Category: Business

• Tanguy and Lucie Yu gave up city life in Paris to move to Bali in 2019.
• Their house, located amid rice paddies, took 4 months to build and has a garden indoors.
• They say they are less attached to material things and want to focus on what truly matters to them in life.

Tanguy and Lucie Yu first visited Bali together in 2018 for a monthlong vacation.

That year, Lombok, a neighboring island, experienced a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that could be felt even in Bali, which was 40 minutes away by plane.

"We couldn't travel much to the other islands because the boats weren't working, so we rented motorbikes, and we did road trips to see all the different parts of the main island," Lucie, 35, told Business Insider.

The couple, who was living in Paris at the time, was blown away by the simplicity of life on the island and the generosity of the people they met.

"Farmers whose houses were damaged by the earthquake still invited us over for coffee. They had a smile on their faces and were just happy to be alive," Lucie said. "It was a sign that this place had some magic."

A year later, in September 2019, the couple packed up their lives and moved across the globe to Bali.

Finding land

Initially, they planned to use Bali as a base to travel around Asia. But six months later, the pandemic hit and derailed their plans.

Around then, Tanguy cofounded Astungkara Way, a regenerative travel company. That spurred the couple's decision to put down more permanent roots in Bali, so they started looking for land to build on.

During their first year in Bali, the couple lived in Kerobokan, an area sandwiched between the bustling, tourist-filled neighborhoods of Canggu and Seminyak.

"It was very busy, very loud, and a lot of traffic," Lucie said.

They knew they wanted to be somewhere quieter, and a friend introduced them to the property 10 miles north in Kediri, where they now live.

The only criterion they had was that the land couldn't be a rice paddy since part of the travel company's mission is to protect rice paddies.

"We thought that it was too far from things like hospitals and shops. But when he took us here, and we stepped on this land, we felt this was the place we wanted to be," Lucie said.

They had viewed three other plots of land before they found this.

"The land was basically the village dump and the soil was full of trash. It took us two weeks to clean everything up," Lucie said.

She added that back in 2020, there was only one local village in the area, although things have changed since.

"We were like the last point before the rice paddies started and we were promised that it would stay that way," Lucie said. But two months later, a new 160-home development broke ground on the land just beyond their property.

Building a low-impact house

In local measurements, their land spans 15 are — about 16,145 square feet.

The couple says they paid 4.5 million Indonesian rupiah per are each year for a 25-year lease, which amounts to about 1.687 billion Indonesian rupiah in total, or about $103,500 in today's currency.

Building the home took about four months, and they estimate they spent about $70,000 on the build.

The couple's house is surrounded by their lush outdoor garden. A dirt pathway with an overhead trellis covered in creepers leads from the gate at the edge of their property to the couple's front door.

The entire front section of the house is shielded by a giant insect net — meant for greenhouses — to prevent mosquitoes from entering.

"You get sun, you get wind, you get rain in the house as well, which is really nice, but you don't get bugs," Tanguy, 40, told BI.

There's even a garden inside the house, which helps keep their home cool even without a cooling system.

The couple's home was designed and built by the late architect Tony Gwilliam, a close family friend. The inspiration behind its design was another similar building prototype that Gwilliam had constructed in the Bloo Lagoon Eco Village, a resort located along the east coast of Bali.

"We went for a road trip during our first week in Bali, and we stopped by the Bloo Lagoon Eco Village because we wanted to see their permaculture garden. In the middle of the garden was the first prototype of our house, and we just fell in love with its concept," Lucie said.

It was a six-meter cube made from steel, and the couple liked the idea of incorporating that material into their build.

"If you're using steel, you can have very small foundational elements," Tanguy said.

For instance, the couple's house is supported by six steel pillars and made from local brick. Because it's light, the house can also be taken down and fit in a container to be moved if required.

"It doesn't take much space, and it doesn't require many materials," Tanguy added.

