• As a travel writer, I never expected to hire an advisor to plan a vacation for me.
• However, I worked with a travel advisor to coordinate a trip to Paris in June.
• Her recommendations, like a small macaron-making class, provided us with incredible experiences.

As a travel writer, I've always taken pride in handling every detail of my trips solo.

I've spent years unearthing hidden boutique hotels, interviewing travel experts, and helping readers craft itineraries packed with under-the-radar experiences — all in a day's work.

But this year was different. I wasn't just balancing deadlines and assignments; I was also caring for infant twins.

Between bottle schedules, nap routines, and trying to hold on to a sliver of personal time, I didn't have the energy for my usual deep-dive planning.

That's why, for a long-awaited five-night trip to Paris with my mom and sister in June, I turned to a travel advisor — something I never thought I'd do, especially given my job.

To get started, I reached out to travel agency Fora, and was connected with one of their advisors. Though the one I ended up working with didn't charge for her services, each advisor sets their own rates.

I loved how personalized the process was

Our advisor kicked things off with a thorough 30-minute introductory call to learn about us as travelers.

Not only did we discuss where we wanted to go, but also how we liked to spend our days, what types of hotels felt right, and what kind of experiences would make the trip memorable.

I appreciated that she welcomed feedback, taking the time to explain why certain spots suited our travel style and why some of my initial "must-stay" picks might actually fall flat.

For example, she gently steered us away from a more traditional property near the main tourist sights and instead proposed a modern, design-forward hotel in a different neighborhood that might better match our vibe.

Our advisor also helped me avoid my usual habit of overplanning each day by suggesting a more thoughtful and realistic day-by-day approach, so we wouldn't feel rushed or exhausted before dinner.

Plus, she tailored the itinerary to our budget, allowing us to skip pricier experiences, like a private Seine boat cruise, while still enjoying thoughtful alternatives (more on those later).

The experiences made the trip

Thanks to our advisor's planning, we had a lineup of experiences that felt personal and truly unforgettable. Plus, most of them were pre-arranged, so all we had to do was show up.

One of my favorite parts of the trip — despite having zero baking skills — was a small-group macaron-making class.

We also spent a day in Champagne with a private guide, who stopped at landmarks along the way, including the abbey where Dom Pérignon is said to have perfected his famous sparkling wine.

Our advisor handled almost all of our restaurant reservations, as well, saving us from last-minute panic and endless "Where should we eat tonight?" debates.

She sent a list of vetted, well-researched options tailored to our preferences, recommending places that felt special but not overly stuffy, and steering us toward neighborhood gems we likely wouldn't have found on our own.

One of our favorites was Bistro Marbeuf, an elegant French bistro located conveniently across the street from our hotel.

I learned to let go and enjoy the trip more

Initially, handing over the reins to a travel advisor felt strange, especially as someone who not only obsesses over every detail but also makes a living helping others plan their trips.

But instead of feeling disconnected, I was more present on this trip than I had been on any vacation in years.

I could simply show up and enjoy, without second-guessing whether I'd picked the perfect dinner spot or booked the right museum time slot. As a new parent, that freedom felt especially luxurious.

In the end, I realized the best trips aren't about obsessing over every detail. They're about giving yourself the space to actually enjoy the experience — even if it means letting someone else handle the planning (gasp).

• Business Insider joined a British Voyager tanker to see it refuel fighter jets over Eastern Europe.
• Videos show how close the fighter jets get to the tanker aircraft during the refueling process.
• Midair refueling is a dangerous maneuver, but it enables longer-distance air operations.

IN ESTONIAN AIRSPACE — For most people cruising along at 30,000 feet, it's pretty unusual to look out the window on a flight and see fighter jets.

But for the crew of this Royal Air Force Voyager, a British aerial refueling tanker, it's just a regular day. They’re tasked with linking up with fighters in flight, matching their speed, and pumping fuel midair to keep those jets airborne and on mission for longer than their tanks alone allow.

Business Insider joined a Voyager crew in late November for a nearly nine-hour mission that launched from an RAF base in England, crossed the Baltic Sea to the edge of Eastern Europe, and looped past Russian territory on the way home.

During the fight, the Voyager refueled several British Eurofighter Typhoons, twin-engine multirole fighter jets manufactured by a consortium of European aerospace companies.

The Typhoon was introduced in 2003 and is operated by several NATO countries in addition to the UK, including Spain, Germany, and Italy.

The Voyager also refueled JAS 39 Gripens, single-engine multirole fighter jets manufactured by the Swedish aerospace firm Saab.

The Gripen, which was introduced in the mid-1990s, is operated by fewer countries than the Typhoon. Ukraine is set to procure dozens of these aircraft, widely seen as an ideal fit for Kyiv's needs in its fight against Russia.

