• More people are starting to use ChatGPT for free therapy.
• Therapists say it can make people lonelier and dependent on seeking reassurance.
• They recommend using it for specific tasks, like journal prompts.

I'm not shy about admitting I've confided in a robot.

Just last week, I spent a solid hour in an animated back-and-forth with ChatGPT, seeking advice for a personal problem that I've been agonizing over for weeks. I didn't want to bore my husband and friends with it again.

I'm far from the only one who does this. Reddit users say they love using the AI platform for life coaching and unpacking other people's narcissistic behaviors; TikTokers share tips like "voice journaling" into ChatGPT or changing the settings so ChatGPT responds back in audio, mimicking a therapist.

Rachel Goldberg, a licensed clinical social worker in Los Angeles, said she wasn't surprised to learn that some people use ChatGPT for therapeutic purposes. She even put me in touch with one of her clients, who recently disclosed that she uses the platform daily in addition to their in-person sessions.

The client, who we'll call Emily (she asked to remain anonymous because she is Goldberg's client), said she uses ChatGPT to "brain dump" her thoughts when she feels stressed. Sometimes, she doesn't want to text Goldberg ahead of a session or "burden" her friends; she just needs to process something quickly. Within seconds, she gets "the most amazing life advice," she said.

"It's kind of a little compass helping me go throughout my day," Emily, 28, told BI.

ChatGPT is a tempting alternative (or accessory) to therapy. It's free, available anytime, and offers customized, in-depth advice. The downsides — like OpenAI training on personal data or the environmental damage caused by frequent AI use — are easy to ignore in the heat of a crisis when ChatGPT responds with tranquil eloquence.

While some therapists say it's OK, they encourage hard boundaries around using ChatGPT: its boundless accessibility can reinforce reassurance-seeking behaviors and exacerbate loneliness. It can make a person more anxious and atomized — the opposite of what good therapy aims to do.

It felt nice to read ChatGPT's polite affirmations that my issue "sounds really tough." However, it just didn't feel the same as chatting with a friend who might crack a joke or share how they got through a similar experience.

Free 'therapy in your pocket'

Emily, who has been going to therapy for about eight or nine years, doesn't believe ChatGPT is better than traditional therapy or a substitute for her friends.

It is, however, convenient. When her car was stolen twice, or she felt overwhelmed by big life transitions, she'd write into ChatGPT. She found it most helpful when it identified her feelings when she was too in it to realize them herself.

"If I tell it things where I don't sound very confident or I'm doing something for someone else, it catches that, and it'll be like, 'this person is responsible for their own emotions,'" Emily said. "It's literally therapy in your pocket at any time."

While Goldberg said it's good that ChatGPT "does a pretty good job of validating" someone's feelings and can help them become more self-reflective, the danger lies in being overly dependent on a second opinion. There are still moments when one has to make a split-second decision on their own, like speaking up in a meeting or leaving a rude date.

Ciara Bogdanovic, a therapist specializing in dialectical behavioral therapy, told BI her worry is that ChatGPT can't spot broader patterns in a client, like the need for frequent validation. For people with OCD, ChatGPT can heighten reassurance-seeking behaviors, which a competent therapist would work on, encouraging the client to expose themselves to some discomfort.

AI is "just going to reassure, which is reinforcing the behavior which might be damaging," Bogdanovic said.

When customizing goes too far

The biggest problem I found with ChatGPT therapy is that it can be customized to answer in ways you find preferable. If I asked ChatGPT to analyze a conversation at face value, it told me I was coming off a touch harsh. Then I followed Reddit's advice of asking ChatGPT to spot signs of manipulation in the other person's texts. It broke down all the ways they were defensive and emotionally immature.

Without that note, readings might look different, potentially even sympathetic to the love-bomber or gaslighter.

Therapists and friends aren't perfectly objective, either. It's just that ChatGPT's answers can be continually tweaked to your liking, down to the tone of voice.

Unlike a therapist, Goldberg said that ChatGPT won't pick up on a user labeling everyone in their life as toxic and gently start to push back. It will simply tell them what they want to hear — ultimately, to their detriment.

"As a therapist, I'm constantly assessing: what's the client's diagnosis, what is their history, what is their family context?" Bogdanovic said. How she responds to one client may be completely different to another client, even if they raise what seems like exactly the same concern. ChatGPT, meanwhile, is "just going to spit out an answer," she said.

Losing the human touch

As empathetic as ChatGPT sounds, it has limitations for the kinds of problems it can solve.

Angela Betancourt, a 42-year-old business owner, no longer goes to therapy. While she said ChatGPT can't compete with it, she uses it for quick pep talks or offering a different perspective on approaching a problem.

Betancourt also loves using ChatGPT for gratitude journal prompts. Recently, she used it to reflect on the joyful moments of a trip she took with her family. However, she said she wouldn't use ChatGPT to deal with heavier emotions like grief. She lost her father-in-law last year and her father a few years before that. She believes only real people can provide adequate comfort and advice in a crisis.

Unlike a psychologist or best friend, ChatGPT is also not beholden to confidentiality — data inputted may potentially be used to identify users in the future, though it hasn't happened yet.

Emily tries not to include too much super-personal data. Sometimes, though, she'll describe a "really intense situation" involving other people. "If that ever got out, it could ruin relationships," she said. "I'm just hoping it's completely private."

If you're going to spill to ChatGPT, create boundaries

Both Bogdanovic and Goldberg predict that more people will start using ChatGPT for therapy, at least in the near future. They also hope they'll exercise some boundaries around it.

Bogdanovic recommends using it only for "pointed questions," like how to respond to your boss's message or breathing techniques to calm down.

In my experience, even the best AI -powered advice can fall short. By the time my husband came home that day, ChatGPT still hadn't given me an answer that felt right — it provided too many potential courses of action. I spiraled, wondering if I was giving ChatGPT a fair amount of context without completely compromising my privacy.

So I asked him instead: knowing all about this recurring issue, what would he do if he were me right now? He paused and closed his eyes, pensiveness in his voice. Then he gave me his advice.

I texted the person back in the way he suggested. I have no idea if it was the best answer or the rightest of resolutions. All I know is that I felt better when I put my phone down to hug him.

• Older Americans are facing retirement uncertainty due to market dips and Trump policy changes.
• Financial advisors urge against drastic investment changes, despite recession fears.
• Diversifying income sources and delaying taking Social Security can help stabilize retirement plans.

With dips in the stock market, planned staff cuts to the Social Security Administration, and rapidly changing economic policy, nearly a dozen older Americans told Business Insider they aren't sure how to navigate retirement under Trump 2.0 — so we asked financial advisors.

It turns out that they have also been fielding an uptick in queries about how this political moment will impact clients' finances.

Some retirees are tempted to make drastic changes to their investments, while others feel anxious about how their Social Security benefits may fare. This comes as the White House makes sweeping cuts to the federal workforce, the Department of Government Efficiency slashes budgets for government programs, and Wall Street braces for a potential recession.

The biggest advice for older Americans right now from financial advisors: don't panic. The news cycle since President Donald Trump's inauguration has moved quickly, and most advisors caution older adults against making any major changes to their retirement or savings accounts. Advisors told BI that building emergency funds and cutting back on spending are smarter ways to approach economic uncertainty.

"While it's difficult not to react when stocks are falling, this has often been the best course of action, or you risk locking in potential losses and missing out on any market recoveries," said Rita Assaf, vice president of retirement offerings at Fidelity Investment. "If you are saving for retirement, continue to stick to your plan. If you haven't created a plan, you should."

Here are the three top tips on retirement planning in the current economic climate from financial advisors, economists, and wealth managers.

Avoid drastic investment decisions

The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq have fallen recently, sparking nervousness among older Americans who have invested their retirement savings. A potential recession could also impact the value of some retirees' assets, like homes.

"Putting the possibility of a recession into perspective can be hard to do," said John Canally, chief portfolio strategist at TIAA, Wealth Management. "Emotion is a big part of investing, for better or worse, and investors often see short-term volatility as extremely disruptive."

However, Gordon Whittaker, a Merrill wealth management advisor, told BI there is nothing about this period in the market that is different from other times of elevated volatility. If Americans have a smart retirement portfolio with adequate risk allocations, he said they shouldn't make any major money changes.

Financial advisors told BI that it's better to wait and see before making any immediate changes to 401(k) or Roth IRA strategies. Additionally, don't make any changes now in an effort to "get ahead of the economy," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate. He added that investors can miss out on gains more than avoiding losses when they try to outguess the market.

Market conditions will likely change again soon, and Canally said it is important to "stay anchored" to long-term wealth and savings goals.

Older Americans who have invested in the market should ensure their stock portfolio is diverse, said Christopher Scibilia, a private client advisor at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management. People should invest in various stock options, ideally in stable industries without much risk. Scibilia added that retirees should also plan to withdraw their investments when the market is higher to avoid losses.