As he explained, Gwilliam and the couple were inspired by architect R. Buckminster Fuller's ideas about the weight of a house, which is related to its environmental impact.

"How much material was extracted from the ground, transported, and transformed? When you have a big concrete villa, the impact of those is colossal," Tanguy said.

Even the home's interiors are fairly minimal, with each piece of furniture designed by the couple and made by local craftsmen.

"Maybe we're getting older, we're less attached — and this is also what the idea of coming here was about, to be less attached to material things and more attached to how we feel, how we live, how we are as a couple, as parents, and just focusing more on life," he said.

Now, even with an infant son in tow, they have a slower pace of life.

Every day, they spend time as a family and walk their three dogs along the beach, which is less than 10 minutes away on foot. The couple also has two cats, and they rear chickens and grow their own produce in the garden.

"The only thing that we didn't think about when we were creating the house was that we were going to have a baby, so it's not very baby-proof," Lucie added.

That said, the layout can be easily adjusted because of the house's design and materials.

"If we want to add two more rooms, we can still do it within the space," she said. "We can improve it as we grow according to our needs."

Be part of the solution, not the problem

Tanguy acknowledges that mass tourism has greatly impacted Bali and its natural ecosystems. He points to the island's ongoing water crisis and the destruction of Bali's natural landscapes for materials as examples.

"I think people should move here if they want to contribute, but if they are here to just extract value from the people, from unregulated resource management, then they should reconsider," Tanguy said. "It's a pretty fragile part of the world."

He added that there are plenty of eco-tourism alternatives that are now available on the island.

"There are a lot of hotels that are trying to do better, who are growing their own food, doing wastewater treatment or sourcing their food locally," Tanguy said. "If you come to Bali, go there and support. The same thing for restaurants."

"Make sure to be part of the solution," he added.

Have you recently built or renovated your dream home? If you've got a story to share, get in touch with me at agoh@businessinsider.com.

• Lending Tree surveyed Americans about how vacationing at Disney World impacts their finances.
• Nearly 50% of parents with children under 18 go into debt for Disney trips.
• Respondents said in-park food and beverages were the main budget-busters.

As prices soar, some parents are emptying their bank accounts for a trip to Disney. Others are maxing out their credit cards.

Disney's expensive prices have been a hot topic among parkgoers recently. They even caused Disney CEO Bob Iger to raise his eyebrows in disbelief.

Disneyland raised ticket prices in 2023 and Disney World is expected to increase costs in 2025.

So Lending Tree surveyed over 2,000 American consumers to understand just how much a trip to Disney's theme parks can impact a family's finances.

What it found is a little concerning.

"Across the 77% of theme park-going parents with kids younger than 18 who've been to Disney, 45% have gone into debt for a Disney trip," the survey found.

That's up from the 2022 Disney debt survey, which found that 30% of parents with children under 18 were going into debt.

According to the survey, parents with young children had an average debt of almost $2,000.

Despite the financial hit, 59% of parents said they didn't regret the decision.

"For so many parents, taking their kids to Disney is a rite of passage, something they remember fondly from their youth and want to experience with their kids," LendingTree chief credit analyst Matt Schulz said in a statement. "Because of those feelings, they're often willing to take on debt to get there."

Food, transportation, and accommodation are the biggest dents to parents' Disney budgets. The survey found that 65% of respondents with Disney debt said food and beverages cost more than they expected.

Disney World and Disneyland representatives did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

The rising prices at Disney and, well, everywhere, coupled with stifling childcare costs, are already impacting parents across the country, leading some to look for alternatives to Disney.

One husband told BI his family decided to visit Great Wolf Lodge in North Carolina instead of their usual trip to Walt Disney World.

The husband said his children enjoyed Great Wolf Lodge more than their Disney adventures, and it cost less, too.