Refueling a fighter jet in the air takes roughly 10 minutes, a process that can be longer for larger aircraft, such as the E-3 Sentry, a surveillance plane. The Voyager offloaded about 20 of the 109 metric tons it can carry to the various aircraft during last week's flight.

The Voyager aircraft features two underwing pods equipped with retractable hoses and small baskets at their ends. These connect to a mechanical arm at the front of the fighter jet. At this point in the refueling process, both aircraft are flying at around 300 miles per hour.

The fighter jets move carefully as they approach the Voyager's trailing hose, inching closer until a locking mechanism connects the basket with the mechanical arm that receives the fuel.

When a fighter jet finishes refueling, it breaks away, and another one takes its place. The entire process happens just a few feet away from the tanker, making it a highly hazardous task that requires extensive training and a calm demeanor.

At certain points during the flight, Business Insider observed several fighter jets flying alongside the one refueling.

The Voyager's interior resembles that of a commercial aircraft, with rows of economy seating, overhead luggage bins, toilets, and even a heated meal service.

The tanker — based on the Airbus A330-200 — can carry nearly 300 passengers, which is why it doubles as a cargo or personnel transport aircraft in addition to its refueling missions.

Tankers like the Voyager are crucial for military airpower, as they can significantly extend the range of fighter jets and other military aircraft, thus enabling longer-distance and duration air operations. It is an essential logistics and support capability.

The November flight supported Eastern Sentry, defensive operations that NATO launched in September following Russian drone incursions.

• I've been away from my hometown for 15 years, since I was 25 years old.
• My parents are getting older, and on my last visit back to the Gold Coast, something shifted for me.
• My husband and I decided to move back for a year to be closer to my family and see how it goes.

When I was younger, a friend invited me to move to Canada for six months to work as a waitress in Banff. I jumped at the opportunity, and within a couple of months, I'd resigned from my job in journalism, sold most of my worldly possessions, and said farewell to my friends and family.

I'll never forget that feeling of driving out of my hometown of the Gold Coast, Australia, toward Brisbane, where I was departing from. I was 25 years old at the time, and so excited about the prospect of living abroad and setting out to explore the great big world.

I stayed overseas for three years before coming back to Australia

It was supposed to be a six-month working holiday, but plans changed, as they often do. My partner, Sam, joined me in Canada, and we ended up on quite the world tour, traveling through South and Central America, as well as the US, before moving to London for a year. We used London as a base and travelled through Europe and Africa.

Eventually, after three years overseas, Sam and I moved home to Australia. At that point, I had no desire to go back to the Gold Coast, which is where Sam and I originally met, so instead we settled in Melbourne — one of Australia's most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities.

Melbourne will always hold a special place in my heart. It's where two of our kids were born, where we started our businesses, and where we purchased our first family home. But after eight years of living there, we were ready for a tree change, and so we relocated to a small town called Bright in country Victoria four years ago to be closer to Sam's family.

We visit my parents occasionally, and this last visit, something shifted for me

From time to time, I'd fly to my hometown of the Gold Coast to see my folks and old friends, but I felt relatively settled in Bright for the most part. We welcomed a third child in 2022, and made lifelong friends during our time living in country Victoria.

On my last visit to the Gold Coast in July, something shifted for me. I was sitting in a park with my dad, who is now 80, and he was telling me how much he loved me and that I had been a great daughter. I'd noticed a decline in his health on that trip, and that conversation somehow felt like a goodbye.

As I sat there holding his hand and watching my kids play nearby, it dawned on me that my time with my parents was running out. At 40, I had been living away from my folks for 15 years, and they had missed out on spending so much time with our children and me.

We decided to move to the Gold Coast for a year and see how it goes

When I flew back home to Bright, I broke the news to Sam. "I'd like to move to the Gold Coast next year, so I can be close to mum and dad," I said one night at the dinner table. Poor Sam was pretty shocked at my sudden change in where I wanted to live. But the more I thought about it, the more desperate I was to make it happen.

And so, we eventually reached a compromise. We're going to move the Gold Coast for 2026 and see how it goes. Our family will get to spend some quality time making memories with my folks, and we can decide whether it's our "forever home" after we've given it a shot.

It's a strange feeling to have come full circle and be heading back to where the story began. There's no doubt I'll miss our friends and family in Bright, and in that regard, the move feels bittersweet.

But I'm looking forward to showing our kids the experiences I loved growing up, and to living closer to my parents. At the end of the day, I don't want to regret missing out on this time with them, particularly as they're getting older.

For a time, I wondered if returning to my hometown would feel like taking a step backward. However, I've come to realize that we only get one life, and sometimes the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

• I lost my job in 2007 at the start of the recession and ended up living in a converted toolshed.
• While living there, I learned everything I needed to start my own business.
• I learned that resilience is the strongest character trait for an entrepreneur.