Evaluate your budget and pay down debt

Regardless of age, economists and financial advisors told BI it is a good time for Americans to reevaluate their spending.

The job market could slow down, and the price of everyday items could tick up due to tariffs and market volatility, especially if there is a recession. This is a good time to examine household budgets and see what can be trimmed or cut if income changes, McBride said. He added that people should prioritize paying down debt, building emergency funds, and focusing on liquid cash savings.

Scibilia said older Americans, especially, should have cash on hand in case of unexpected expenses, like a medical diagnosis. He said building an emergency fund alongside a traditional retirement account should be a top consideration for Americans who are retired or are looking to retire soon.

Don't count on Social Security alone to pay your bills

BI previously heard from older Americans who are either unable to retire or must return to work after retirement due to financial constraints. Many said that Social Security isn't enough to afford essentials, and millions of retirees don't have adequate savings.

The Social Security fund is unlikely to be immediately affected by any of Trump's planned policies, though Trump has suggested cutting some government healthcare coverage and resources for Social Security beneficiaries.

Financial advisors and economists told BI that having multiple income streams can help protect people from market volatility or any changes in government benefits.

Assaf and Scibilia said that older Americans should consider waiting to collect Social Security. Delaying their claim until age 70 could increase people's benefits by 8%, which could be especially helpful for Americans worried about the Social Security fund dwindling in the 2030s, they said.

"Having multiple income sources, like Social Security, pensions, or part-time work, can also provide stability," Scibilia said.

Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, also told BI that people with emergency funds, investment portfolios, and updated skills in their industry recover fastest from job losses. Scibilia added that pursuing part-time work and increasing health insurance coverage can help retirees weather unexpected expenses.

Do you have a story to tell about retirement plans and how you're navigating finances under Trump 2.0? Reach out to these reporters at [email protected] and [email protected]

• Flexport CEO says tariff uncertainty is paralyzing companies' decision-making.
• Anxiety grew after Trump announced tariffs on Mexico and Canada.
• Canada, China, and the EU have placed retaliatory tariffs on US products.

The CEO of logistics and freight company Flexport said that customers feel stuck because of the uncertainty around tariffs.

"Frankly, the number one reaction I see right now is a bit of paralysis of people not wanting to make a decision until there's more clarity," said Ryan Petersen on an episode of the Logan Bartlett Show released on Friday. He founded Flexport in 2013 and raised $935 million in 2022 at an $8 billion valuation.

On the podcast, Petersen said that customers don't know what to expect around tariffs. He said no country feels like a safe bet for supply chains, especially after President Donald Trump placed duties on Canada and Mexico, two of the US's closest trading partners.

"You should expect tariffs can come for any country, so that's making planning really really difficult," he said. "My advice would be get it over with quickly so people could figure out what the new normal is."

Businesses across industries are sorting out how to shift their supply chains away from countries worst hit by Trump's tariffs. Earlier this month, Pfizer's CEO Albert Bourla said that the company may move overseas drug manufacturing back to the US. Retail executives at companies including Ralph Lauren, Steve Madden, and Yeti have said in recent months that they plan to reduce their manufacturing dependency on China.

Since Trump took office in January, he has announced a string of sweeping tariffs across the US's three biggest trading partners — China, Canada, and Mexico — and the rest of the world.

Trump imposed 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Canada and Mexico and suspended many of the measures two days after they went into effect.

Last week, in retaliation for a 50% charge on American whiskies, Trump threatened a 200% tariff on all alcoholic products from European Union countries.

Trump's charges have been met with equally harsh retaliations: Canada reciprocated with a 25% tariff on all US goods, China placed a 10% to 15% tariff on agricultural goods, and the EU responded with billions of dollars in tariffs. Retaliations came at a provincial level, too: Ontario, Canada's most populous province, placed a 25% surcharge on the electricity sent to Michigan, Minnesota, and New York.

• President Donald Trump told reporters he will speak to Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.
• "We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants," Trump said.
• Ukraine has said it is ready to accept a US proposal for a 30-day cease-fire with Russia.

President Donald Trump said he plans to speak to Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday about ending the Ukraine war.

"We will see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday," Trump told reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday, per multiple media reports.

"A lot of work's been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end," Trump added.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has now run over three years since it began in February 2022, with both sides estimated to have lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

Kyiv is estimated to have had 80,000 of its troops killed and another 400,000 wounded, while Western analyses say Russia likely has more than 700,000 troops killed and wounded.

Trump has often cited the loss of life as a key reason he's pushing for peace as soon as possible. Describing himself as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, he's sought to pull both parties toward a cease-fire agreement — a change from the Biden administration's strategy of trying to starve Moscow into capitulation.

That effort has introduced new tensions in the US-Ukraine relationship. Earlier this month, the Trump administration paused all military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

Those were later restored after Ukraine said it was ready to accept a US proposal for an immediate 30-day cease-fire with Russia. Trump had also threatened Putin and Russia with sanctions if they didn't agree to a cease-fire with Ukraine.

"We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants," Trump said of the coming negotiations with Putin.

With Ukraine agreeing to the temporary cease-fire terms, the Trump administration must now focus on securing Russia's approval.

"The ball is now in their court," State Secretary Marco Rubio said last week of Russia.

Moscow has stepped up missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities despite ongoing talks in the last two weeks, prompting fears of a long road toward a peace agreement.

Kyiv and Europe, meanwhile, have repeatedly voiced concerns that the US may try to broker peace terms without direct Ukrainian input.

Both the UK and France have proposed stationing troops in Ukraine to act as a peacekeeping force to oversee the cease-fire.

On Sunday, Russia's deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko told local media in an interview published Monday that his country will not accept having any NATO troops based in Ukraine.

Ukraine, too, wants to be part of the conversation.

"No decision can be made without Ukraine on how to end the war in Ukraine," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in February, as Trump indicated his team had been speaking with Putin.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• The US Navy is deploying a guided-missile destroyer to police the southern border.
• The USS Gravely previously finished a nine-month deployment fighting the Houthis in the Red Sea.
• The warship is armed with the long-range Tomahawk, a powerful missile used for striking land targets.

The Navy said on Saturday that the USS Gravely, a guided-missile destroyer that saw combat in the Red Sea last year, is being sent to the US southern border.

The Arleigh Burke-class warship's presence would help "restore territorial integrity at the US southern border," officials said in a statement.

"Gravely's sea-going capacity improves our ability to protect the United States' territorial integrity, sovereignty, and security," said Gen. Gregory Guillot, who leads US Northern Command.

The statement provided few details of the Gravely's mission but said its deployment was made under President Donald Trump's executive orders to protect the southern border.

In January, Trump declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border, which he said needed troops to deal with a flood of illegal migration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that he views the border situation as a matter of national security.

As part of its deployment, the Gravely carries a US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment, a squad of elite operators specializing in maritime missions like intercepting drug-trafficking ships and fighting pirates.

Policing the US' southern waters is an unusual task for a destroyer with the Gravely's firepower. Such missions are usually carried out by US border authorities and the Coast Guard.

A warship that saw combat for nine months

Before this new deployment, the Gravely was one of several warships accompanying the Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier for its extended nine-month deployment in the Red Sea.

There, the Gravely spent months shooting down drones and missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels. It also carried out long-range strikes on Houthi land targets with its vertically launched Tomahawk missiles — part of a coordinated US-UK effort to preemptively destroy Houthi weapons before they could fire.

Additionally, the destroyer was documented using a "non-kinetic" weapon system to fend off drones.

This Middle East deployment was notable for the US Navy because of how intense and frequent the fighting grew, which allowed the Ike group to gain valuable active combat experience.

By the end of its twice-extended deployment in June, the carrier group had fired nearly 800 munitions and logged over 12,000 aircraft sorties.

Now, the US is sending some of that military might to its south. The Gravely is over 500 feet in length, meaning it's far bigger than any of the typical cutters used by the US Coast Guard.

Washington has two key areas of concern in its southern waters: The Gulf of Mexico, which Trump has renamed the Gulf of America, and the Caribbean Sea on Panama's coast.

Trump has said that he wants to retake control of the Panama Canal, complaining about fees charged to US commercial ships and Chinese influence over the waterway.

Meanwhile, thousands of people attempt to cross the Gulf of Mexico to illegally enter the US every year. The US Coast Guard warns that the journey is often dangerous and can be deadly because smugglers tend to use old, unsafe boats to carry migrants.

The gulf is also a major route for drug smuggling by cartels, which Trump designated as foreign terrorist organizations immediately after he took office.

The Pentagon and US Northern Command's press teams did not respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.

• Former first lady Michelle Obama, 61, is no stranger to online rumors.
• That's why, to protect her peace, she doesn't read the comments section, she said at SXSW.
• But public figures aren't the only ones vulnerable to the negative impact of social media.