Have you taken on debt to take a trip to a Disney theme park and want to share your story? If so, reach out to this reporter at ledmonds@businessinsider.com

• Tens of thousands of women fled Texas in 2023 to get abortions out of state, data shows.
• It was the most of any state. Nationally, over 171,000 patients traveled out of state to get care.
• The state of reproductive and maternal healthcare will only get worse in Texas, one expert said.

They say everything is bigger in Texas.

That includes the number of women who had to leave the state to get abortion care, new data shows.

In 2023, over 35,000 patients fled Texas to get abortion care in another state, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion research and policy organization.

Nationwide, over 170,000 patients traveled out of state for abortion care, according to the data, which Guttmacher collected to analyze the impact of the Supreme Court's Dobbs opinion in 2022, which overturned Roe v. Wade.

Even before Dobbs, Texas already had a strict 6-week ban in place since late 2021.

"Texas had already clamped down on services," Debbie McNabb, a retired gynecologist based in Texas, told Business Insider. "So women had already been traveling a long ways."

McNabb said the state of reproductive affairs will only get worse in Texas, which is ranked No. 2 among states that provide the worst prenatal and maternal health care, according to an analysis of nationwide access to care by Value Penguin, a data analytics firm.

Texas is far from the only problem. A staggering portion of the country has little to no access to maternal health care. Over a third of counties in the United States are maternity care deserts, meaning they have "no hospitals providing obstetric care, no birth centers, no OB/GYN and no certified nurse midwives," according to a report from the March of Dimes, a nonprofit that works to improve the health of mothers and children.

Patients aren't the only ones leaving Texas. Medical students are, too. The majority of them report a desire to choose their residency programs based on where abortion is legal.

"We're going to get fewer trainees, OBGYN trainees in Texas, which is going to increase our maternity deserts and decrease the availability of routine OBGYN care. The other issue is we are not going to get the best and brightest residents," McNabb said, "because people are ranking the states with abortion access higher."

• Maryland Gov. Wes Moore campaigned for Josh Stein, who's running for North Carolina governor.
• Moore's visit to North Carolina coincided with Stein's veterans coalition launch.
• Moore's messaging on patriotism could help Democrats make inroads with voters who've drifted away.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore hit the campaign trail last week for Josh Stein, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in North Carolina, rallying veterans to back his fellow Democrat in one of the most competitive governor races in the country.

For gubernatorial aspirants, having a show of support from a sitting governor is critical, especially in a tight race.

Moore's visit to the Tar Heel State came as Stein, who is now the attorney general, launched his "Veterans for Stein" campaign coalition.

North Carolina has one of the largest populations of active-duty military personnel in the country and serves as home to nearly 800,000 veterans. So it's natural for politicians to engage with the military community. Its influence in the state runs deep.

For Moore, who served in the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army and was deployed in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2006, patriotism and service shouldn't be relegated to one particular political party or ideology.

Beginning with Moore's successful 2022 gubernatorial campaign, he's spread that message stumping for candidates across the country. And, in the process, he's sought to keep Democrats in conversations where they need to be if they're going to be a viable party in all corners of the United States.

It's an effort that Moore feels will resonate.

"There are certain things worth fighting for, and we risked our own safety for freedoms," Moore recently told Business Insider. "Some of the freedoms are on the ballot now, including the freedom to know that reproductive health should be between a woman and their doctor."

Last November, Moore came to Virginia to stump for Democratic legislative candidates, visiting the military-heavy Hampton Roads area and endorsing veterans like Michael Feggans of Virginia Beach — who was elected to the House of Delegates that month.

"[W]e're pushing back against a lot of these individual forces who are trying to claim this mantle of patriotism and are actually restricting rights in the name of patriotism," Moore told BI at the time.

With political polarization in the country becoming more hardened by the day, Democrats have a major opportunity in states like North Carolina, where there is still a significant level of split-ticket voting.

Even though former President Donald Trump won North Carolina in 2016 and 2020, Stein won his attorney general races in the same general election.

Moore feels great about Stein's chances this fall. He said the attorney general shares the values veterans are looking for, especially on issues like health care and housing affordability.

