fund industry. Jim's story underscores the value of being the very best at what you do by finding a niche in which your skills and perspective can uniquely position you to win.

Producing consistent alpha in investing can be a notoriously difficult undertaking, and the book narrates a masterclass in resilience, painting a picture of Jim's extraordinary successes following early hardships in launching his career.

Two themes that resonated with me as a leader were perseverance in the face of challenges and a lifelong love of learning. In his own immortal words: "work with the smartest people you can, hopefully smarter than you...be persistent, don't give up easily. Be guided by beauty...". The book is a highly engaging read, and I devoured it in one sitting!

John Waldron

Title: President & COO

Recommendation: "Eisenhower: The White House Years" by Jim Newton

Why: I spend a lot of time thinking about risk and how to steer our organization through today's geopolitical crosscurrents, so I went looking for inspiration and found it in Jim Newton's book, "Eisenhower: The White House Years."

Although Newton covers the entirety of Eisenhower's life, he focuses on Ike's two terms as president, which are largely remembered as eight torpid years of peace and prosperity, though, as Newton points out, there was nothing ho-hum about them. Eisenhower inherited not only a hot war on the Korean peninsula, but also a Cold War with the Soviet Union, whose tensions erupted in Iran, Vietnam, Guatemala, Taiwan, Hungary, the Suez Canal, Lebanon, Cuba, the Congo.

It is a sign of Eisenhower's success that those perilous years are now remembered as the days of "Leave It to Beaver," and yet he was still human. He wasn't immediately sympathetic to the cause of civil rights, though when push came to shove during the Little Rock crisis of 1957, he did send in the National Guard to enforce court-ordered desegregation. He also advocated for and oversaw the establishment of the Interstate Highway System, which laid the foundation for years of robust economic growth.

He was a man who wasn't afraid to compromise and who always took the long view. Not a bad example for other leaders to follow.

Tucker York

Title: Global Head of Wealth Management

Recommendation: "Leadership by the Good Book" by David L. Steward

Why: Each year, I keep a list of the books I've read, who recommended them to me, and any takeaways or lessons that I took from the reading. One that stood out this year was "Leadership by the Good Book" by David L. Steward. David gave me the book during his visit to Goldman Sachs this fall as he was the keynote speaker at our inaugural Garland Summit.

While the book suggests biblical lessons appropriate for the business world, the wisdom is non-denominational. David and his coauthor, Brandon Mann, delve into the themes of servant leadership, loving what you do, investing in your people, risking your reputation for what's right, growing through external challenges, and celebrating milestones on the journey. I saw clear parallels to our work in serving clients, risk management, and mentoring our people.

Regardless of one's religious affiliation, the applied learnings are relevant for the business world and the guidance applies to my work at Goldman Sachs.

• China is readying forces that could seize Taiwan in a future attack, analysts and officials say.
• Any military operation is likely to rely partly on China's militarized police.
• The People's Armed Police has been training in a wide range of conditions, including water.

China is preparing its militarized police for kinds of combat that would play a key role in any invasion of Taiwan.

A September report from China Central Television shows what appears to be the People's Armed Police Force, or PAP, simulating attacks from inflatable boats.

Footage and pictures from Chinese state-run outlets show the extent of the combat training and battlefield simulation — blockade breakthroughs, grenade throwing, battlefield rescue, and group tactics in cold, hot, and high-altitude conditions.

This training indicates PAP soldiers "are getting ready" for a takeover of Taiwan, said Lyle Goldstein, director of Asia Engagement at the Defense Priorities think tank in Washington, DC.

Clandestine movement by water would be an essential capability to quell resistance in Taiwan's populated areas near the coast and rivers.

"From my observation, they train hard; they are well equipped and disciplined, and they're given stringent ideological training for the reason that they are probably, in my view, the primary reserve force for section invasion," Goldstein said.

"If they went forward with a full-up invasion, I think an amphibious assault is not just conceivable but is quite a possibility," he added.

Urban training

Since its founding in 1982, China's PAP has been firmly placed under the country's military.

These armed police are a shock force in China's vast state security apparatus. The force plays a key internal security role, mostly in law enforcement, counterterrorism, disaster response, and maritime rights protection.