Michelle Obama knows it's not easy to be in the public eye, and that's why she pays attention to her social media usage.

During a live taping of her "IMO" podcast — which she cohosts with her brother, Craig Robinson — at SXSW on Thursday, Obama spoke about her top tip for protecting herself and her family online.

"People always ask me and Barack, how did we stay hopeful in, not just the eight years that we were in the White House, but beyond?" Obama said, per People.

The former first lady said she and her husband, Barack Obama, faced "a lot of negative energy" due to widespread rumors about them, such as gossip about his nationality and whether he attended Harvard.

"But through it all, what kept us sane — and we tried to instill this in our daughters — is, you cannot live through social media," Obama said. "I don't think I have ever once looked at a comment section, period."

The things that internet users say in the comments section are often untrue, since they are "people who don't know you," she said.

"That doesn't mean you don't stay informed, but staying informed has nothing to do with the comment section. It has everything to do with the content of the stories that you take in," Obama said.

"I think we cannot get so trapped by social media that we feel so caught up into the one way we get information. We've got to broaden our spectrum, and we have to get off the phone," she added.

The pitfalls of social media

But it's not just public figures who are vulnerable to the negative impact of social media; children and teenagers are especially at risk. Cyberbullying and the need to constantly seek validation online can have a detrimental effect on their mental health.

Researchers from Yale and Columbia looked at screen time habits in over 5,100 kids, ages 9 and 10. The study, published in 2023, showed that youths who spend the most time on their phones are more likely to develop depression and anxiety, among other problems, in the future.

Governments are taking note: Australia has already approved a law banning social media for children under 16, while Norway is considering enacting a ban for children under 15.

Other celebrity moms have also spoken up about the dangers of social media.

In January 2024, Penélope Cruz told Elle about her concerns regarding letting her kids use social media.

"It's so easy to be manipulated, especially if you have a brain that is still forming," Cruz said. "And who pays the price? Not us, not our generation."

During a panel at the "A Day of Unreasonable Conversation" summit in March 2024, Paris Hilton spoke about how technology has changed the way children interact with the world.

"Kids are not going outside anymore and playing as much because everyone's just so busy on their phones," Hilton said. "So, hopefully, my kids won't be as addicted to social media as I am."

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

• Oliva Purba and Dirkjan Tijs wanted to live a simpler and more sustainable life in Bali, Indonesia.
• So, they swapped their three-bedroom villa near Canggu for tiny living in Ubud.
• Instead of one tiny house, the couple built two — for $30,000.

After two years of living in a three-bedroom villa near Bali's popular Canggu tourist district, Olivia Purba and her husband, Dirkjan Tijs, decided it was time to downsize.

Purba, originally from North Sumatra, moved south from Indonesia's northern province in 2017 to work for a non-governmental organization in Bali as a partnerships officer, where she worked closely with small farmers in the coffee, cacao, rice, cinnamon, and seaweed sectors.

Tijs, a software engineer from the Netherlands, arrived in Bali in 2018 as a digital nomad. His original plan was to stay on the island for a month — but then he met Purba and they fell in love.

Although the couple traveled extensively, both for work and leisure, Bali always felt like home.

The villa was their first house together. The home had a private pool and much more space than they needed.

"We thought that maybe our friends or family could come over. We also ended up renting out the extra rooms to our friends," Purba, 36, now a sustainability consultant who also runs a travel business with her husband, told Business Insider.

But over time, they realized that they wanted more privacy.

Without kids, it didn't make sense for them to live in such a big house either. Moreover, their neighborhood was getting crowded, and all those factors got them thinking about a move.

"We thought, 'Let's go to Ubud because it's less crowded than Canggu and Pererenan, and build something that's simple, sustainable, and just enough for the two of us,'" she said.

Ubud is near the center of the Indonesian island and is known for its rainforest and terraced rice paddies.

From tourist-central Canggu to the lush forests of Ubud

They were drawn to tiny houses because they liked the idea of living minimally, but they also wanted enough space to start a permaculture farm where they could grow their own food.

"I have a background in sustainability, so I always thought I needed to walk my talk, too," Purba said.

In February 2024, they found the perfect plot of land in Ubud to build on.

The property measured about 3,230 square feet and was situated in a great location: It was surrounded by trees and rice fields, yet stores and restaurants were less than 10 minutes away.

And unlike in Canggu, the traffic there isn't as bad, Purba said.

While Purba is Indonesian — which means she can buy land in Bali — the couple chose to lease the plot for 25 years instead. They paid 325 million Indonesian rupiah, or about $19,800 for it.

It's cheaper to lease the land instead of buying it, Tijs, 36, told BI.

"It also means that my name can also be on the property as well, and the lease aligns with the time that it'll probably take for a wooden house to stay good," he said.

There's also an ethical reason behind their decision, Purba said: "A lot of land in Bali is being taken from the Balinese. This way, after 25 years, they can have their land back."

Instead of building one tiny house, the couple opted for two.

It felt economical to build two on the same plot of land since the cost of transporting materials, building resources, and tools could be shared between both houses, Tijs said.

The contractors were also able to work on the houses almost simultaneously, he said.

Although the couple had decided not to continue sharing their house, they still wanted space to host guests.

"If we have friends or family visiting, they can still stay with us on the same land. Otherwise, we can rent it out," he said.

Despite having no formal architecture experience, Purba sketched the designs she had in mind for both houses on paper. The couple then worked with local builders to bring those ideas to life.

Save for some furniture assembly, the rest of the building work was done by their contractors.

In early October, the first tiny house — which is also the couple's primary residence — was completed.

It was an L-shaped wooden structure inspired by a combination of Japanese and Scandinavian design aesthetics.

A month later, the second tiny house, which featured a loft-style design, was done.

Both tiny houses cost 492.5 million Indonesian rupiah, or about $30,000, to build.

One of the biggest challenges during construction was transporting raw materials to the site. There was only one tiny road — just over three feet wide — that led to the plot.

"You can only access it by bike. Even with a bike, sometimes, if your bike is big, you'll need to stop to let people pass," Purba said.

The couple had to rent a smaller plot of land nearby to store their building materials before the builders they hired transported everything to the site using bikes and three-wheeled carts, she said.

Living authentically close to nature

Purba and Tijs are part of a growing trend of people who are interested in living tiny.

As housing costs continue to rise globally, tiny houses offer a much more affordable alternative to traditional real estate.

Six people who live in tiny houses previously told BI it was a way for them to reduce their housing expenses and be more conscious about the things they buy.

Likewise, being in a tiny house has enabled the couple to live a more simple life.

"Considering the size of the place, it's not super cluttered. We try to limit our stuff," Tijs said.

They've always been interested in minimalism, and living in a tiny house has only further motivated them to get rid of unnecessary things and declutter.

"You realize that if there are things you don't need, you shouldn't just keep it," Purba said.

These days, the couple has been tending to their permaculture garden, where they've been growing mostly herbs, such as lemongrass and parsley, as well as fruit, like pineapples and bananas.

Although eating out is quite affordable in Bali, they are hoping to grow more of their own food.

"I also have fish in my fish pond, but let's see if I want to eat my fish," Purba said with a laugh.

Looking back, Purba says their tiny house journey has been fulfilling because she feels she's able to live more authentically.

Being close to nature has made a huge difference to her mental health. They even fall asleep to the sounds of nature at night, like the frogs croaking in the field and the water flowing in their pond, she said.

"Every day I'll go check on my plants. I'm kind of like, earthing. My feet touch the earth, and it makes me feel peaceful," she added.

Do you have a story to share about living in tiny houses? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

• Critical Role's cofounders sat down with BI and answered one big question: Are you stepping down?
• Critical Role's CEO, Travis Willingham, said the answer to that is a hard no.
• But the cofounders do want to bring on "new faces" and ink new partnerships.

Critical Role's cofounders are answering one big question about their business — and putting some speculation to bed.

The eight-member team has streamed their long-running "Dungeons & Dragons" game for hundreds of episodes. Over the last decade, the California-based crew turned their Twitch hit show into a business venture with multiple arms spanning gaming, Amazon-backed animated series, and publishing.

They've sold out stadiums for their live shows, and are embarking on a multi-city tour between April and October: Chicago, Fishers (just outside Indianapolis), Sydney, Melbourne, and New York.

BI asked four of the company's cofounders — who are now mostly in their 40s — about fan speculation that they'd step down from broadcasting to focus on behind-the-scenes work.

The answer was a hard no.

"We've had 10 amazing years — and it should be clear and known and declared that we're not going anywhere. We've got tons more to do," Travis Willingham, Critical Role's CEO, said.

Not done with telling stories

Liam O'Brien, one of CR's cofounders and the face of its literary and publishing business, told BI he already has character ideas for their next streaming project.

The crew also isn't done with the world of Exandria — the sprawling gameplay sandbox that Matthew Mercer, CR's chief creative officer, created over a decade ago.