"He's consistently stood up for veterans as attorney general," the governor told BI last week. "And he'll do it as governor."

• Bill Gates is optimistic about the future of American nuclear power thanks to bipartisan support.
• Gates is building a power plant in Wyoming with TerraPower, a company he cofounded.
• Nuclear energy is the largest clean power source in the US and a key to fueling AI development.

The forecast looks bright for American nuclear energy, Bill Gates says.

The billionaire former Microsoft CEO is already building a nuclear power plant in Wyoming with TerraPower, a company he cofounded.

The company intends to take its nuclear power plant online in 2030, Business Insider previously reported, and Gates is "quite confident" the project will move forward regardless of who wins the White House or the Congressional majority in November.

"Their support for nuclear power is very impressive in both parties," Gates told CBS News on "Face the Nation" on Sunday. "Of all the climate-related work I'm doing, I'd say the one that has the most bipartisan energy behind it is actually this nuclear work."

He noted the reasons each party supports nuclear "may not be identical." Republicans value energy security and exports, he said, while Democrats value both those issues and clean energy.

"Nuclear really is a special," he told CBS. "Not because it's green, there are people who don't value that part of it all, I wish they would. They value it because of the US leadership. And you really don't want the nuclear reactors around the world, made by our adversaries, because it's economically a huge job creator."

Nuclear energy is considered the largest source of clean power in the United States and is responsible for nearly half of the nation's emissions-free electricity, according to the Office of Nuclear Energy, a US government agency.

It's produced in nuclear reactors through atomic fission, in which subatomic particles called neutrons collide with full atoms, forcing them to split in two. This process releases tons of heat, which is used to boil water and produce steam. That steam is then routed through the nuclear reactor's steam system to spin turbines and produce electricity.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have worked to bolster the nuclear energy industry this year.

In March, the House of Representatives passed the ADVANCE Act, which will expand the use of nuclear energy in the United States and abroad. President Joe Biden also signed a law in March that allocates $100 million to nuclear workforce training programs at universities, two-year colleges, and trade schools.

This renewed focus on nuclear energy also comes as the development of AI surges. Tech companies like OpenAI are increasingly looking for cleaner, greener forms of energy to meet the huge power demands of their data centers.

• Disney agreed to a $9.5 million settlement with guests who purchased a Dream Key pass in 2021.
• Disney began sending out payments on June 14.
• A lawsuit claimed Disney misled guests into believing the annual pass had no block-out dates.

Disneyland guests who paid nearly $1,400 for a Dream Key annual pass can soon expect a check from Disney.

Payments from the $9.5 million settlement were sent to eligible class action lawsuit members through the mail and digitally on June 14. The settlement included over 100,000 people.

Jenale Nielsen filed the lawsuit against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in November 2021 after she purchased a Dream Key, which allows guests to make reservations at Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks without additional charge for one year.

The lawsuit said Nielsen purchased the Dream Key for $1,399 because Disney advertised it as having "no block-out dates."

"Shortly thereafter, Ms. Nielsen attempted to use her Magic Key to make park reservations to visit Disneyland. She was, however, disappointed to learn that Disney had already blocked out many days, including all weekend days in the month of November 2021," the lawsuit read.

Nielsen discovered she could make park reservations and purchase single-day passes for those dates, but they were unavailable to Dream Key holders, the lawsuit said.

"The problem was not that park reservations were unavailable, or that the parks had reached their capacity and therefore could not provide reservations to its Dream Key pass holders," the lawsuit said. "The problem was that Disney had decided to block out otherwise available park reservations so that they were only available to new purchases and were not available to Dream Key pass holders."

The Dream Key pass has since been discontinued.

Disney denied any wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement in July 2023 to avoid trial. Nielsen will receive $5,000 from the settlement.

Representatives for Disneyland and The Walt Disney Company did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Here's what Dream Key annual pass holders need to know.

Who qualifies for the money?