Beijing also regularly uses them for propaganda. One likely goal of publicizing the recent training was to intimidate Taiwan and its backers.

Alessio Patalano, a professor of war and strategy in East Asia at King's College London, said the PAP's inclusion in any takeover of Taiwan would make sense given their urban training.

He told BI the PAP keeps "highly skilled" special forces at hand who are involved in surgical operations to capture strategic goals where mobility, speed, and familiarity with operating in urban areas are key.

PAP special forces maintained security at Beijing Olympic venues in 2008, conducted drills in Shenzhen near Hong Kong in 2019, and have engaged in multiple counter-terrorism operations in China's Xinjiang region over the years, according to Chinese state-run media.

"To that extent, whether in decapitation scenarios or early stages of operations to seize key port and airport infrastructures, the use of PAP should be regarded as a viable, if not preferable, option," Patalano said.

A supporting role

It's unlikely that the PAP would participate in the first stages of any island landing.

"That is the purview of the PLA," said Joel Wuthnow, a senior research fellow at the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs at the National Defense University in DC. The PLA is China's main military — the People's Liberation Army.

He said that the PAP would instead initially participate in operations to firm up internal security in mainland China, including suppressing signs of social unrest, protecting critical infrastructure, and clearing out national highways to facilitate the delivery of supplies to regions near Taiwan.

Any attempt to seize Taiwan, a self-ruled island of 23 million that Beijing views as a breakaway province, would require warships, armored vehicles, and heavy firepower, to answer Taiwan's advanced missiles, tanks, and F-16 fighter jets.

However, if PLA's operations in Taiwan didn't go according to plan, and it faced a protracted campaign, Wuthnow said the PAP's Special Operation Forces could be mobilized to institute military governance through missions in urban areas like Taipei.

Another aspect of the PAP's response could involve China's Coast Guard, which it oversees.

The coast guard is already "very much" on the front lines of China's "coercive" campaign against Taiwan, Wuthnow said, and its role seems to be increasing.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's mountainous terrain, as well as its few major land routes and numerous river crossings, would make it difficult for any invading forces to move.

"If the population of Taiwan were not compliant with a PRC-led occupation authority, the period where the PRC would need to rely on their own police might be quite prolonged," said Philip Shetler-Jones, a senior research fellow in the International Security team at the UK's Royal United Services Institute, using the acronym for the People's Republic of China.

The more PAP forces can take over the "public order" task, the more it frees up combat troops, he added.

An imminent invasion

Military experts and defense officials see signs — like China's rapid modernization of its armed forces over the past two decades and drills around Taiwan — that suggest that China could take action within a few years.

But the form of that action is a matter of debate, from a blockade to a full-scale invasion.

During a 2021 hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Adm. Phil Davidson, then the US Indo-Pacific commander, said Taiwan was "clearly" one of China's "ambitions" and that he believed the threat would be "manifest" within the next six years.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping said in October, as part of the country's anniversary celebrations, that reunification with Taiwan was "where the greater national interest lies, and it is what the people desire."

"The wheel of history will not be stopped by any individual or any force," he added.

Goldstein of Defense Priorities, who described himself as a bit of an outlier, said he believes China is ready to take over Taiwan now "if they choose to," and that the PAP's Special Operation Forces would likely play a significant role.

They "will be in very high demand in a Taiwan scenario," he said.

He added that China regards Taiwan as internal security. "So, for them, the use of these forces is entirely legitimate."

• The Mercedes-Benz CLE is all-new for 2024 and one of the brand's two remaining convertible models.
• I recently drove a 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE450 with 4Matic all-wheel-drive.
• I enjoyed the CLE's mild-hybrid I6 engine, luxurious cabin, immersive tech, and quiet open-air ride.

The Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet is all-new for 2024, replacing the C-Class and E-Class cabriolets in the brand's lineup.

The CLE and the SL Roadster are the only drop tops left in the Mercedes-Benz portfolio that has offered five convertibles in recent years.

I recently reviewed a 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE450 4Matic Cabriolet with an as-test price of $84,140. I was impressed by its strong turbocharged six-cylinder engine, luxurious cabin, immersive tech, and quiet ride even with the top down.