Willingham says he wants to explore the Shattered Teeth, a string of mysterious islands in Exandria, and see what the game world looks like under the sea.

O'Brien, meanwhile, wants to take a big leap forward in time.

"Someday in some manner, in some medium, I want to visit Exandria in a science fiction far future," he said.

Ray also told BI that she's figuring out what the next cofounder-led project to hit their streaming platform, Beacon, will look like.

"Between Campaign Two and Campaign Three, we built a new set," Ray told BI. "We're talking about merch, and we're talking new ways that we can continue to elevate our content and how we tell this story. We are very much in the thick of that right now as we're building everything out."

New faces, new partnerships

CR is also interested in having new talent on board.

"We're very dedicated to introducing these new faces to our audience. And that's not going to stop anytime soon," Ray said.

"I don't think we could hang up the towel even if we wanted to. I think we're all addicted, so you're not going to see any of the founders go anywhere," she said.

The CR team also wants to bring new crews and their projects on board.

There's already precedent for this. CR expanded its reach in the podcasting business by acquiring shows like "Midst" and "Tales from the Stinky Dragon." The latter streamed at the Texas-based Rooster Teeth Productions until that company shut down in 2024.

Willingham told BI that the crew wants to find creatives who make "cool and nerdy" things — and he hopes CR's streaming platform, Beacon, can help give such people a platform.

"After 10 years, one of the most exciting things is the opportunity to give storytellers a new spotlight," Willingham said.

• Joby Aviation is partnering with Virgin Atlantic to launch flying taxis in the United Kingdom.
• The company said the air taxi can carry up to four passengers.
• Joby also plans to launch air taxis in the US this year in New York and Los Angeles.

UK residents can soon skip the Tube, Uber, and hours of traffic by gliding through the skies in long-imagined flying taxis.

Electric air taxi company Joby and British airline Virgin Atlantic announced a new partnership on Sunday to bring flying taxis to the UK.

Joby said its air cabs use "six tilting propellers" that allow them to take off and land vertically with a fraction of the noise of a helicopter.

The aircraft is designed for back-to-back flights and can carry up to four passengers at a time. They can fly at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour and be used for trips of up to 100 miles. A more than hourlong car ride from Heathrow Airport to Canary Wharf would become an 8-minute flight by air taxi.

The company plans to build a network of landing locations, known as vertiports, across the UK. At launch, it expects pricing to be in line with "premium" ride-sharing options.

Joby and Delta Air Lines — which has a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic — announced a partnership in 2022 to use air taxis for transporting customers to the airport across the US and UK. Joby is also backed by Toyota and Uber.

"Virgin Atlantic's commitment to delighting its customers reflects our experience with Delta and we couldn't imagine a better partner to work with in the UK," Joby's founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt, said in the company's press release.

Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, said, "As a leader in sustainability and with innovation firmly in our DNA, we are delighted to be partnering with Joby to bring short-haul, zero-emission flight to airports and cities throughout the UK."

Electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, or eVTOLs, the technical name for air taxis, still need to clear a few regulatory hurdles before they're ready to take flight. But the UK has a roadmap called the Future of Flight Action Plan that aims to have the first eVTOL in the air by 2026.

In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration cleared Joby's air taxis for flight in a "final rule" published in October that provides guidelines for training pilots and operations. Joby has plans to launch its first air taxis in New York City and Los Angeles by the end of this year.

United Airlines, which has a partnership with eVTOL company Archer Aviation, is also planning to launch its first air taxis this year.

• A jury awarded Michael Garcia, a delivery driver, $50 million after a Starbucks drink burned him.
• Garcia filed a complaint against Starbucks in 2020 after a hot tea fell on his lap.
• Garcia suffered serious burns, his lawyers argued.

A court ordered Starbucks to pay $50 million to a California delivery driver who suffered serious burns after a hot tea fell in his lap.

A Los Angeles County jury found Starbucks negligent on March 14, marking four years since the litigation between Starbucks and Michael Garcia began. Garcia, who worked at the time as a Postmates driver, first filed the complaint against Starbucks in March 2020.

A Starbucks spokesperson told Business Insider it planned to appeal the decision.

"We sympathize with Mr. Garcia, but we disagree with the jury's decision that we were at fault for this incident and believe the damages awarded to be excessive," the statement said. "We plan to appeal. We have always been committed to the highest safety standards in our stores, including the handling of hot drinks."

Trial Lawyers for Justice, the firm representing Garcia, said he entered a Starbucks drive-thru that February and ordered three venti-sized hot teas. The firm said the barista at the pick-up window "negligently failed" to secure one of the drinks into the drink carrier.

"Within 1.4 seconds of Michael taking possession of the tray, the unsecured cup fell directly into his lap, the lid popped off, and the scalding hot tea caused third-degree burns to his penis, groin, and inner thighs," a press release said. "He was taken by paramedics to the emergency room."

Nick Rowley, Garcia's attorney, said the driver's life "has been forever changed."

"No amount of money can undo the permanent catastrophic harm he has suffered, but this jury verdict is a critical step in holding Starbucks accountable for flagrant disregard for customer safety and failure to accept responsibility," he said in a statement.

• I moved to South Korea when I was 24 to teach English.
• I was lonelier than I had ever been when I met a local family.
• We are still in touch 18 years later, and their daughter is the age I was when I met them.

My life in Korea got off to a rough start.

Six days after settling into suburban Seoul to teach English, I arrived at my apartment to find my key didn't work. Strange, I thought. The key had worked that morning when I left.

I walked to the school and found all my belongings in garbage bags. The owner informed me that he didn't have a job for me after all and then loaded my stuff into the school van. He was passing me along to a friend on the other side of Seoul who needed a teacher. Without much agency, I fell in line.

The new apartment was nestled at the end of a rundown alley. It was small, musty, and filled with sterile fluorescent light. The new town was on the very outskirts of an expanding metropolis, the last stop on the newest subway line. To fill the time, I signed up for taekwondo in the evenings. I was the only adult in a dojo full of small children, some of whom I taught during the day. It was like that episode of Seinfeld where Kramer takes karate. I Skyped home often from dark and smoky PC bangs (internet cafés) to connect to the people who knew me.

I was lonelier than I had ever been. Then I met the Kims.

They asked me to teach their daughter English

They owned the restaurant at the end of my alley. It was called The Pig House and served exactly what you'd expect from a restaurant with that name. Winding aluminum ducts snaked down like tentacles to the grills at each table.

One day, a woman approached me. It was a friend of theirs who spoke English who said the Kims asked if I would tutor their daughter, Eujin, who was six. I agreed. I gave Eujin lessons on the heated floor of a small room in the back of the restaurant, often while her dad, Byungdong, watched Korean soap operas beside us.

Soon, I was having dinner there most nights after taekwondo. Eujin's mom, Myungjoo, bought an English phrase book that she used as a tool in our nightly conversations. Once, frustrated with each other and eager to practice English, I witnessed an argument using the book. Myungjoo searched for the right insult.

"Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall," she over-enunciated.

Byungdong grabbed the book, flipping pages for the proper retort. A full minute passed.

"You don't know what you are talking about," he clapped back, his face contorting as it always would when he tried to pronounce English words.

They were what I needed

Our relationship deepened. They took me to noraebangs (karaoke rooms) with their extended family. I spent Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving, with them. On weekends, sometimes we would pile into Byungdong's taxi and go hiking in places I never would have found. Other times I took them into Seoul to explore the neighborhoods I was discovering because they rarely went into the city.

I realized throughout all of this my loneliness was melting away. But it was more than that. As an only child of a divorced family, spending time with the Kims was like therapy I never knew I needed.

I left Korea after seven months but never lost contact with the Kims. Today, Eujin is 24, the age I was when we met. I have kids of my own who are roughly the ages she and her brother Woonghee were back then. Eujin's English is great, and we Skype regularly. She sends my kids Christmas gifts. I give her interview advice. We talk about the Squid Game and share recipes.

The Kims want to come to the US, and we've told them they will always have a place to stay. After all, that's what family's for.

• Chinese tech giant Baidu released new AI models Ernie X1 and Ernie 4.5.
• The company says the models rival those from OpenAI and DeepSeek in performance per cost.
• China is increasingly embracing open-source models.

Baidu, China's answer to Google, has released two new AI models.

On Saturday, Baidu released Ernie X1, a reasoning model it said "delivers performance on par with DeepSeek R1 at only half the price."

It also launched a multimodal foundation model called Ernie 4.5 that the company said "outperforms GPT-4.5 in multiple benchmarks while priced at just 1% of GPT-4.5."

Baidu said it's also making its chatbot, Ernie Bot, free to the public on April 1, ahead of schedule.

The tech giant said it will "progressively integrate" Ernie 4.5 and X1 into its product ecosystem, including Baidu Search, China's dominant search engine.