The official settlement website said people who purchased a Dream Key between August 2021 and October 2021 are automatically included. They do not have to opt into the settlement.

People included in the settlement likely received a notice via postcard or email explaining the details.

How much money will you receive?

Each payout could vary, but people can expect an estimated $67.41.

That's less than a standard one-day, one-park ticket to Disneyland, which starts at more than $100.

Can you be excluded from the settlement?

The deadline for objecting to the settlement or requesting to be excluded was January 15.

As part of the agreement, class members have given up the right to sue Disney for claims that were resolved in the settlement.

• Derek Jeter has a buyer willing to pay $6.3 million for his lake-front castle in upstate New York.
• The Baseball Hall of Famer initially listed the property for over $14 million in 2018.
• Named Tiedemann Castle, the property features a turret, bridge, waterfall, and fountains.

After years of trying, New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter finally found a buyer for his lake-front castle in upstate New York.

But only after he cut the sale price in half, The New York Times reported.

He tried to get $14.25 million for the lavish property when he listed it in 2018, and he tried to sell it again at an auction in 2022. It finally went into contract in May for $6.3 million, according to the Times.

Jeter's realtor declined to comment.

Nestled on Greenwood Lake less than 50 miles north of Yankee Stadium, Jeter purchased the property in 2003 for $425,000 and made it a fortress fit for a king, Business Insider previously reported. Known as Tiedemann Castle, the home is 12,590 square feet, and the property features a turret, a bridge, a waterfall and fountains, and even a replica of the Statue of Liberty.

The property has a family history, as well. Jeter's grandfather lived in the castle after he was adopted by the Tiedemann family, after whom the castle was named.

It's not Jeter's first major property sale since his MLB retirement nearly a decade ago. In 2021, he sold a 21,796-square-foot mansion in Tampa for over $22 million.

• "House of the Dragon" season two picks up immediately after season one. 
• Unlike the first season, however, the first four episodes given to critics don't feature time jumps.
• Ultimately, the show is better for it: The characters get more room to breathe.

In season two of "House of the Dragon," Rhaenys Targaryen, the Queen Who Never Was, tells Rhaenrya Targaryen that eventually, no one will remember when the war started.

Was it when Alicent Hightower placed her son Aegon II on the throne? Was it when Alicent's second son, Aemond, killed Rhaenyra's son, Lucerys Velaryon, on dragonback? Or was it, perhaps, when Lucerys took Aemond's eye as a child?

Season one of "House of the Dragon" took us back even further, to the moment when the Great Council decided to install Viserys as the heir to the Iron Throne over his cousin Rhaenys. It was devoted to setting the stage for the eventual war, sometimes to its own detriment. In those first 10 episodes, treading through the series of betrayals that led to the Targaryen conflict was frequently prioritized over cohesively developing the show's characters. It's more evident now that season one, despite its grand scale (and sometimes indulgent dragon sequences), was the setup.

Season two is the beginning of the payoff.

Gone are the rapid time jumps from the show's first season. Now — at least, in the four episodes provided to critics for review — we're more firmly anchored in the action of the present. The series picks up immediately in the aftermath of Lucerys' murder. Lord Corlys Velaryon has lost an heir. Aegon's side, the Greens, has drawn first blood. Rhaenyra has lost a son.

"House of the Dragon" is still built on the pain of Westeros' most powerful mothers, but now it's more nuanced than the gratuitous and gory childbirth sequences that plagued season one. Emma D'Arcy's vulnerable, razor-sharp performance as Rhaenyra continues to be riveting, particularly as Rhaenrya mourns Lucerys' death and does her best to avoid plunging the continent into all-out war. On the other side, Alicent (an excellent Olivia Cooke) grapples with the implications of the path she's set her son on and its effects on her immediate family.

The ensemble cast benefits greatly from the comparatively slower pace.