My six-cylinder CLE450 4Matic Cabriolet test car starts at $73,850, but freight fees and optional extras like Nappa leather, blue metallic paint, and a driver-assistance package added $10,000 to the price tag.

Here are 14 features that show why the CLE450 Cabriolet is a world-class luxury convertible.

Classically attractive styling

The CLE features an aerodynamic "shark nose" front end shared with the current Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The CLE's front fascia features a large, three-dimensional chrome grille with a galaxy of small three-pointed stars surrounding the large Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star logo in the center.

The smooth, seamless rear fascia features LED taillights and chrome faux exhaust tips.

Turbo V6 power

Under the hood of the CLE450 is a mild hybrid 3.0-liter, turbocharged straight-six engine that produces 375 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque.

The engine is supplemented by Mercedes' 48-volt mild-hybrid system, which uses an integrated starter generator to contribute an additional 23 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. The system is designed to mitigate the effects of turbo lag and quicken the response of its auto start/stop system.

My six-cylinder CLE450 test car boasts EPA fuel economy figures of 23 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined.

Open and close on the go

The CLE's fabric top can open or close in just 20 seconds. The acoustic soft top, which operates at speeds up to 37 mph, features extensive insulation and is designed to reduce wind and road noise.

Wind deflection tech

The CLE comes with a wind-deflection system to keep the wind out of your hair. The Mercedes AIRCAP wind deflector system directs air high above the vehicle so that occupants can enjoy open-top driving without being blasted by wind at high speeds.

The system consists of a wind deflector that extends a few inches above the top of the windshield and a mesh deflector behind the rear seats.

Airscarf

The front seat headrests are equipped with the Mercedes-Benz "airscarf" system, which uses a constant stream of warm air to create a virtual scarf for the CLE's passengers.

Perfect for top-down driving on a cold day.

Effortless performance

The CLE450 drives like a true grand tourer, smooth and effortlessly powerful. Unlike a pure sports car, it's athletic but performs without compromising comfort.

Thanks to the AIRCAP system, the cabin remains remarkably quiet and civil. Even with the top down, you can carry on a conversation at a normal volume at highway speeds.

The engine is smooth and delivers near-instantaneous acceleration through its slick-shifting 9-speed automatic transmission.

The mild hybrid system performed as expected, effectively filling in any holes in the engine's torque and smoothing the traditional harshness of an auto start/stop system.

According to Mercedes, the 375 horsepower CLE450 4Matic can run from 0 to 60 mph in an impressive 4.2 seconds.

Luxurious cabin

The CLE Cabriolet's cabin is stylish, luxurious, and comfortable. Its interior is an elegant blend of modern design and callbacks to classic Mercedes-Benz of days gone by, like the giant 11.9-inch touchscreen sitting below the trio of vintage turbine-design air vents.

Material and build quality are excellent. The warmth and organic feel of the black Nappa leather upholstery and anthracite wood trim offset the cold industrial feel of the CLE's metallic accents.

High-tech driver interface

In front of the driver is a stylish three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel and a 12.3-inch digital instrument display.

The display is highly configurable, with layouts ranging from a traditional dual analog gauge look to a full-page navigation map.

My test car was also equipped with a handy color head-up display.

Updated infotainment tech

The CLE's 11.9-inch touchscreen is equipped with the third-generation Mercedes-Benz User Experience, or MBUX, infotainment system. The system is pretty well sorted at this point. It's responsive and easy to navigate, and the graphics look terrific. The system's overeager voice assistance is also far less intrusive than in past iterations.

The screen is home to the CLE's 360-degree camera system, drive mode menu, and web browser.

The CLE comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Variable angle infotainment screen

A touch-sensitive button immediately below the screen allows the occupants to change the screen's tilt from 15 degrees to up to 40 degrees to combat glare.

Snazzy wheels

My test car came with 20-inch AMG multispoke wheels. The upgraded wheels were an $850 option. Otherwise, the CLE450 Cabriolet comes with 19-inch wheels.

