• Isheeta Borkar and her now-husband met when she lived in Vancouver and he lived in Seattle.
• When they married in 2019, they decided Canada was the best place to build their life together.
• In Canada, Borkar feels more accepted and like she can travel without being excessively questioned.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Isheeta Borkar, a 33-year-old working in human resources and travel blogger living in Vancouver. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

My husband and I are originally from India, but moved separately to the US and Canada over a decade ago.

When we met in 2018, he lived in Seattle, and I lived in Vancouver. We dated for over a year, going across the border every weekend to meet. After our wedding in 2019, he moved to Canada to be with me.

We travel often to the US because my husband works for a major tech company and has work commitments there, and my sister lives in Seattle.

Since obtaining Canadian citizenship in 2017, I haven't encountered any challenges crossing the border — until recently.

When we visited Seattle from Vancouver in February, political tensions between both countries were noticeably rising, and we were asked significantly more questions than usual at the border.

Instead of the typical inquiries like "Where are you going?" or "What's the purpose of your visit?", we faced more probing questions such as, "Why are you going there?", "Are you planning to work from there?", and "How many days off are you taking?"

The extensive questioning made us feel considerably more nervous than before. Now I feel a knot in my stomach whenever we cross the border.

I felt more comfortable living in Canada.

When I got married, my parents were very surprised that my husband moved to Canada instead of me moving to the US.

After all, the US is the land of opportunities. There are seemingly more job prospects for ambitious, career-minded people, and the salaries are often higher.

As an immigrant, I believe there's a trade-off to living in the US. I have many friends and family members who live there, all of whom are immigrants. Over the years, I've noticed that regardless of their visa status — a tourist visa, H-1B, or green card — they rarely feel confident or secure about leaving the country and returning.

Recently, there's been much more questioning about when immigrants travel to and from the US. There's always a sense of nervousness for them: "Will I be allowed back in?" or "What if they don't let me return?"

I haven't had to worry about that in Canada. I can travel freely — leave and return easily.

Canada has its pros and cons.

Canada and the US are similar in many ways, but they are also very different. Both countries receive a lot of immigrants. However, I think they differ in their societal attitudes toward newcomers.

Many years ago, I spent two or three months living with my sister in Seattle. I never felt completely welcome or at home enough to build a life there.

However, in the part of Canada where we live, people make it easier to feel at home because of their warmth and welcoming attitudes. It also feels easier to get permanent residency in Canada, blend in, and be part of the community.

Canada also has other great things, like universal healthcare, but some cons exist.

Over the next 10 years, I don't envision having as many opportunities as I would have in the US, not just in terms of a higher salary or career prospects, but also in everyday services.

Food delivery and access to Indian groceries or other services are more limited in Canada, in my experience. Sure, there are more options in larger cities like Vancouver, but you won't find much when you go to smaller cities within British Columbia.

Many Canadians are concerned about tariffs and the looming trade war

My husband and I first felt the impacts of the trade war after putting our apartment in Vancouver up for sale in February.

It's been on the market for about three months, and we've had a couple of showings and a few open houses, but we haven't received any offers.

I believe it's because many people are waiting to see how things play out economically and politically. Many people fear what Trump will decide regarding tariffs and what kind of retaliation might follow.

If there are more tariffs, people may expect life to become more expensive. That could make more people think before they spend.

The real-estate market is also down, which is contributing to people's uncertainty about purchasing property.

Canadians are finding different ways to support the local economy, though.

For example, the BC Liquor Store, the provincial liquor store in British Columbia, has shifted its inventory. It now stocks more BC wines than international selections, such as those from California.

People are also supporting Canada in terms of travel. Some of my friends, who enjoy visiting warmer places like Hawaii or Florida, have canceled their trips there.

We don't plan on moving to the US anytime soon.

My husband and I will continue traveling the US, especially to visit my sister. For her, leaving the country might be more difficult than it is for me to meet her. I work remotely, and she doesn't.

However, if it becomes more difficult to visit her, I'll have to reduce my visits from once a month to maybe every three months.

For now, we're planning to stay in Canada. However, we never say never about living in the States one day.

If something changes, like if we have an extraordinary opportunity — a position that would advance either of our careers in the US — and if that's our priority, we could probably make something work temporarily.