Baidu's new releases come as Silicon Valley reckons with the cost of AI models, largely spurred by the latest drops from DeepSeek, a Chinese startup launched by hedge fund High Flyer.

In December, DeepSeek released a large language model called V3, and in January, it unveiled a reasoning model called R1. The models are considered as good or better than equivalent models from OpenAI but priced "anywhere from 20-40x cheaper," according to analysis from Bernstein Research.

OpenAI vs DeepSeek vs Baidu

Tokens are the smallest unit of data an AI model processes. Companies price models according to how many input tokens a model processes and output tokens it generates.

For Ernie 4.5, Baidu said that input and output token prices start as low as 0.004 Chinese yuan per thousand input tokens and 0.016 per thousand output tokens.

BI converted those figures into US dollars to understand how chat models from OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Baidu compare against one another. While Baidu's cost claims against OpenAI's latest, "emotionally intelligent" GPT-4.5 check out, DeepSeek's V3 barely wins out in cost against Ernie 4.5.

In terms of reasoning models, conversions to USD show that Ernie X1 is the cheapest of all with prices just under 2% of OpenAI's o1.

Cost-savings aside, those who've already tried Ernie seem impressed. "Been playing around with it for hours, impressive performance," Alvin Foo, a venture partner at Zero2Launch, said in a post on X.

Baidu's latest models demonstrate not only the growing competition between the United States and China in the AI race but also the latter's growing embrace of open-source models.

"One thing we learned from DeepSeek is that open-sourcing the best models can greatly help adoption," Robin Li, Baidu's CEO, said on an earnings call in February. "When the model is open source, people naturally want to try it out of curiosity, which helps drive broader adoption."

Baidu said on X in February that the Ernie 4.5 series will be open-sourced from June 30. The company declined to comment on the X1 model.

China, which aims to become a global leader in AI by 2030, is making waves with a slate of new models and agents, including Alibaba's open-source model, QwQ-32B, and AI agent Manus, released earlier this month.

Until now, AI insiders seemed eager for the coming launch of DeepSeek's R2. But the Ernie collection may give it a run for its money.

Correction: March 17, 2025 — An earlier version of this story misstated that Baidu's models are open-sourced. The company said Ernie 4.5 series will be open-sourced in late June and did not comment on the X1 model.

• My husband and I have loved a travel adventure even before we had kids.
• When they were born, it didn't slow us down, and we kept exploring new places while baby-wearing them.
• We now allow our kids to plan our next vacation, and it's led to great adventures.

My husband and I are avid adventurers who love to hike, camp, and explore the world through off-the-beaten-path trips. Before we had kids, we backpacked extensively in the US and India (where we're originally from) and even spent our honeymoon on an 18-day off-grid RV road trip through New Zealand while being completely off-grid with no planned agenda.

When our kids were born, our travels didn't slow down. In fact, some of my most vivid memories are of backcountry camping in Glacier National Park, and hiking 11 miles to Sperry Chalet with my son in a BabyBjörn carrier and my daughter in a Kelty kids' hiking carrier.

Fast forward about a decade, and my teens started having their own opinions on where they wanted to go — often inspired by books they read or movies they watched. We introduced a fun tradition to let them have a say: writing down destinations on chits and drawing a winner from a fishbowl. Each child submits four options they want to explore, and we draw two contenders, assess them for feasibility and cost, and then narrow them down to one. If one child's pick is chosen, the other takes the lead in planning the itinerary. If neither option works, we redraw until we find the perfect fit.

This process has led to some incredible — and sometimes unexpected — escapades for us. Here are a few of the most memorable ones.

Free diving in the Great Barrier Reef

Both of my kids are strong swimmers and have always loved the ocean. Before the pandemic, they wanted to spend a summer exploring a new country while learning to surf, so they chose Australia.

While we traveled to cities like Sydney and Melbourne, the most unforgettable experience was our trip to the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkeling through the vibrant underwater world, we spotted reef sharks, clownfish, and groupers. The true highlight, though, was free diving along a shallow section. Both kids ditched their snorkeling gear and swam among schools of fish, completely immersed in the serenity of the deep blue.

To this day, they still talk about that moment and the sense of wonder it gave them.

Staying in a bedouin camp in Wadi Rum, Jordan

Inspired by "The Martian" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," one year, my 15-year-old daughter picked Jordan, which turned out to be one of the best trips. The sight of the soft pink hues of Petra's Treasury building and the surreal experience of floating in the Dead Sea were unforgettable but nothing compared to our time in a Bedouin camp in the heart of Wadi Rum.

It felt like we had stepped into a different world, one where time slowed and the quiet of the desert took over. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the endless red dunes burst into shades of gold and crimson, leaving us in awe of its sheer beauty. And at night, the sky opened, revealing a million stars that seemed so close you could almost touch them.

Our Bedouin host shared the ancient art of navigation through the stars, teaching us how they use the planets as their compass. My kids were mesmerized by the stories and the feeling of being so small yet deeply connected to something that ancient.

Climbing an active volcano in Chile

Having two athletes in the family ensures that there's always one heart-pumping activity during our travels. While my 15-year-old son picked Chile, my 19-year-old daughter planned a hike to the summit of Villarica, South America's most active volcano. Standing at 9,340 feet, it offers breathtaking views of the Andes, but the hike is no walk in the park. The steep, icy slopes need crampons, an ice axe and a guide is mandatory for navigating the glacier crossings and loose volcanic scree.

You only get about 10 minutes to take it all in, and if the volcano has been active recently, you might even need a gas mask to endure the sulfur fumes. But if conditions are right, you're treated to a rare, jaw-dropping view of the steaming, lava-filled crater.

As we continue to draw our next adventure from the fishbowl, I cherish the thought that I'm not just instilling a sense of adventure in my teens but also teaching them to embrace the unknown and the unexpected — whether in life or travel.

• Apple TV+ has officially renewed "Ted Lasso" for a fourth season.
• The show's future was uncertain after the season three finale, which aired in 2023.
• Jason Sudeikis will return to the show. The rest of the cast has yet to be announced.

It's been almost two years since the season three finale of "Ted Lasso" aired.

But AFC Richmond fans now have a reason to celebrate once again, as Apple TV+ announced earlier this week that the Emmy-winning comedy will be back for a fourth season, with star Jason Sudeikis returning in the titular role.

"'Ted Lasso' has been nothing short of a juggernaut, inspiring a passionate fanbase all over the world, and delivering endless joy and laughter, all while spreading kindness, compassion and unwavering belief," Matt Cherniss, head of programming for Apple TV+, said in a statement announcing the show's return. "Everyone at Apple is thrilled to be continuing our collaboration with Jason and the brilliant creative minds behind this show."

Here's everything we know about the upcoming series.

Right now, only one returning cast member has been confirmed

Sudeikis, who also serves as an executive producer on the show, shared a rather Lasso-like statement while confirming his return.

"We all continue to live in a world where so many factors have conditioned us to 'look before we leap," Sudeikis said in a press release. "In Season 4, the folks at AFC Richmond learn to leap before they look, discovering that wherever they land, it's exactly where they're meant to be."

Brendan Hunt and Brett Goldstein will return as executive producers — with Goldstein also continuing to serve as a cowriter on the series — but it's not been confirmed whether they will also be back as cast members Beard and Roy Kent.

It's also not known whether the rest of the show's beloved ensemble, which includes Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Nick Mohammed, and Phil Dunster, will reprise their roles.

However, one addition has been announced to the creative team. Jack Burditt, a TV producer who worked on the Netflix hit "Nobody Wants This," will join as an executive producer as part of a new overall deal with Apple TV+.

Season four will shift focus to a women's football team, Sudeikis has said

Sudeikis spoke about the new season on an episode of the "New Heights" podcast — hosted by former Philadelphia Eagles star Jason Kelce and his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce — on Friday.

"We're writing season four now," Sudeikis said. "That's the official word. Ted's coaching a women's team."

When pushed for more details, including whether the new season would see his character come back to the US, Sudeikis said: "That's too many questions," adding: "I don't know."

The season three finale saw Ted return home to Kansas

"Ted Lasso," which debuted in 2020, became one of AppleTV+'s most-streamed shows over its initial three-season run.

The season three finale — which many believed was the closing chapter — aired in May 2023. While it was not officially billed as a show finale, it wrapped up many major storylines and saw Ted return home to Kansas to be closer to his son (Gus Turner).

Apple TV+ has not yet announced a premiere date for the new season and did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• Scott Bessent told NBC News on Sunday that there are 'no guarantees' there won't be a recession.
• "Like, who would have predicted Covid, right?" he said.
• Bessent also expressed confidence in the stock market despite major fluctuations over the past week.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday during an NBC News interview that there are "no guarantees" there won't be a recession. He also expressed confidence in the major stock indexes amid threats of a prolonged trade war.