Advanced safety tech

Standard features on the CLE include adaptive high beam assist, active brake assist, Parktronic with active parking assist, blind spot assist, and Presafe.

You'll need to opt for the $1,950 Driver Assistance Package to get goodies like adaptive cruise control, automatic lane change assist, and active lane keeping assist.

Seats that stay cool

The CLE's seats remain surprisingly cool to the touch, even when exposed to the sun. That's because the leather used in the drop top is treated with a special coating that helps it reflect sunlight and remain up to 53 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than untreated leather, Mercedes says.

Burmester premium audio system

My CLE test car came equipped with a Burmester sound system, which boasts 17 speakers and 710 watts of output. It delivers a clear and powerful sound even with the top down at highway speeds.

About a decade ago, I loaded a couple of midsize suitcases, three large Ikea bags, a pair of 10-gallon Rubbermaid totes, a laundry basket, and two heavily sedated cats into a U-Haul and moved from Toronto to New York City. All my belongings fit neatly into my tiny new Brooklyn bedroom, with plenty of square footage to spare. Turns out, my relative lack of stuff was right on trend.

At the time, millennials like me were buying and owning less, purportedly breaking the mold of American consumerism. We Instagrammed our sparsely furnished, overly beige interiors. We eschewed car ownership and suburban McMansions in favor of bikes, car-share memberships, and big-city apartments with roommates. We were spending our money not on things but on experiences — and blogging about it, too.

"If the millennials are not quite a postdriving and postowning generation, they'll almost certainly be a less-­driving and less-­owning generation," declared a September 2012 article in The Atlantic titled "The Cheapest Generation." Our reputation quickly found a nifty shorthand: Millennials were a generation of minimalists.

As I write this from the same tiny Brooklyn bedroom, I can see my closet doors straining against the weight of a nearly bursting trash bag filled with cast-off clothing I keep meaning to recycle. The three Ikea bags are stacked full of dirty laundry, which my partner or I would probably get around to washing if we didn't have plenty of other stuff to wear. Our dresser top is strewn with impulse buys you'd find in a drugstore checkout line. I can think of a few descriptors for the state of my surroundings, but "minimalist" isn't one of them.

While my fellow 28- to 43-year-olds have yet to shake our association with less-is-more living, that old stereotype doesn't quite stand up to scrutiny anymore. Consumer-spending data suggests we have no trouble dropping our hard-earned cash on goods and services — experiences and things. As we've built careers and started families, our buying habits increasingly resemble those of Gen X and boomers when they were the age we are now.

Millennials haven't been minimalists in years. In fact, we may have never been minimalists at all.

The minimalist-millennial myth began in the early 2010s in the aftermath of the Great Recession. As the "next generation" of leaders, workers, and spenders, my contemporaries' behavior was of keen interest to marketers, business leaders, and economists. So when my generation, rattled by a catastrophic recession, wasn't buying as much as our predecessors, concern spread that our diminished purchasing power — or worse, our somehow radically different priorities and values — might signal the end of the consumer-spending spree that had powered the nation's economy since the end of World War II.

Throughout the decade, a breadcrumb trail of survey data seemed to back up these concerns. In a 2016 Harris Poll, 78% of millennials said they would rather pay for an experience than material goods, as opposed to 59% of baby boomers. A 2015 Nielsen survey similarly found that millennials went out to eat at nearly twice the rate of their parents — they would rather eat their riches than stockpile them. The 2014 English-language translation of Marie Kondo's "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" sold over 9 million copies, spawning a cottage industry of aspiring millennial declutterers.

The minimalist trend wasn't entirely bogus from a cultural standpoint. "The recession was a real force for people fetishizing simplicity and turning frugality into a virtue, making the best of what you have rather than prioritizing consuming more or consuming flashier things," said the writer Kyle Chayka, whose 2020 book "The Longing for Less" digs into the perennial appeal of a more pared-down way of living.

The postrecession era also saw the rise of smartphones, which ushered in digital sensory overload. Seemingly overnight, apartments and Instagram grids were awash in the clean lines and open spaces of midcentury-modern design (or, at least, Ikea's approximations of it). "There's so much chaos in our phones," Chayka said. "Why would you want more chaos in your physical surroundings?"