I lost everything in 2007 at the start of the recession. I was just 23 years old and suddenly homeless.

First, I lost my job overnight. With no income, I struggled to find a new apartment — just a few days after moving out of my old one. I was left with nothing but my car and a few boxes.

Luckily, my girlfriend at the time had a relative who had converted their toolshed into a home. The temporary shelter was a tiny space: rough, bare, and humbling.

I remember asking myself one morning as I stood emptying the portable toilet: "What has my life become?"

I felt like I had failed, but I was actually just starting out.

The toolshed was barely livable, but I made it work

The shed itself wasn't much. The family moved all the tools and put carpeting on the floor to make it a bit more comfortable. I then added a mattress to the floor.

They also put up vinyl on the walls, so it didn't look like a toolshed as much. In the corner was a little portable toilet bowl that I could use and empty daily.

It was barely livable, but since I couldn't find more stable housing, it met my needs for a year. I eventually moved out after finding a full-time sales job.

In that year, I learned everything I needed to start a business

I learned to value every dollar and make it count, to trade my skills for services, to ask for help without shame, and to treasure creativity over capital.

Eventually, when I started my first e-commerce business years later, I did not have startup capital or any investor promising to invest. I had something more valuable: The knowledge and ability to build from scratch. It was me transferring the experience I got during the bottom rock season of my life into my business, and it felt easier.

My perspective on business also changed. I stopped seeing business problems as an emergency. After all, losing a client is nothing compared to losing everything. A product launch failure was not a big deal.

I have already failed and bounced back, so nothing could stop me as I built my business from the ground up.

I learned that rock bottom is the strongest foundation

I originally tried building my life on the foundation of a stable job, conventional success, and other people's approval. However, that foundation collapsed in 2007.

When I started living in the tool shed, I realized you cannot build something durable on a shaky foundation. I knew I had to go about everything differently.

When I started building my businesses, they were built on self-reliance, not job security; skills, not credentials; resilience, not comfort; and purpose, not a paycheck.

The foundation has remained solid since then, not even the COVID pandemic, market downturns, or personal crises could crack my new foundation.

From the tool shed to teaching others

Resilience is not about never falling down; it is about getting up after a fall. Today, I run multiple businesses. I host "Founder's Story," a podcast reaching millions of entrepreneurs globally. I coauthored a book with my wife, which was a dream come through for me.

I will never forget my toolshed because I am proud of what came out of it and the lesson it taught me. Every successful entrepreneur I know has a version of my toolshed story: a failed startup, getting fired, immigrating with nothing. The entrepreneurs who succeed are not the ones who avoid setbacks; they are the ones who learn from them.

Your setbacks are not the end of your story. They are the beginning of your comeback.

• Capital Fund Management has been on a hot streak in recent years, growing amid strong returns.
• The firm fosters an open, malleable culture that's catnip to PhDs but diverges from many peers.
• It's not hypersecretive. It doesn't hire armies of PMs. And it isn't fixated on winning at all costs.

In recent years, multistrategy hedge funds have been on a tear, hoovering up hundreds of billions in assets from investors and watching their staff rosters balloon.

One dilemma such firms face: How do you maintain a consistent company culture in the face of a growth spurt?

The answer, says Philippe Jordan, president of French hedge fund giant : You don't.

Culture is often mythologized, but, in Jordan's view, it is the simple byproduct of past shared experiences at its core, and he warns against the impulse to lionize "the good old days."

"Nostalgia turns a culture into an artifact, and our culture is dynamic," Jordan told Business Insider in an interview.

CFM, a Paris-based quantitative multistrategy fund, has been on a growth tear of its own. Assets climbed roughly 25% from the start of this year to $21 billion as of September. Five years ago, the firm managed just $6.5 billion.

Head count has surged as well, from 260 employees at the end of 2020 to nearly 450 today. CFM's New York office has doubled in size in recent years to 40 people, including 15 researchers.

The 35-year-old firm doesn't fit neatly into the hedge-fund typology, rejecting many of the norms that have come to define the industry. CFM has no larger-than-life founder that reigns supreme; instead, it's governed by a five-member board. It doesn't hire armies of independent portfolio managers. Unlike most of its quant brethren, it isn't obsessed with secrecy. And it doesn't espouse a ruthless, zero-sum mentality.

Compared with multimanagers that dominate today's hedge-fund landscape, which employ scores of siloed pods, CFM is "at the extreme other end of the spectrum," Jordan said. "Lots of collaboration, open environments in which people feel free to communicate, talk, and be curious about other people's businesses."