In season one, the heirs to the Targaryen and Velaryon dynasties were mostly deployed in service of greater narrative purpose and their parents' political machinations. But by season two, they're real players in the war: Aegon (a delightful Tom Glynn-Carney) preens and buckles under the pressures of ruling, while his brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell, both slippery and vulnerable) uses his own cunning — and his very big dragon — to find a foothold in court.

In Rhaenyra's camp, her eldest son Jacaerys and Daemon and Laena Velaryon's eldest daughter Baela are increasingly given further chances to prove their worth. And even Matt Smith's Daemon, who has always been entertaining despite his inscrutable, seemingly inconsistent motives in season one, finally gets the chance to parse through whatever's going on inside his head.

The show tends to falter when it turns its eye from the warring families to the small folk of King's Landing, or the minutiae of Westerosi regional politics (unless that's your thing). "House of the Dragon" makes a muted effort to explore the implications of war on the common people — dragons need a lot of sheep, and they have to come from someone's flock. Still, it's a fleeting inquiry that's quickly subsumed by whatever the Targaryens are doing at any given moment.

And when it comes to council discussions about which houses have pledged allegiance to Aegon II or Rhaenyra, or the fleeting opinions of Lords who have yet to bear out true consequence, it can quickly get bogged down in the details.

Still, "House of the Dragon" certainly delivers on sweeping spectacle when needed. However, it doesn't bring out its dragons willy-nilly, and that's for the better. As the closest thing to a weapon of mass destruction in this universe, both sides of the war understand that you can't take back a dragon on the battlefield. That hesitancy translates into a greater degree of restraint when it comes to actually throwing the dragons on screen, and makes the moments where they do come into the fray all the more impactful.

Season two ultimately makes the show's first season feel like a prelude, and course-corrects some of the show's earlier impulses to cover vast swathes of history rather than dig into the characters driving it. Only time will tell if those characters still get a chance to shine and grow (or in some cases, devolve) as the war drags on.

But for now, the first episodes are a good start.

"House of the Dragon" season two premieres June 16 on HBO.

• 64 federal job categories pay upwards of $200,000, with some reaching $400,000.
• Federal employers increased job postings by 22% in a year, according to a Handshake report.
• Higher-paying roles often reflect seniority but many government jobs offer linear paths to move up.

Many people enter federal roles for job security, not for the money. But some federal jobs can offer both.

Data from the US Office of Personnel Management from September indicates 64 federal job categories have positions that pay over $200,000 — and some pay as much as much as $400,000.

As opportunities in the public sector expand, interest in government jobs continues to grow with layoffs plaguing certain industries, like tech.

The average number of applications to full time government jobs has roughly doubled over the past year, according to Handshake data from August 2023 to March 2024. The number of open jobs from government employers has also increased by 25%, a spokesperson said.

While you may not be making more than you would in the same role at a private company, government jobs offer additional benefits that you probably won't get at a corporate job, like pensions and flexible scheduling.

While most of the higher-paying roles reflect seniority level, many government careers offer linear paths for promotions because of the General Schedule pay scale, which is a hierarchical system used by many government agencies.

We've highlighted some of the highest-paying job categories and included some recent listings so you can check out the most up-to-date salary for open positions.

You can use the code in parentheses to find government jobs in the categories listed.

Medical roles (0602, 0610, 0680, 0660, 0668)

Positions under the category of medical officer can earn $300,000 or more. According to OPM data, close to 12,400 people earn $300,000 or more as a medical officer (0602). Other high-paying positions in the medical field include specialized physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and nurses.

A gastroenterologist physician is currently listed on usajobs.gov for up to $400,000 annually, which is equivalent to what the President earns.

Attorney (0905)

OPM data indicates that 3,156 attorneys for the federal government make between $200,000 and $299,999. Currently, usajobs.gov has 207 open listings under the general attorney category code. The highest paying open listing for an attorney in that category offers a starting salary of $199,654.