Millennials' minimalism became an economic-anxiety Rorschach test. Depending on the beholder, our perceived underconsumption might have signaled a virtuous departure from the poisoned cycle of production, purchase, and disposal. For others, it affirmed the widely held suspicion that we were a generation of coddled Peter Pans who refused to put down the avocado toast; buy some cars, houses, and house-sized volumes of stuff; and just grow up already. Though it was largely an aesthetic trend, the myth of millennial minimalism was so central to my cohort's cultural identity that it may as well have been real.

But in reality, this theory of arrested economic development was always a bit of a mirage. Throughout the 1950s and '60s, consumer spending accounted for roughly 60% of US GDP; since the early 2000s, despite millennials' purported lack of spending, it's held steady at just under 70%.

Take one of the most talked about large purchases that millennials were eschewing: cars. Automobile ownership has been a central tenet of the American dream since the '50s, when the health of the automobile industry became closely tied to the country's economic growth and prosperity. No longer needed for building tanks and munitions to ship overseas, factory assembly lines "newly renovated with Uncle Sam's dollars" were repurposed to build tens of thousands of new cars, which American consumers eagerly bought up, the Harvard historian Lizabeth Cohen wrote in her 2004 book, "A Consumers' Republic." Even now, demand for cars is looked at as a bellwether for consumer spending and the US economy more broadly.

It's no coincidence then that millennials' apparent resistance to car ownership, in particular, jumped out as evidence of our radically shifting consumer ethos. One widely circulated data point came from a 2010 CNW Group analysis, which reported that 21- to 34-year-olds in the US were responsible for just 27% of new-car purchases, down from a high of 38% in 1985. News outlets cited this data as proof that millennials, as a whole, were less interested in buying cars than their boomer parents or their older Gen X siblings. What they failed to consider was how present circumstances — such as the ripple effects of a then very recent economic crisis, especially among young adults just entering the workforce — might alter how people spent their money, especially on big-ticket items like brand-new cars.

In 2016, the Federal Reserve Board issued a report that sought to set the record straight by pointing out that the anti-car narrative about millennials didn't take the Great Recession into account. The report argued that the economic downturn almost certainly shaped people's spending as much or more than the technological and cultural changes that were happening at the same time. Proving the point, young adults were back to buying cars by the mid-2010s. Nowadays, millennials have fully caught up: Since 2020, we've accounted for almost 30% of the nation's new-vehicle registrations, a rate that's roughly on par with baby boomers and only slightly below that of Gen X, Experian research found. But by the time the Fed report was released, it was already too late. The truism of millennials as minimalists was entrenched.

So if millennials aren't minimalists, what exactly are we? Sociologists would likely tell you that's the wrong question to ask — people's behaviors and lifestyles change over time, as do societal norms and priorities. The question isn't how to best define millennials as consumers but whether millennials' young-adult spending was markedly different from that of prior generations.

For answers, we can turn to consumer-spending records. Since 1984, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has been conducting its Consumer Expenditure Surveys to see how different American age cohorts spend money. Granted, the picture it paints is somewhat incomplete; by 1984, most boomers were well past their early 20s, making a direct comparison with millennials challenging. Still, it offers a useful baseline for comparing different age groups' spending over time. Sure enough, when adjusted for inflation, Americans under 25, between 25 and 34, and 35 to 44 have spent roughly similarly across most major consumer categories for the past four decades, with momentary dips overlaying periods of recession followed by bounce backs. While it's true that millennials are spending more of their budgets on airfare and vacation rentals than older generations did at the same age, the same can be said for Gen Zers, Gen Xers, and baby boomers — everyone is splurging on travel right now.

Because younger adults tend to have fewer family responsibilities and far less wealth than adults in their professional prime, they spend less overall. As their expenses and income accrue over time, they spend more — especially once kids enter the picture, bringing new mouths to feed, bodies to clothe, and hobbies to equip. Now that millennials have families of their own, they're even more overwhelmed by clutter than their boomer parents before them, buried under piles of ever-cheaper toys.

In other words, millennials' style of spending isn't special; it's cyclical.