CFM was an early practitioner of the collegial, academic ethos model that's now common at many quant trading firms. Cofounder Jean-Pierre Aguillar, an engineer and computer scientist, launched CFM in 1991 and helped define the firm's culture before his death in a gliding accident in 2009.

While collaboration and intellectual rigor is prized, the firm isn't "throwing spaghetti at the walls." Performance matters — as evidenced by CFM's strong run in recent years.

"We want to win, but not at the cost of having a work environment that's not sustainable," Jordan added.

That balance has helped CFM maintain its edge and attract top talent, even as the industry shifts on its axis.

From physics labs to trading floors

CFM's investment engine isn't driven by traders but rather academics. The majority of recruits join straight out of PhD programs — typically in physics — and learn finance on the job.

The firm has around 100 researchers, and it aims to recruit 15 new doctorates a year.

"We're very good at hiring people with formal scientific backgrounds," Jordan says.

Part of the appeal is the feeling of never having left academia, despite working at a hedge fund. Most hedge funds shun the spotlight, wooing top mathematicians and scientists with the understanding that finance riches is the tradeoff for working in obscurity. Research is treated as state secrets.

Not so at CFM, where researchers, including chairman and chief scientist Jean-Philippe Bouchaud, a theoretical physicist, regularly publish academic papers.

CFM isn't alone — firms like DE Shaw and AQR also publish, to name two — and it isn't giving away valuable trading signals, of course. But hundreds of white papers have emerged from its ranks on topics including market microstructure, execution costs, and factor crowding. Researchers normally present their work in weekly seminar-style meetings, much like at a university.

"You can be at CFM, be part of a group solving problems for investors and making money — but they're also publishing and having a life as a researcher," he said.

That blend of intellectual freedom and financial upside is catnip for the PhDs CFM targets.

As CFM has grown in recent years, it has added more experienced hires with a decade or more of domain expertise. Some firms codify culture into rules or "principles" that employees are expected to absorb and emulate.

CFM takes the opposite view: newcomers should respect the firm's collaborative ethos, but they're also expected to inject fresh ideas and entrepreneurial verve.

"Turning people into CFM clones is not a good idea," he said. "We bring those people in because they know things that we don't, and they're exposed to cultures that we're not."

The strategy has been working. Retention remains high, Jordan says, in an industry famous for burnout and churn, with many researchers staying close to a decade. (CFM declined to provide specific attrition figures.)

Increased competition in Paris, a budding quant capital

That doesn't mean recruitment has always been a breeze. In recent years, CFM has had to adapt to an onslaught of new competition as Paris has evolved from a quant-talent exporter into a full-fledged hedge-fund hub. The city has long produced elite mathematical minds — a legacy of its rationalist tradition shaped by figures like René Descartes and the education reforms of Napoleon — but for decades, many of those quants left for New York or London.

That dynamic has changed. Paris has undergone a quiet quant renaissance, with firms like Squarepoint and Qube Research building major presences in the city, and US heavyweights including Point72's Cubist group and Citadel expanding as well. The competition now spans every function — not just investment research but also HR, technology, and operations.

"Having two world-class peers emerge in Paris, created competition across the scope of the firm, which we were not used to," Jordan said. "But that's not bad because it sharpens you up, and it creates a pool of talent also in the city that didn't exist before."

Winning in the long run

No amount of cultural hygiene or philosophical purity matters if a hedge fund doesn't make money.

And CFM has been on a hot streak, with its flagship Stratus fund, now closed to new investors, earning double-digits the past three years. Last month, it returned $2 billion to investors in an effort to preserve performance.

CFM has pulled higher capacity strategies from the "main battleship" into new standalone funds. The Cumulus fund launched two years ago and is closing in on $2 billion in assets.

The understanding at CFM is that this success is a direct result of its philosophies that run counter to industry norms. Could it take a more cutthroat approach and maximize profits? Not without sacrificing performance in the long run.

"We have developed this culture over time and believe it is the best way to advance our understanding of markets and sustainably deliver investment outperformance," Jordan said.

• The UK had assumed trench building and clearing to be quite clean and surgical, an officer who trained Ukrainians said.
• But in Ukraine's fight, they're uneven and full of traps.
• It has led the UK to rethink its own approach to trench warfare, the officer said.

The trenches in Ukraine are too messy and irregular for the UK's classic "tactically safe" trench-taking methods to work well, a British military instructor told Business Insider.

As the UK leads training for Ukrainian troops fighting against Russia's invasion, it’s finding that parts of Western doctrine don’t hold up, prompting changes to its own training.

Key lessons are in trench warfare. Along the front lines in Ukraine are crisscrossing trench networks reminiscent of the earthworks of World War I battlefields. The West hasn't fought a war like this in a long time.

Maj. Maguire, a British military officer who led part of the Operation Interflex training for Ukrainian troops, told Business Insider that in the British mindset, "we arguably had this idea that trenches were all pretty clean and sort of surgical."