Financial institution examining (0570)

Positions in this category range from titles like national bank examiner to anti-money laundering examiner. These roles also usually involve work with institutions like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Department of the Treasury. According to OPM data, people in this position can make just below $300,000.

There are currently 36 open positions in this category, with the highest role listed with a starting salary of $180,564.

IT Management (2210)

This category includes IT specialists at the leadership level. These positions range from all different kinds of departments and according to OPM data, 941 people in these roles make over $200,000, with about 7% of that number making between $260,000 to $279,999.

The highest-paying open role under this category is for a deputy director and chief information security officer and it's listed at a starting salary of $193,819.

General natural resources management and biological sciences (0401)

This category includes a wide range of roles related to the sciences. Some open listings include biologist for the FDA, fire management specialist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, or social scientist for the Forest Service. According to OPM, there are currently 319 federal employees in this job category who make over $200,000.

The highest open role is for a chief operating officer at the Department of the Interior and offers a salary range that maxes out at $221,900

General Engineering (0801)

OPM data indicates that the highest-paid employees in this category make between $200,000 to $219,999. Some of these positions include research roles or general engineer roles, while higher-paying positions are more senior roles in this field.

The highest-paid open role is listed as a deputy associate administrator, exploration systems development mission directorate and has a starting salary of $217,471.

HR Management (0201)

HR management is the umbrella term for all HR specialist positions. The highest paying bracket in this category is between $260,000 to $279,999.

The highest-paid listing on usajobs.com is currently for a deputy division chief at the Department of Homeland Security and it has a starting salary of $163,964.

Air traffic control (2152)

Air traffic control workers have the highest number of workers making between $200,000 and $219,999 per year, although other fields may offer higher salary ranges. According to OPM employment data, 2,079 air traffic workers make salaries in that bracket.

Usajobs.gov shows 57 listings for this job category. An open role for a supervisory air traffic control specialist has a starting salary of $212,321.

• "House of the Dragon" season two takes "Game of Thrones" fans back to Westeros. 
• In real life, the show has filmed across Europe on beaches and medieval towns open to the public. 
• From King's Landing to Blackwater Bay, here's how the series compares to its filming locations.

"House of the Dragon" season two returns to Westeros for the war between the Greens and Blacks.

The show is the first "Game of Thrones" prequel project to make it to the screen, as HBO and Warner Bros. continue to expand the franchise to tell new stories set in the universe created by author George R. R. Martin. The network has several prequel shows in development, including "Nine Voyages," based on the adventures of Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), and an animated "Golden Empire" series. 

HBO also renewed "House of the Dragon" for season three shortly before the season two premiere, so it doesn't look like the network is planning to leave Westeros behind anytime soon. 

It's understandable, given how rich the universe is. Some of the real filming locations help make the world of Westeros feel truly unique rather than relying on CGI backdrops and soundstages.

"House of the Dragon" has shown us High Tide castle in Driftmark a few times already.

High Tide is the home of Lord Corlys Velaryon and his wife, Princess Rhaenys. King Viserys and his royal court visited the dramatic setting in season one, episode seven for a funeral. 

Scenes depicting Driftmark were shot at St. Michael's Mount – a rocky island topped with a medieval castle in the UK.

The origin of St. Michael's Mount blends history and mythology. According to the UK National Trust, the rocky island was first mentioned all the way back in 495AD. There are reportedly tales about how seafarers were drawn to it by mermaids. 

Myths aside, the mount is only accessible via an ancient causeway at low tide, and stands today as part of the seaside town of Marazion, a popular destination for beachgoers and those keen to discover its rich history. 

But in the world of "House of the Dragon," it doubles as Blackwater Bay, Condé Nast Traveler reports. The bay is the primary stronghold of House Velaryon. Like the Targaryens, the Velaryon family traces its roots back to the ruined city of Valyria in Essos. 

In season one, episode three of "House of the Dragon," we got a sweeping view of the Stepstones.

This was where the Velaryon army and Daemon Targaryen held their war camp.