To further the point, millennials now account for the largest share of homebuyers, making up 38% of the homebuying market, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors. Our tilt toward homeownership isn't new, either. We'd nearly caught up with our boomer parents way back in 2019, according to Freddie Mac; 43% of us owned homes, just shy of the 45% of baby boomers who were able to buy their first homes between 25 and 34. Whatever we weren't buying in our 20s, we are making up for in our 30s and 40s.

"There's the ongoing narrative that millennials can't afford housing or don't own houses, that they're renters, but when you look at the data, 25- to 34-year-olds are just as likely to be homeowners now as they were in 1993," said Bryan Rigg, a BLS economist who oversees Consumer Expenditure Survey microdata for public use. "Really, a lot of the expenditure patterns are similar." One major exception is that today's 20- and 30-somethings are a lot more comfortable taking on debt to buy things — like cars and homes — than in the past.

For better or worse, public memory is short. Many of today's young adults might not even be aware that the current crop of 30-somethings were ever considered minimalists in the first place. There's evidence that the rest of us are starting to forget, too. Maybe you've read about the new TikTok trend sweeping Gen Z: a mindful alternative to the "haul" culture that's grown around ultrafast fashion and ultracheap e-commerce platforms. It's a whole new approach to stuff. Some have said it might even slow down the economy. This time around, we're calling it "underconsumption core."

Kelli María Korducki is a journalist whose work focuses on work, tech, and culture. She's based in New York City.

• Spotify added audiobooks last year. Paid subscribers get 15 hours worth each month.
• You can also get them through Amazon or your library — celebrity memoirs are great on audiobooks.
• I'd never cared one way or the other about Al Pacino until I listened to him read his audiobook.

You probably already know that Spotify offers audiobooks with its paid-tier subscriptions. (If not, now you do!)

You might even be confused as to why I'm mentioning this when the audiobook feature launched more than a year ago, in November 2023.

Well, I'm writing this because fairly often over the last year, when I'm talking to people and I mention that I've listened to a book on Spotify, they're surprised — they didn't notice the audiobook feature even if they're a regular Spotify music listener. Or maybe they didn't realize that the books were all included for free with their subscription.

So I am taking it upon myself, during this quiet dead time between the holidays to remind you all:

You can listen to books for free* on Spotify.

(*OK, technically, you get 15 hours a month for free with your subscription. That's typically one or two books. If you go over, you can purchase more books à la carte. For me, 15 hours is fine.)

On Amazon, the largest bookseller, you can go through its Audible subscription service, which charges a monthly fee in exchange for credits you can use to purchase audiobooks. Amazon Music is now doing something similar to Spotify — you get one free book to listen to a month with a paid subscription.

Of course, there are people who are extremely high-volume consumers of audiobooks — and one book a month isn't going to even come close to cutting it for them. On Reddit, some of these power listeners who burn through three to five books in a week discussed their strategies: mixing together Audible credits, the one free Amazon Music books, and Libby (the app for public libraries, which is great because it's unlimited and actually free, but it doesn't have everything and there can be long wait times for new releases or popular titles).

There's also a shady underworld to audiobooks: torrent sites, or YouTube brain rot-style videos where someone plays Minecraft over the audiobook narration for the entire "Lord of the Rings" series.

I don't condone any of that. Point is: With Spotify or Amazon Music, the audiobooks are a nice add-on. They could completely change your reading habits if you're now someone who really loves the feel of paper in your hands or likes to curl up with their Kindle.

If you've never listened to audiobooks, allow me to make the case for a specific genre that they're perfect for: celebrity memoirs, especially if the celebrities themselves read them.

Most recently, I listened to Al Pacino's autobiography, "Sonny Boy: A Memoir." Pacino reads it himself, and it's the perfect delivery — he's got all the strangely YELLED WORDS!!! and quiet asides. At points, I wondered if he was even going off-script, it sounded so natural.

I hadn't previously particularly cared much either way about Al Pacino, but I finished the book absolutely delighted by him and his commitment to leading an artistic life. But I truly think that I wouldn't have found the book as compelling if I had read it on paper — his reading of it added so much.