• Justin Wong, 36, gave up on the idea of buying a home in Canada, citing the unaffordable prices.
• He grew up visiting Japan and decided to buy a home there instead of in Canada.
• He plans to go back and forth between Canada and Japan for as long as possible.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Justin Wong, who bought a house in Japan's Nara Prefecture through Akiya Mart, a site that helps foreigners buy abandoned Japanese homes known as akiyas. Wong, 36, works in marketing in Delta, British Columbia, about 15 miles south of Vancouver. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.

I've been in Japan a lot since I was a kid. I've always loved Japanese culture. I've gone on vacation there maybe six or seven times — sometimes on my own, sometimes with my parents. When I met my wife, we went there together a couple of times. She loves it.

It was always like, "I really wish we could spend more time in Japan." That's always been a thought.

So, we bought our home for $30,000 — that was the base price before we accounted for fees and everything else. I believe it was built in the late '70s or early '80s. It's 2,200 square feet with eight bedrooms, two bathrooms, and two kitchens.

People closest to me are mostly just surprised and curious. The only flack I've gotten is my family thinking it's some sort of scam — and I don't really blame them.

I'm buying a house thousands of miles away. I had never actually seen it. I hadn't actually been there. What if I go there and it's like an empty lot? I wasn't sure myself until I actually got there.

Technically, we bought the house sight unseen. We did a video tour, but it was a little bit of a leap of faith. I did go to see the home afterward because we already had a trip planned in October, but we thought, "Let's just buy it, and then I'll go and make sure the house is alright."

Personally, I love that the home sits in a walkable neighborhood. I don't mind driving, but whenever I'm there, it's like you can walk literally anywhere. Everything is so convenient — that's a huge part of it. Another thing is the food. It's so good in terms of how much it costs and the quality. It's just the type of food I enjoy. So, I have always loved that part of Japanese culture.

Also, I am a private person — more introverted. I don't really care much about going out and socializing all that much, especially now that I'm in my 30s. Japan is very friendly to people who just want to be left alone and do their own thing.

It's a little bit of happenstance because I found a random Reddit thread of people looking to buy houses in Japan. One person suggested Akiya Mart, so I was just looking through it and looking at the prices and thought, "We could actually do this."

Our purchase lines up with the current geopolitical situation, which is just a coincidence. Still, I'm happy we're making some progress.

I can't afford a home in Canada right now

I was born in Vancouver, so I've been here my whole life. I live in Delta, which is just south of Vancouver.

I have a decent wage. I make a good amount of money relative to the Canadian median, I'd say, but there's no way I can afford a house in my area. I can't even afford a mortgage for a closet in Richmond, British Columbia.

The average house price in Vancouver is over a million, I would say.

[The median list price in Vancouver, British Columbia, is $1.5 million, according to Canadian MLS Houseful.]

I'm not super familiar with owning a house, but I remember I specifically looked up a house with the same size and the same dimensions as the one I got in Japan. There's a place in Vancouver that's selling for $5.6 million Canadian [or about $3.9 million].

I kind of made peace with the fact that I would just rent for the rest of my life in Canada. Then we saw this opportunity to buy in Japan, and it was like, "Wait, for $40,000 Canadian, I can own this house, and it's in a country I've always wanted to spend more time in."

Once we knew that this opportunity was available, it was kind of a no-brainer, really.

The process was easier than I expected, too. I've never bought a house before — it seems no one in Vancouver can really — so I had no idea what to expect.

All in all, it was maybe a month and a half to two months, and most of it was just waiting. We did a lot of research going in and looked at as much as we could. So when we met with Akiya Mart and when we met with the real-estate agent, we already knew the home we wanted. We didn't want to waste any time.

I wish I could live in Japan full-time

We're doing some minor renovations. I'm fixing a couple of big cracks in the foundation and putting in some termite-prevention stuff. After that, not much, really. The house is gorgeous, and I don't want to mess with it.

When we were buying, one of my biggest concerns was getting this thing up to earthquake standards because, living in Vancouver, we're also on an earthquake line.

So I wanted to renovate the place, make it earthquake-proof, etcetera. After the contractor got me the quote, I was like, "This is four times the cost of the house. Forget it."

It's not like an investment. We're not looking at it to rent. We're far out in the countryside, so I'm pretty sure no one's going to want to Airbnb somewhere like that.