Maguire, who spoke to BI on the condition that only his rank and last name be used, said that in the UK's training estate, trenches were built to "British building standards, and with treated wood, gravel bottoms for drainage."

In Ukraine, "that's not true."

For Operation Interflex, where Maguire led a subgroup for Ukrainians who had already seen combat, Ukrainians often dug trenches that were unusual to their Western counterparts and "inconsistent."

They would leave tree roots behind and wouldn't bother wasting time to build it just right.

Trenches are necessary for survival in Ukraine amid relentless artillery fire and deadly drones filling the sky, but digging them leaves troops vulnerable. Taking longer to construct a perfect trench doesn't necessarily make sense on a battlefield where even removing dead bodies from the edge of a dugout can be risky.

A different approach

Ukraine is in a desperate existential fight, which has sparked urgency and innovation not typically seen among its partners. He said Ukraine is "driven by necessity." They are adapting to the demands of this war in real time.

Before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, British thinking on attacking trenches "was very much about what we might call being tactically safe — things are taken quite slowly."

But the "Ukrainian mindset is very different," Maguire said. "They have to go through these places really fast."

The trenches can be complex, with multiple entry and exit points, as well as booby traps.

Some fundamental assumptions made by Western militaries are gone, Maguire said.

For example, Western troops in recent wars could often count on lifesaving care within the "golden hour." In Ukraine, that assumption isn't valid. Wounded soldiers sometimes have to remain on the battlefield for hours or even days before they can be safely evacuated for treatment. As the West braces for a potential future fight against a well-armed foe, it's recognizing that much of what it has long depended on might not be available.

Trenches full of traps

When the Ukrainians move to capture an enemy position, they know there's "going to be mines and booby traps everywhere."

Ukrainian troops and officials have said that Russia builds fake trenches to tempt Ukrainians into death traps and also leaves behind explosives in areas they depart, including in everyday objects, like refrigerators, toys, and children's books.

Ukraine has also encountered explosive traps on Russian bodies, Maguire said. "A lot of the stories we've got last year are bodies being mined or people surrendering being mined on purpose."

The Ukrainians also create rigged defenses, Maguire said, "be it classic Vietnam mirror style booby traps or mines and fake trenches."

Beyond the traps is just entrenchment on a massive scale.

A difference from classic British doctrine is the relentlessness of Ukraine's entrenchment. British troops are taught to improve defenses and fortify their positions, but Ukrainian forces are ordered to dig wherever they stop — and to keep expanding defenses constantly, Maguire said. It can lead to fatigue and other problems, "but it means that every bit of the line is digging trenches all of the time."

The trench systems are "absolutely massive," nothing on the scale Western militaries have experienced in decades. The West, as a result, is paying attention to the lessons the Ukrainians are bringing back from the battlefield.

Ukraine is teaching the UK

Concerned that Russian aggression could spread elsewhere in Europe, the UK and others in the West are watching the war closely. Britain has drawn numerous lessons from both the effective and ineffective practices it’s seen in Ukraine.

Operation Interflex, led by the UK with support from 13 partner nations, has trained more than 56,000 Ukrainians. Those Ukrainians who have been through the courses have shared valuable feedback that Western forces are eager to receive.

The lessons brought to the UK from Ukraine's trench warfare experience are something Maguire's colleagues have also acknowledged. Two UK military officers told Business Insider last year that the UK, having studied Ukraine's fight, is now putting more emphasis on trench warfare in its own training and that the instruction draws on Ukrainian tactics.

Trench combat is one of multiple areas where Ukrainian soldiers in Operation Interflex actually have more direct experience than the Western troops who are training them, something the UK military is aware of.

Maguire said he would tell everyone on the course that "we're not here to impose our doctrine on you. We're just here to show you different ways of doing things." Ukrainian doctrine would often be adopted into the course.

Col. Boardman, commanding officer for Operation Interflex, previously told Business Insider that this dynamic was seen in the operations' trench warfare training.

Many of the Ukrainians who come to the training "know very well how to clear a trench because they were doing it a few weeks ago" and may reject the Western doctrine, which hasn't always been successful against Russia in this war.

The result of the back-and-forth results in a combination of Ukrainian and NATO doctrine, "and it ends up with the sum being much greater than the parts."

• A year and a half after my son was born, I had a severe panic attack.
• I realized my postpartum depression and anxiety weren't in my control.
• Along with therapy and medication, new experiences helped me regain my confidence.

When I was pregnant with my son in 2023, I read all about postpartum depression. I thought that if I were prepared, it wouldn't happen to me. However, it's not that easy, and after my son was born, I fell into the thralls of postpartum depression and anxiety. When I began to struggle with leaving the house in fear that something would happen to us, I knew my mental health was out of my control.