"You know that there are no guarantees, like who would have predicted Covid, right?" Bessent told "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker. "I can predict that we are putting in robust policies that will be durable, and there could be an adjustment."

Bessent said he was "not at all" worried about the state of the stock market, which has fluctuated dramatically since President Donald Trump ramped up his tariff threats.

"I've been in the investment business for 35 years, and I can tell you that corrections are healthy. They're normal," the treasury secretary said. "What's not healthy is straight up, that you get these euphoric markets. That's how you get a financial crisis."

"I'm not worried about the markets," he continued. "Over the long term, if we put good tax policy in place, deregulation, and energy security, the markets will do great."

In recent days, the S&P 500 has fallen over 10% from recent highs, while the Nasdaq composite has declined about 14% from its December 2024 high.

Trump, with some exceptions, has levied 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico. He has also threatened 200% tariffs on European wine and spirits and placed 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States. Trump has imposed two rounds of 10% tariffs on China since February.

Trump also recently declined to shut down the possibility of a recession. "I hate to predict things like that," he said during a Fox News interview earlier this month. "There is a period of transition, because what we're doing is very big."

His comments led to another market downturn. Last week, the president changed his tune, telling reporters at the White House that he didn't foresee a recession.

"I don't see it at all. I think this country is going to boom," he said. "Markets are going to go up, and they're going to go down. But you know what? We have to rebuild our country."

• I became a mother at 18, despite never planning to have children.
• But I still prioritized my children, teaching them about culture and allowing them to be curious.
• My parenting must have worked because they're becoming successful adults.

When I was younger, I never wanted children. Being responsible for another person felt overwhelming and exhausting. Honestly, becoming a parent was not for me, especially because I wasn't motherly.

But there I was, at 18, pregnant with my first child. Impatient and easily annoyed, I was about to become a mother. With a growing belly, I attended my senior prom and high school graduation, watching my classmates embrace their newfound freedom while I faced a completely different reality.

The moment I found out I was pregnant, I knew one thing for sure: If I was going to do this, I had to do it right. There was no room for half-assing motherhood. I had seen too many examples of what happened when people weren't intentional about raising kids, and I refused to let my child become a product of neglect or lack of guidance. Thankfully, it all worked out in the end.

I decided to embrace motherhood with determination

Parenting is a delicate balance. I had to not repeat the same mistakes my parents made while unintentionally making an entirely new set of mistakes. Still, my husband and I were determined to create a home prioritizing love, discipline, and honesty.

We approached parenting with a clear goal: We would lead by example.

I was young, but I wasn't clueless. If I wanted my (now two) children to take school seriously, they had to see me taking life seriously. So, I set the standard. I worked hard, remained curious, and showed them what perseverance looked like.

I tried expanding their minds beyond the classroom

Beyond academics, I wanted them to have a well-rounded perspective on life. I gave them an appreciation for older music and different genres. Most kids their age know nothing about "Hotel California" or The Rolling Stones, but my kids do. I taught them to listen to the actual words of a song — not just the beat. Music is storytelling, and I wanted them to appreciate the artistry behind it.

I also taught them how to think for themselves, to question everything, and to not blindly follow what everyone else was doing. We had deep conversations about the world, about decision-making, and about the importance of logic.

They saw all the movies I loved growing up, including my favorites, "Forrest Gump" and "Clueless."

I exposed them to all types of food so they could learn about different cultures and ways of cooking. I hoped they'd become curious about the world beyond their immediate environment.

My husband and I balanced each other out

To be honest, I was never a "fun mom." My neurodivergence made me avoid crowds, and when I did try to be fun, it usually didn't turn out well. I wasn't the mom signing up for every school event or planning extravagant parties. That wasn't and still isn't my thing.

My husband, on the other hand, was the field trip dad. He chaperoned school outings, ensuring the kids had fun experiences while I recharged at home. He was also the homework helper when I just needed time to breathe. We balanced each other out.

Raising kids has never been about perfection. We realized it's about being present, accountable, and honest. I never sugarcoated life for my children. I told them the truth, showed them the consequences of their actions, and reminded them that while they were loved unconditionally, expectations still had to be met. There were rules, but there was also space for laughter, real conversations, and the understanding that we were all growing together.

My kids are now excelling

I must have done something right. My 21-year-old daughter is currently in her junior year at one of Maryland's top universities, excelling in her studies as a pre-med public health major.

My younger daughter, now in 11th grade, scored an impressive score on her PSAT and even received a letter from Stanford University inviting her to a summer program.

Looking back, I realize that the version of me at 18 — the one who never wanted kids, who feared she wasn't "motherly" enough — had no idea what she was truly capable of.

Parenthood wasn't something that came naturally to me, but I showed up every day, committed to doing my best. And, if my kids' success is any measure of how I did, I'd say I didn't do too bad after all.

• We first visited Legoland in Florida, and my kids were more into it than Disney World.
• We've since also gone to Legoland New York and San Diego, and have enjoyed all three parks.
• Still, there are a few reasons Legoland Florida is my favorite of the three.

The first time we visited a Legoland park, it wasn't really even on our radar.

It happened to be next to the brand-new Peppa Pig amusement park in Florida that my husband and I wanted to take our kids to. Our kids loved the show, and the park seemed age-appropriate for our then 4-year-old and 2-year-old twins.

The park was next to Legoland Florida, and tickets for both parks were pretty affordable, especially compared to Disney World, so we went there, too.

Our kids loved the Legoland park so much that we ended up taking them to the one in California and New York in later years.

Here's how the three parks compare, and which I love the most.

The parks have some overlap, though they offer slightly different experiences.

As parks from the same franchise, all three Legolands feature very similar attractions.

Although the layouts are different, and the order in which you enter each world may vary, you pretty much can expect very similar experiences in all three.

They all have a land that features miniature versions of iconic places in the world. All three have different landmarks, but kids still get to walk around and explore the miniature buildings.

The "Ninjago" ride is exactly the same in all three parks (ask me how I know — it's my oldest's favorite show), and it's a crowd-pleaser.

All three parks also have The Dragon, a coaster for kids ages 6 to 13.

However, each seemed to have at least one notable, unique attraction.

In California, the one ride that stood out the most for both my oldest and myself was a submarine ride called LEGO CITY: Deep Sea Adventure. We got to enter a submarine and explore real and Lego block creatures underwater.

In New York, we rode The Dragon's Apprentice, a roller coaster for younger kids (3 to 5 years old). It was as much of a thrill as my twins could handle.

In Florida, we all enjoyed hiding from the sun and heat at the Pharaoh's Revenge Land of Adventure, an indoor play area where kids can climb, run through tunnels, and load foam balls into tubes.

There's more to do in all three parks than just go on rides.

When we visited our first Legoland, my twins were just a little over 2 years old. I worried there wouldn't be much for them to do at the park. Thankfully, I was wrong.

All across the three parks, there are tons of things for kids to do and discover beyond the rides.

First of all, they all have figurines from Lego shows that are ready to pose with for photos. My son has a photo of the same punk-rocker sculpture in all three parks.

The parks also offer seasonal events. We visited Legoland New York during its Brick or Treat Halloween special. The park was full of skeletons and pumpkin decorations the kids could pose with and play with.

Plus, each has building stations throughout the property where kids can build with Lego blocks and earn badges.

It's worth staying at the hotel no matter which location you choose.

I won't lie, I'm a sucker for a themed anything, so when we first walked into the hotel adjacent to Legoland Florida, I was sold.

The hotel is decorated with Lego blocks and even has pools of blocks kids can get into and play with.

After that stay, we stayed in the Legoland hotels in New York and Orlando as well.

It's clear that the rooms in all three were designed with family in mind. This was especially important for me as standard hotel-room layouts usually don't easily accommodate a family of five like mine.

For example, the bunk beds have a roll-out bed to fit three kids in one room — which is rare in my traveling experience.

The rooms we stayed at had a kid's area separate from a space for adults, so my husband and I could watch television or read a book without fear of waking the kids.

The hotels all helped keep my family fed and entertained.

Walking into the rooms, my kids squealed in excitement. While there are different themes, we were always assigned the pirates' room. There are also Lego Dreamz and Ninjago-themed rooms.

My kids loved that the rooms had a safe, where we had to crack a code by answering questions about the space (for example, how many ladybugs were hidden in it). Inside the safe, there was a complimentary Lego set for each of them.

There's a restaurant at all three hotels that's also fully decorated with Lego characters which my kids loved.

The food wasn't that impressive, but I appreciated that we could get a quick bite after a long day of playing without having to leave the premises.

All that said, my favorite park was Legoland Florida.

Although all three parks kept my kids entertained and busy, my personal favorite was the one in Florida.

The California park is the first Legoland to open in the US, in 1999, so certain parts of it feel a bit outdated and old. It's also smaller, and although that allowed us to explore the entire property (except for the water park area) in half a day, I left wanting more of an experience.