Filming of the fictional "Stepstones" was reportedly done in Cornwall at Kynance Cove.

According to House Beautiful, filming for a scene depicting House Velaryon camps took place in Kynance Cove, Cornwall. 

If you plan to visit to enjoy the cove's beaches in the summer, you won't be running into any Westerosi soldiers but rather plenty of beachgoers — it's a popular seaside spot, according to the National Trust.

The surrounding sea is turquoise blue, and the sand is white, so it's no wonder the website advises anyone visiting to arrive early so as to avoid any disappointment in finding parking, which is a 40-minute walk from the cove.

In another episode, we saw the same region at low-tide.

This was the scene where Craghas Drahar was shown nailing prisoners to contraptions that would make them drown when the tide came in. In the meantime, crabs feasted on the still-alive soldiers' flesh.

In reality, Holywell Bay in Cornwall looks like a dreamy beach destination.

It's difficult to think that what looks like an idyllic English beach has been turned into the Stepstones — an inhospitable collection of islands — in "House of the Dragon."

As reported by the Radio Times, the fictional islands known as the Stepstones are found between the Narrow Sea, waters separating Westeros and Essos, and the Summer Sea. While conditions on the islands aren't livable, the group of islands still play an important role as they are right in the middle of a trade route between Westeros and the Free Cities.

In the pilot episode of "House of the Dragon," we saw the royal carriage wheeling through King's Landing.

This was one of the courtyards that Princess Rhaenyra's carriage crossed. The setting included what looks like a large dragon statue made from "dragonglass" (AKA obsidian).

Jumping over to Spain, "House of the Dragon" fans will probably instantly recognize the city of Cáceres as the capital of Westeros.

While shots of King's Landing in most seasons of "Game of Thrones" were filmed in Dubrovnik, Croatia, "House of the Dragon" used Cáceres, Spain as the primary location, Condé Nast Traveler reports.

But those who saw the opening shots of episode one of "House of the Dragon" will know that the red-tiled rooftops and winding medieval roads perfectly reimagine King's Landing much like it was depicted in the original show. 

In reality, the old town of Cáceres, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has a rich history of its own. According to UNESCO, it was ruled by "powerful rival factions" between the 14th and 16th centuries and was the site of battles between the Moors and Christians.

Here we see King Viserys and young Laena Velaryon walking together in "House of the Dragon" episode two.

This scene came early in the first season, when King Viserys was offered the young Laena as a future wife.

The botanic gardens of Lloret de Mar, Spain, are where King Viserys Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon got acquainted.

In the second episode of "House of the Dragon" season one, Princess Rhaenys, Lord Corlys Velaryon, and other members of the Small Council try to persuade King Viserys Targaryen to marry his second cousin, 12-year-old Lady Laena Velaryon.

There is a scene later in the episode where Viserys and Laena are shown somewhat awkwardly getting to know each other while on a walk through beautiful, manicured gardens with views of the sea surrounding Kings Landing. 

Filming took place in the Gardens of Santa Clotilde in Lloret de Mar, Spain. And that seascape might actually be real. According to Condé Nast Traveler, the botanic gardens — available to visit for 6 euros, or around $5.97 — overlook the Balearic Sea.

When the show jumps ahead 10 years in season one, episode six, we saw adult-Laena with Daemon in Pentos.

Daemon and Laena had taken up residence across the Narrow Sea, in a city called Pentos. The castle they were living in belonged to a lord who hired them to fight with their dragons.

The night-time shots of Pentos in "House of the Dragon" look much like Castillo de la Calahorra, Spain.

Filming of Pentos took place in a rather picturesque town in Granada, home to a well-preserved Italian Renaissance castle with roots dating back to 1509, according to the tourism website. 

It's also a national monument now under private ownership, but anyone can put in a request to visit. 

"House of the Dragon" season two airs on Sundays on HBO at 9 p.m. ET. For more, read our essential guide to all the Targaryen kids on "House of the Dragon."