Right now, however, it's basically a vacation home. I want to get a 90-day visa as a tourist. We're planning on going back three months at a time to Japan, then coming back home, then returning three months at a time.

I have a remote job, so I can work from home without having to worry about finding employment. My workplace is cool enough to allow me to do that.

If I could get permanent residency in Japan, I would probably spend most of my time there. I'd probably be happy. I would love to be able to retire in Japan; they just make it very difficult for you to do so.

Maybe after I spend three months there, I'll hate it—who knows? For now, I love that idea.

• Five people who earn more than $100,000 annually shared how they're spending their money.
• They're trying to balance spending on big purchases with saving for future goals.
• Some have spent money on a new car or travel, while others have invested in a home or startup.

For some, earning a six-figure income can facilitate a big splurge. For others, it's an opportunity to establish additional income streams or financial security.

Abid Salahi earns about $140,000 a year from his software engineering job. The 26-year-old, based in Vancouver, said his biggest purchase over the past year was a new car that cost roughly $37,000. Additionally, Salahi said he upgraded his home workspace.

Despite his earnings, one thing has been out of his reach: owning a home. The houses in his area that check his boxes cost more than $500,000. To afford a down payment, Salahi said he's saving and being more judicious about how much he spends dining out and at the grocery store.

Reaching a six-figure salary can be a challenge for some employees. The average annual salary for US-based full-time workers was about $82,000 as of November, the latest data available, per a New York Fed survey. Some workers who earn more than six figures have used the opportunity to set themselves up for potential future success.

Business Insider asked five people who've made more than $100,000 annually what they've spent their money on in recent years. BI has verified their six-figure earnings.

Balancing spending now and saving for the future

Earning a six-figure income has also created new opportunities for John, who's on track to earn roughly $250,000 this year by balancing a full-time and part-time remote IT role.

The millennial, who's based in California, said one of his biggest expenses over the past year was his sister's medical bills, which were about $30,000, he said.

When he spends money on himself, he focuses on fun and health. He hired a personal trainer, who charges about $130 weekly for a one-hour session. Last year, he spent about $9,000 on a three-week honeymoon in Asia.

While he's trying to take advantage of his money in the present, John said he's also prioritized saving for the future.

"I follow a concept of 'pay yourself first' — where I put money into retirement and savings first, and then the rest is disposable," said John. His identity is known to BI, but he asked to use a pseudonym due to fears of professional repercussions.

Looking forward, John said he's saving money for the children he hopes to have one day, a bigger car, and a home.

Corritta Lewis is also balancing spending now while saving for the future. Last year, Lewis earned roughly $280,000 from her consulting job and a travel blog she runs as a side hustle. The 35-year-old, who's based in Orlando, said she and her wife spend most of their disposable income on travel.

"We've been digital nomads for four years, so most of our money was used to travel the world and have amazing experiences," she said.

Despite her travel expenses, Lewis said she doesn't live a luxurious lifestyle and is focused on long-term saving. She aims to work part-time hours by her 40th birthday.

"Right now, we are prioritizing savings and investments," she said.

Investing in themselves and real estate

Margaret Pattillo took home around $128,000 last year from her digital marketing and PR business. The 27-year-old, who's based in Florida, said she's on track to earn more than $160,000 this year.

Pattillo used her earnings to buy a home earlier this year and has plans to buy a second home as an investment property. She tries to use her money to create additional income streams that will set her up for future financial success.

"I don't place much value in material items and I'm lucky that I get to travel for work frequently," she said. "I'd say my biggest goal is to build up as many cash-flowing assets as I can in the next 10 years."

Christopher Stroup has put his earnings toward a different type of investment: a new business.

Stroup earned roughly $130,000 last year working as a financial advisor. The 33-year-old, who's based in California, said his income has helped him improve his relationships with friends and family by giving him the budget to go out to eat and on trips. He said his goal is to travel to Europe at least once a year.

Over the past year, Stroup said the biggest thing he's spent his money on is the financial planning business he launched in September. He said his startup costs have included marketing expenses and hiring a team. However, he hopes the investment in his business will put him in an even better financial position.

"If it works out well, achieving my financial goals on my desired timeline has a much higher probability of happening," he said, adding that two of his main goals are owning a home and starting a family.

Are you making over $100,000 a year? Are you willing to share your story and the impact this income has had on your life? If so, contact this reporter at [email protected].