We saw fewer characters walking around, and the stores felt pretty bare bones — but this could also be because our visit was near closing time.

The New York park in Goshen is the newest, having opened in 2021. I like that it's just a short trip away from New York City. We visited on a Friday, thinking it would be less crowded than the weekend, but we were wrong.

The lines were incredibly long, and we barely got to do any attractions. We later found out that day was a school holiday in New York, which partially explained the chaos.

However, the crowds didn't feel like such a big deal in the Florida park — maybe because it's the biggest of the three. It opened in 2011 and has over 50 rides for a wide range of ages.

Legoland Florida reminded us of Disney parks the most in a few ways, like its larger size and wide range of activities. I also found its gift shops had a bigger variety of items to purchase.

Plus, Legoland Florida being next to Peppa Pig Land is a huge plus for those with younger kids.

• Many celebrities have spoken proudly of their Irish roots.
• Stars including Gwen Stefani, Barack Obama, and Robert De Niro all have Irish ancestors.
• These 17 celebrities claim to hail from the land of Guinness, and some even have DNA proof.

Robert De Niro may be considered the face of Italian-American talent, but he's actually more Irish than Italian.

Ahead of the release of his 2019 film "The Irishman," De Niro told The Irish Times he'd recently learned he hailed from "somewhere near Tipperary."

"I was happy to hear that," he added. "I like the countryside round there."

He's not the only celebrity to have claimed a link to Ireland; stars including John Travolta, Anna Kendrick, and Olivia Wilde have all spoken of their Irish roots.

Ahead of St. Patrick's Day, here are 17 celebrities you might not have realized are Irish.

Amy Daire and Victoria Montalti contributed to a previous version of this post.

Nicole Kidman has Australian, Hawaiian, Scottish, and Irish influences in her life.

When you think of Kidman, the first thing you think of might be her Australian accent. But the movie star actually has a surprisingly mixed ancestry, including Irish blood.

Speaking to Independent.ie in 2014, Kidman said her father's ancestors traveled from Ireland to Australia as free settlers in 1839.

"I'm very proud of that being part of our heritage, that we were the people that were willing to do that and explore new horizons," she said.

"We definitely have, on my father's side, a strong Irish slant. We come from the line of the Callaghors and, obviously, how I look, you know, I have Irish skin," Kidman said. "Then on my mother's side I have all the Scottish blood," she added.

Kidman famously starred in "Far and Away" — with an Irish accent — alongside then-husband Tom Cruise in 1991.

She also filmed "The Northman," which was released in 2022, in Northern Ireland.

Rosario Dawson says she's "more Irish than anything."

In 2011, Dawson posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, to let everyone know her roots, saying she was "more Irish than anything."

Despite not growing up with her biological father, she is still interested in their shared Irish homeland, and she has been there at least three times. 

"My biological father is Irish and, I don't know, I never got to know him, but for me it was always one of the reasons I came [to Ireland] years ago and have come again," she said during a 2016 Irish Independent interview while visiting the country. 

Christina Aguilera might be better known for her Ecuadorian roots, but her mother is Irish.

While Aguilera's Latin roots get most of the attention, especially because of her Spanish-language albums, that's not her only ancestral homeland. Her mother is Irish-American and she previously revealed that Aguilera has embraced that side of herself too. 

"A lot of people get all in a fuss about Christina wanting to explore her Latin side and not mentioning her Irish side much, but that's only logical," her mother, Shelly Kearns, told Irish America in 2008. "She has no need to go exploring her Irish heritage because she has always known it."

In August 2018, Aguilera shared an Instagram post from Dublin, captioned, "Proud of my [Irish] roots" with an Irish flag.

Actress and model Emily Ratajkowski's family calls Cork home.

Ratajkowski first gained international fame for her work in Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" video in 2013.

While many would place her roots in an Eastern European country thanks to her last name, Ratajkowski's family is actually from Ireland.

"I absolutely love Ireland. It's one of the most beautiful places on earth and I have strong ties here," she said while speaking to the Irish Independent in 2013. "Both my grandmothers are from Ireland and I have spent every summer in Bantry since my father, who is an artist, had the romantic idea 20 years ago to buy an old farmhouse on the west coast and renovate it."

"I go back any time I get the opportunity and I have many friends who I still hang out with in the local pubs," she continued. "I have great childhood memories cow-tipping, going off and getting lost in the bog for hours and coming home covered in dirt."

Barack Obama's great-great-granddad hailed from Ireland in 1850.

In 2007, then-presidential hopeful Obama found out he was part Irish. It turns out, his great-great-grandfather, Falmouth Kearney, traveled from Ireland to Liverpool, and then to America in 1850.

The president honored his heritage with a trip to Kearney's hometown, Moneygall, in 2011, where he sipped on Guinness and met some of the 300-odd residents of the town. 

He's made this a running joke for years now, which is why his introduction at the bar was more than fitting. 

"My name is Barack Obama, of the Moneygall Obamas, and I've come home to find the apostrophe we lost somewhere along the way," he said, NPR reported.

Demi Lovato tweeted about her surprising ethnicity after taking a DNA test.

The singer discovered her Irish heritage in 2017, after submitting DNA for testing. When the results came back, Lovato posted on X that she is Spanish, Native American, Scandinavian, British, Irish, and one percent African, which some followers were quick to criticize.

Her mother, Mother Dianna De La Garza, has shared that she is of Irish and English descent.

Olivia Wilde vacationed in Ireland growing up and took her stage name from Irish poet Oscar Wilde.

American actress and filmmaker Wilde has Irish roots and holds an Irish passport. 

Wilde's grandfather Claud Cockburn was an Irish novelist, and her father, Andrew Cockburn, is a journalist who moved from Ireland to Washington, DC, to continue his career and raise his family.

But Wilde's Irish roots remained strong. Every summer during her childhood, she'd vacation in Ardmore, a fishing village in County Waterford, Ireland.

"I feel like the luckiest child in the world because I got to grow up there. In summer is when you really grow up," she told the Irish Independent in 2010. "I credit a lot of my growth as a child and a lot of my happiness with the people I was surrounded by in Ireland," she said.

This inspired Wilde to study at Dublin's Gaiety School of Acting, where she specialized in Irish playwrights. Her stage name, Wilde, was even chosen because of the Irish poet Oscar Wilde.

It may be surprising to learn that Robert De Niro is more Irish than Italian.

Although the acting legend is viewed as the face of Italian-American talent, he's actually mostly Irish. In fact, three of his grandparents are of Irish descent, according to the Irish Post. His mother's parents were fully Irish and his father's parents were the Irish Helen O'Reilly and Italian Henry De Niro.

De Niro even ventured through Ireland as a teenager to find his distant relatives. In 1962, he hitchhiked from Dublin to Galway and then traveled to the Aran Islands to search some more.

"People gave me blankets for sleeping outside," the "Godfather" star told Irish Central in 2007. "I had breakfast with them in the morning. They were very friendly, yeah, and I had a great time," he continued.

In 2019, De Niro played real-life Irish crime boss Frank Sheeran in the film "The Irishman," which gave the actor a chance to get in touch with his Irish roots, rather than his more famous Italian ones.

Alicia Keys may also be a little bit Irish.

Singing sensation Keys thinks she's got some of the good ol' Irish luck in her.

"Actually I'm not Latina, even though I would love to be and many people do think I am," she told Star Tribune back in a 2008 interview.

"A lot of people believe I'm part Jamaican, though I'm not. I'm definitely Black and Italian and a little Irish or Scottish. Being of mixed background influences everything in my life and music," she said.

John Travolta revealed he's half-Irish and half-Italian in 2010.

During his press tour for "From Paris With Love," Travolta talked about how well he'd gotten along with his cast mate and Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

"We're so gabby. I'm half-Irish and half-Italian and the Irish side comes out with Jonathan," he told The Sydney Morning Herald in 2010. "We just gab and the movie was interfering with our conversations."

Mariah Carey's mother, Patricia Hickey, was born to Irish parents.

Carey has opened up about the struggles of being both Black and Irish. 

"White people have a difficult time with [being biracial]. It's like, my mother's white — she's so Irish, she loves Ireland, she's like, yay, Ireland! Waving the flag and singing 'When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.' And that's great. I appreciate that and respect it," Carey said during a 2009 interview with The Guardian.

"There's a whole other side of me that makes me who I am and makes people uncomfortable," she continued. "My father identified as a Black man. No one asked him because he was clearly Black."

"But people always ask me. If we were together, people would look at us in a really strange way. As a little girl I had blonde hair and they'd look at me, look at him, and be disgusted," Carey said.

Despite his questionable accent in "Far and Away," Tom Cruise is actually of Irish descent.

During the press tour for "Oblivion" in 2013, Cruise visited Ireland and learned even more about his ancestry. He said he loved Ireland and was thrilled about his newfound family history.