Celebrity autobiographies often aren't exactly hugely weighty or complicated tomes — you can listen as you would a podcast: while doing the dishes, grocery shopping, driving.

So here's my pitch: If you're already paying for Spotify, Amazon, or any other service, give an audiobook a try. It's usually free, there's nothing to lose — if you think the book stinks, just start a new one!

• Mike Cavanagh bought a 10-foot-wide skinny house in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, in 2024
• It's a spite house because its developer decided to build what he could given city restrictions.
• Cavanagh said he's glad he bought the skinny house even though it attracts some curious onlookers.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mike Cavanagh, a 51-year-old regional manager for a medical device company, who purchased a skinny house built out of spite in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, in 2024. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

I realized it was time to downsize once my kids got older and moved out.

In 2020, I sold my 3,700-square-foot home and moved into a townhouse. I spent about four years renting, hoping the market would adjust, but it never did. I eventually decided it was time to buy something.

In June, I called a real-estate agent friend in Jacksonville Beach and said, "Hey, I'd like to see a few properties." We toured three homes — one was a townhouse, and the other two were three-bedroom houses. None of them felt right.

Later, they called and said, "I've got something you need to see. It's really unique."

The moment I walked into the house, I turned to my real-estate agent and said, "I'll take it."

The home is 10 feet wide and 1,547 square feet, with two bedrooms and 2½ baths. Despite its narrow layout, the exterior has great curb appeal. Inside, it has a modern feel, with beautiful flooring and tile work throughout.

The same day I toured the home, I made an offer. It was accepted, and we closed in just 30 days. I purchased it in early June for just over $600,000.

The home feels like the right size for me

At first, I didn't know much about the home's history. What drew me in was the neighborhood — it was quiet and peaceful, which I liked. The house is also the perfect size for me since I'm single. If I were 40 with young kids, it wouldn't have worked.

Eventually, I met with the home's builder. He explained that he had owned the lot for a long time, and while neighbors wanted to buy it, he wasn't willing to sell.

Originally, he wanted to build a 15-foot-wide home, but the city said no. So, he decided to do it his way and make the home 10 feet wide. That's how its unique design came to be.

I've definitely acclimated to the home. It doesn't feel small; its bumped-out walls give the house an almost container-like feel, reminiscent of an RV from the outside.

One of the home's unique features is its built-in nooks. The upstairs bedroom has a built-in platform where my mattress sits, so I don't need a bed frame.

Another important feature of the home is its natural light. The builder did an excellent job positioning the windows to create a bright, inviting atmosphere.

I hired a local designer, and together we developed a vision for the space.

I do entertain sometimes, but I don't have massive dinner parties. I just wanted to create a great environment for working from home.

We added a built-in white oak couch in the living room with custom cushions. It was a bit pricey but totally worth it because it's incredibly comfortable and has an artsy vibe. By the TV, we also installed built-in shelving and cabinets made from white oak.

I think the skinny house is a good investment

I think the fact that my home was featured on Zillow Gone Wild and that there used to be a "For Sale" sign in the yard both drew a lot of attention.

It's more subdued now, but I occasionally notice random people driving by or walking past and making comments.

I still get jokes, too. Some friends introduce me socially as "the guy who bought the skinny house."

Sometimes, when I meet my neighbors, they mention that they thought the house would be bought and turned into an Airbnb since there are plenty around Jacksonville Beach.

Compared to other cities in Florida, Jacksonville Beach has been slow to develop, which helps keep it affordable — especially relative to other beach towns.

As more people discover it's a fantastic place to live, there's been an influx of movers from the Northeast, some from California, and many from the Midwest.

My real-estate agent and I agreed that the house wouldn't lose equity with Jacksonville Beach's population growing.

If I change jobs or decide to move, I'm confident my home will attract enough interest to sell quickly. I could also rent it out on Airbnb. So I have plenty of options for the home in the long term.

But I plan to continue living in the home. It's my only property, and my job is based in the area, for now at least.

Overall, I do think buying the home was a good decision. Smart people just don't buy real estate to make money; they buy to have a great place to live — and to avoid losing money.

This home was definitely a solid investment.