I started therapy and medication after having a panic attack

A year and a half after my son was born, I thought I was having a heart attack. After being admitted into the hospital, we found out that, physically, I was fine, but suffering from a severe panic attack.

After asking me a whole host of questions, the ER doctor set me up with a therapist as well as a plan. The best thing he did for me was to assure me that what I was feeling was normal and wasn't my fault. It was time to finally get the help I needed. I ended up starting medication the next day and therapy the following week.

I also started trying new experiences, including Pilates

My husband also thought it would be a great idea for me to try one new thing a month. Even though it was hard at first, I eventually began to cherish these new experiences. They gave me a chance to build confidence in myself, learn to trust others with our son, and I also made new friends.

While I was pregnant, a Pilates studio opened in our town. I looked up Pilates on social media, and thought everyone looked so calm and strong, which was exactly what I wanted to be. It was the first thing I tried when I started giving myself these new experiences.

That first class, I was a nervous ball of energy, so consumed by guilt for taking time for myself that I almost left. But I made it through, and Pilates ended up being the gateway to me trying other things. I fell in love with it and cherish the hour the class gives me to shut everything else out. I now go four to five times a week, and in the six months I've been going, I've become physically stronger, and it has also helped me calm my thoughts.

My husband and I went on our first date in almost two years

My husband and I hadn't been on a date for almost two years; I was too nervous to leave our boy with anyone. I stepped way out of my comfort zone, and I signed us up for a food experience at Trilith Guesthouse. We sat right in front of the chef while enjoying a six-course meal paired with different whiskeys.

It helped me see the importance of spending time with your partner after having a child. In fact, the date night was one of my favorite experiences I've had since I started trying new things. It helped us reconnect, and it also gave me a chance to feel pretty again. Dressing up made me realize how heavily the way you see yourself can weigh on your mental health. The days I put more effort into getting ready, I've felt much better than the days I don't.

Another one of my favorite things I've done is take a pasta class. I love cooking and have always wanted to learn how to make it. A local family-owned Italian restaurant hosts classes, and my husband signed me up. I spent three hours learning how to make pasta from scratch, and I got to bring home fresh ravioli!

Making friends has been an unexpected benefit

These experiences have helped me build confidence, and I've also made new friends who accept me for the struggles I've gone through. I met two people at a book signing event who have become two of my favorite people to talk to and go to brunch with. I've made friends at my Pilates studio, the ballet class I tried, and a local book club I joined. Putting yourself out there is hard, but knowing you aren't alone is worth it.

I realized that while trying so hard to protect myself and my son, I was hurting us both. I needed help, and it was hard to ask for it. I'm so thankful for my doctor, my husband, and medication. Without taking the step to try new things, I would still be stuck in my head and at home.

I've learned that being a mom has changed me, not just physically, but also mentally. I think many of us are so focused on being super moms that we sometimes forget we can't be super if we don't take care of ourselves. My journey to finding "my pink" hasn't been linear, but it has certainly been fun.

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

Welcome back! One reporter previewed this year's White House Christmas decorations, unveiled by First Lady Melania Trump. The decor's layout was traditional yet different from years past due to the East Wing construction. Take a look inside.

On the agenda:

• Avoid making these mistakes at your next work event, according to etiquette experts.
• Here's how to incorporate more fiber into your diet without suffering through bloating.
• Wealthy Americans are flocking to the Cotswolds, which has earned the nickname the "Hamptons of England."
• Spotify Wrapped gave users a "listening age" — but some aren't happy about it.

But first: Create plaid, pine perfection.

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

This week's dispatch

Avoid those (Ralph Lauren) plaid pitfalls

Decking the halls got super traditional this year.

Meet the Ralph Lauren Christmas, it's the decor inspiration du jour — and no matter how you celebrate, everyone wants in on the darkened jewel tones, the plaids, and traditional vibes.

Although this very viral decor takes cues from the iconic American fashion label, it's also a nod to another traditional aesthetic.

"It is English country meets Americana," Sara Parker, a lighting and furniture designer, told BI's Samantha Grindell Pettyjohn. "So it kind of gives you that old money, quiet wealth that's not so quiet."

Still, it's easy to get wrong. If you want to get in on the hot decor theme, here are a few "don'ts" to ensure your RL Christmas is Santa-approved.

1. Don't just opt for reds, greens, and blues.

   "We're not just sticking to reds. We're going with ox blood…So definitely the deepest, most rich and saturated forms of those colors," Parker said.

2. Don't skip the plaid.

   Barbara Reimelt, the former senior vice president of global product presentation for Ralph Lauren and founder of The Ninety Nine Group, said you can use it in fun ways, such as napkins or a table runner. "You take a tartan fabric and wrap it around the base of the Christmas tree," she added.