"It was incredible. As a gift, they went and researched my family. It was an amazing story. These two wonderful women did this as a gift for me," he told Jimmy Kimmel in 2013.

"They gave me a [certificate] saying this and traced my family back to the ninth century. I had no idea it went back that far," Cruise continued. "They showed me a picture where the foundation of the castle was — they said my family owned most of Dublin at a certain point. It was unbelievable."

Anna Kendrick's family's original last name was McGinn Connolly.

Anna Kendrick, perhaps best known for the "Pitch Perfect" franchise and "Into the Woods," is of Irish, Scottish, and English descent, and her father's family originally had a very Irish surname.

"I'm actually supposed to be McGinn Connolly. So, Kendrick is a made-up name that they chose when they came to the states," Kendrick said in a 2016 JOE.ie interview with fellow Irish costar Ben Affleck.

She was raised in an Irish and Italian neighborhood and had many Irish influences growing up. Kendrick told RTE in 2016 that her father is very patriotic.

"He's not from Ireland but he's 100% Irish and very into being Irish and loving [Irish playwright] Martin McDonagh," she said.

Despite her very Italian last name, Gwen Stefani also has some Irish blood coursing through her veins.

Stefani's dad is Italian, which is where her surname comes from, but on her mother's side, it's all Irish and Scottish, which explains her traditional upbringing.

"I grew up, like, a Catholic good girl. Total 'Brady Bunch' family," she said to Vogue in 2008 while discussing her family and upbringing. "That always kind of scared me, the pressure of having to be so cool," Stefani continued.

"Glee" star Darren Criss is part Filipino, part Irish.

He hasn't spoken out too much about his Irish descent, but Criss has been pretty vocal about being Filipino. He's even visited his family there several times. 

In 2010, he told Spot, "I'm not from the Philippines but I have this bizarre kinship. As soon as I got off the plane, I was like, 'Ah, this is me back in the Philippines,'" he said. "I love this place. It's cool. Whatever Filipino blood (I have) in me, it's very happy to be here."

Criss' late father was English, German, and Irish. He got to channel his ancestors in a very small part on "Archer," playing an Irish mobster in a short scene. 

On St. Patrick's Day in 2021, he also posted a video discussing the recent influx of attacks against Asian Americans, titled, "Thoughts From An Asian and Irish Guy On A Day Of Tragedy," and said, "The other half of me is Irish, I'm half-Irish."

Miranda Cosgrove is part Irish, among other ethnicities.

Cosgrove, best known for her roles in "iCarly," "Drake and Josh," and "School of Rock," answered a fan's question about her roots in 2009.

"[I'm] Irish, English, and French. People always think im a lot of different nationalities though which I think is pretty cool :)," she wrote on X.

Anne Hathaway feels "quite a bit Irish."

In 2014, Hathaway spoke about her Irish cousins and how she feels "quite a bit Irish" on "Newstalk," an Irish radio show. She also spoke about how Irish blood is flowing through her.

"My mother's maiden name is McAuley, and my grandmother's name was Sinnott," she said. Both are family names with roots in Ireland.

• My family, my brother's family, and some cousins booked a weeklong trip at an all-inclusive resort.
• Traveling in a group had a lot of advantages, including giving the kids some independence.
• That said, traveling with multiple families can take more work and has some challenges.

This past Thanksgiving, my family traveled with my brother's family, which included his wife and two children, and our adult cousins to Beaches Negril in Jamaica.

The 20-acre all-inclusive resort is located on the western coastline of the island on Seven-Mile Beach and had everything we needed on-site — accommodations, multiple restaurants and cafés, pools, and activities for adults and kids.

Since our three families live in different parts of the US, we each made our own travel arrangements and arrived on the same day at different times.

Although traveling as a big group can be tricky, we'd absolutely do it again — especially if the destination is an all-inclusive resort.

We quickly discovered that multi-family traveling has its perks

The resort felt like a manageable size, and everyone in our group stayed busy — including the kids, who got a taste of independence on the property.

Since there were three tweens on our trip, our families felt safe permitting them to do some activities together without adult supervision.

They enjoyed the freedom to go to the on-site ice cream shop and the café, play miniature golf and shuffleboard, and participate in resort-organized beach volleyball and dance parties on their own.

We also found that when an adult in our group wanted to do an activity, they would sometimes bring all the children with them. This allowed different groups to bond and for parents to take turns relaxing.

For example, my husband and I took our daughter, niece, and nephew snorkeling while their parents enjoyed some beach time.

Later in the trip, my daughter had a blast with her cousins, aunt, and uncle on the lazy river and water slides while my husband and I went paddle boarding.

It was also fun to divide into smaller groups based on who was most interested in which restaurants.

One night, a few of us went out for sushi while one group went to the Caribbean seafood spot, and another enjoyed made-to-order Neapolitan pizzas.

As part of a big group, we also got to share and try more dishes when we dined together without wasting food. At the property's family-style Peruvian restaurant, we ordered nearly the entire menu.

One of my favorite family memories of the trip is still passing around the various plates, tasting many different dishes, and talking about our favorites throughout the dinner.

Still, visiting an all-inclusive resort with multiple families takes work

Most of the resort's restaurants can accommodate walk-ups, but a few require reservations for dinner. A larger group can definitely make this more challenging and require extra flexibility with restaurant choices and dining times.

Also, here (and at many similar resorts), you can't make dining reservations before your stay. I suggest trying to do so upon arrival so you have the most options.

If you're in a larger group, you'll also want to consider transportation needs if you venture off of resort property, especially if you prefer to travel together.

We were able to book a passenger van for our trips off-site, which was ideal.

Overall, we'd do it all again

We all had such a great time that we wanted to take advantage of the resort's incentive to book a future trip before departing.

However, we were quickly reminded that it takes a lot of time to agree on which destination to go to next and, most challenging of all, find dates that accommodate everyone's schedules.

• At 30, I'd given up on love and planned to move abroad.
• Living in London, I tried not to talk to anyone on public transport.
• I asked a stranger for the time, and minutes later, he was asking for my phone number.

The day my life changed, I was working in public relations for an international wildlife charity. I'd lived in London since graduating from university, and taking the was part of my daily routine. bus home. It was a busy line, so I was usually squished against the luggage rack behind the driver. To pass the time, I'd listen to music and stare out the window, fantasizing about the future.

I was doing that on a warm June evening when Will got on and squeezed in between me and the other commuters.

I liked him instantly

It was one thing for our eyes to meet on a crowded bus; admitting that he was tall, dark, and handsome is as clichéd as it gets. But I liked him instantly; he had an open, kind face and a calming presence. The most surprising reaction I had was a voice inside my head that said, "Oh, there you are!" as if I'd been waiting for an old friend to arrive.

But I dismissed this because it sounded kooky and deluded. I was 30, single, emotionally bruised from a break-up with a very unsuitable person, and in the process of packing up my life to work in Sydney, 10,000 miles away. The instant sense of ease and familiarity I felt when I saw Will was just my mind playing tricks. I naturally presumed he was engaged/married/cohabiting, and it didn't cross my mind to find out. When I caught his eye, and he smiled, I smiled back and turned away (blushing furiously).

And that's when fate intervened.

I asked him the time

My iPod ran out of battery, so I put it in my bag and took out my phone. The battery had also died — odd, it was half-full when I left the office — so I checked my watch to see what time it was. It had stopped working. So, because he was the closest person to me, I asked him for the time. It was just after 7, he said. He smiled, and I smiled. He started to say something, and I mentally willed him to ask me out, but the bus pulled up to his stop, and he shrugged apologetically and got off. There he goes, I thought, back to the lovely girlfriend I'd imagined for him. The doors closed, and he was gone. The bus lurched forward,d and I said my goodbyes.

Moments later, there was a frantic knock on the window, and the doors reopened. Will pushed his way through the crowd toward me. He said he'd never done this before, but was I single? And if so, could he have my number?

After we'd exchanged details and he'd got off the bus (again), a worried-looking woman warned me about giving my number out to random men. I'd normally agree — I'd lived in the city long enough to know not to encourage strangers; I only dated men I met through friends. Instead, I reassured her that he wasn't a weirdo. How do you know, she asked. I just did.

I knew I was going to marry him

On my walk home, I called my sister and said I'd met the man I was going to marry. I thought she'd laugh, but she didn't question it. Will and I were engaged five months later, and the following Januar,y we began a six-month trip backpacking around Australia and New Zealand (that was the compromise, instead of me working abroad for two years). We married, and have been together 21 years. These days, he's tall, gray and handsome, which is fine by me, and we're still in love.

I later found out that Will was helping a friend who'd moved into my neighborhood, so it wasn't his regular route. He'd chased after another bus but missed it by seconds — meanwhile, I'd turned down a post-work drink (unusual move on my part) and just caught the bus we both took. Were we meant to be? I like to think so.