3. Don't overspend.

   You don't have to turn your home into a Ralph Lauren store to achieve the look. In fact, there are affordable ways to still get the desired effect. "Invest in ribbon," Parker suggested. "And it doesn't have to be tartan ribbon, just even, nice velvet ribbon or things like that."

Don't be that coworker

Work gatherings can be a great opportunity to bond with your colleagues and celebrate accomplishments together, but inappropriate behaviors can hurt your professional reputation.

BI spoke to two etiquette experts who shared nine mistakes guests should avoid making during work events, from skipping leadership greetings to hiding behind your phone.

Work party faux pas.

Take your foot off the gas

Most Americans don't eat enough fiber. This means they're missing out on its various benefits, including support for heart and gut health, lowering cholesterol, and reducing the risk of colon cancer.

Packing on the fiber too quickly can also cause gastrointestinal distress. Preventive cardiology dietitian Michelle Routhenstein shared her tips for incorporating more fiber into your diet without the stomach pain.

Sneaky ways to up your fiber intake.

The "Hamptons of England"

The quaint villages and towns in the English countryside, known as the Cotswolds, have long been a hot spot for the wealthy. Now, Americans are taking a serious interest.

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi bought a $20 million estate last year, and other American celebrities, such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z, are rumored to be next. BI's series delves into how the Cotswolds have become a playground for America's rich and famous.

The British Americans are coming.

What's your (Spotify) age?

Another Spotify Wrapped has come and gone, and this year, users got a taste of Spotify's cruel and merciless wrath. In addition to your top songs and artists, the streaming service's new feature gave listeners an estimated age based on their music taste.

Some young people are upset with their ages, though. Just because they listen to oldies doesn't mean they should be considered one. BI's Katie Notopoulos breaks down what Spotify's listening age says about you.

Hand me the aux.

Also read:

• How does your Spotify Wrapped get made? 3 Spotify leaders break down the yearlong process.
• Give me more Spotify Wrapped. I have thoughts on what companies should (and shouldn't) launch their own versions.

What we're watching this weekend

• "The Abandons": Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson lead this new Netflix series set in the Old West. It's full of drama, shootouts, and family turmoil.
• "Mad Men": All episodes of this memorable show are now available on HBO Max. Go back and enjoy watching the 1960s-era antics of Don Draper, Peggy Olson, Roger Sterling, and Joan Harris.
• "Jay Kelly": This Netflix original movie from Noah Baumbach stars George Clooney as a well-known actor and Adam Sandler as his manager, who reflect on life choices, relationships, and their friendship as they travel through Europe.

What to shop

• Cards, cash, and clean lines: We delved into the top men's wallets and landed on picks that can withstand daily use — slim enough for front pockets, easy to access under pressure, and crafted with materials designed to last.
• Because freezing isn't fashionable: We sifted through puffers, parkas, and wool-blends to find the women's coats that actually hold up. These picks bring the warmth and the style, no matter the cold.
• Not your average fire pit: Built from heavy-duty steel, the new Yeti Fire Pit is a 70-pound backyard beast designed to last for decades — its metal actually develops a protective patina over time. Read our review to learn why it stands out.

How fake sneakers, handbags, and watches became a $2 trillion industry

As counterfeit goods become increasingly convincing, how can we detect and stop them?

More of this week's top reads:

• Three common mistakes customers make at a wine tasting, according to a server at a winery.
• I've spent $7,000 to fly with my son almost every weekend for a contest. We've unlocked awesome perks.
• I got my kids, all seven and under, a landline. They invited friends over on a snow day without my help, and I was thrilled.
• Five shoe trends that are in this season and four that are out, according to stylists.
• A 31-year-old marathon runner thought she had norovirus. She was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer.
• A CEO who wakes up without an alarm shared five tips to help you be a morning person by hacking your body's internal clock.
• "Rage bait" is the word of the year. My fellow rage-baiters: This is a bad sign.

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

• Eating protein helps us feel full, build muscle, and recover after a workout.
• The spports nutritionist Rob Hobson eats a high-protein diet while avoiding ultra-processed foods.
• He adds beans to dishes and keeps his fridge stocked with plenty of protein sources.

Grocery store shelves are stacked with convenient, protein-ified snacks, from bars to soda. But how much should you rely on them if you're trying to avoid ultra-processed foods?

For Rob Hobson, a sports nutritionist, the answer is simple: it's "very, very easy" to consume enough protein without relying on UPFs, which are linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease when eaten in large amounts.

To support his daily hourlong workout routine, which combines endurance training on an assault bike and weightlifting, he aims to consume around 0.7g of protein per pound of body weight each day. Hobson said this is enough to build muscle, feel full, and fuel himself.

He used to turn to protein bars and shakes, which are typically ultra-processed, but cut down on UPFs two years ago.

Hobson shared how he hits his protein targets without eating UPFs, but stressed he is mindful of being overly restrictive. He does this by following the 80/20 rule: eating whole, unprocessed foods most of the time, and whatever he's craving for the remainder.

"I still have a glass of wine. If I want a bit of chocolate, I will. If I want to have a pizza, I will," he said.

Hobson added that it's important not to obsess over single nutrients, such as protein.

"If you do that, then chances are you are missing out on other stuff," he said.

Eating oats with minimally processed protein powder for breakfast

After he gets home from the gym, Hobson eats a bowl of overnight oats containing oats, milk, and a minimally processed protein powder.

"It's whey protein that's been hydrolyzed, but it doesn't contain anything else," he said.

Oats contain some protein, but they are high in soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol, and insoluble fiber, which supports smooth digestion and feeds the beneficial microbes in the gut.

Adding beans to soup

Beans are a cheap and convenient source of both protein and fiber. Just one cup of black beans, for example, contains around 15 grams of protein.

Hobson adds them to his meals to up the protein count. "If I buy a ready-made soup, I will just chuck in half a can of beans," he said.

Keeping the kitchen stocked with easy protein

Hobson always keeps his fridge stocked with protein sources, like canned tuna, tofu, and chicken, which he can quickly cook up and add to a stir-fry or stew.

"I find it really easy just to use those foods," he said.

His go-to is a source of protein with some pre-cooked rice from a bag, vegetables, and soy sauce.

• Luigi Mangione has been in court in NY fighting the admissibility of evidence tied to his arrest.
• Mangioni stands accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
• Here are some of the images, audio, and video presented at the hearing, which continues Monday.

Luigi Mangione does not want future jurors to see the gun and handwritten "manifesto" that his arresting officers in Altoona, Pennsylvania, say they pulled from his backpack.

No surprise there. The Glock-style metal-and-3D-printed 9mm is a match, prosecutors say, to shell casings and a bullet from the fatal ambush shooting, five days prior, of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. And Mangione's writings? Prosecutors say they detail the 28-year-old Baltimore native's plan to "wack" a healthcare insurance company's CEO.

Mangione and his lawyers have been in state court in Manhattan since Monday, arguing that the backpack was unlawfully searched without a warrant.

Six law enforcement witnesses have testified, and the court hearing is set to continue next week. Here are some of the images and audio presented in court so far — and why they matter.

The original 911 call — laughter, apologies, a bagel order.

Prosecutors, led by Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann, bear the burden of proving that Altoona Police acted professionally, even calmly.

To that end, some of the first evidence Seidemann presented was this 911 audio, which sets the stage for what was to come. Police say they arrived at the McDonald's expecting the visit to be uneventful in part because the manager who made the call was so apologetic — insisting she was only seeking to appease her customers. Dispatch listed the call as "Priority: Low."

Prosecutors say Mangione tried to throw cops off the scent by claiming he was a "homeless" guy named "Mark." He handed them this ID.

"What's your name?" the first of two patrolmen entering the McDonald's asked. "Uh, Mark," Mangione answered, according to sealed police bodycam footage shown in court Monday. He told them he was homeless.

Here is the New Jersey license that Mangione then gave the two cops. Moments later, he complied with the command to pull down his blue and white paper medical mask. "I knew it was him immediately," Patrolman Joseph Detwiler testified, adding, "I stayed calm."

Bodycam footage showed the officer whistling along as Jingle Bell Rock played on the McDonald's sound system — to keep Mangione calm as well, he told the judge.

An arresting officer testified he was concerned Luigi Mangione could be dangerous, in part because he'd seen images like this one.

Detwiler had closely followed the manhunt for Thompson's killer, the veteran patrolman told New York Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro from the witness stand.

He'd said he'd seen NYPD social media postings publicizing the as-yet-unnamed shooting suspect's face. Elsewhere online, he had seen surveillance footage of the shooting, which was played in court.

"I knew in New York that they hadn't found the firearm," Detwiler testified to explain that safety was behind the decision to frisk Mangione and search his backpack before arresting him on the initial Pennsylvania charges of forgery and providing a false ID to law enforcement.

Additional evidence was taken from Mangione at Altoona's police station, including a small folding knife and $7,800 in large bills.

Before they left the McDonald's, Mangione alerted the police to a small folding knife they'd failed to find in his pocket. It was of legal size, Detwiler's partner, Patrolman Tyler Frye, testified Thursday, adding that even so, "It could possibly hurt somebody — seriously."

At the Altoona police station, a more thorough search of Mangione's clothing and backpack recovered $7,800 in large bills and currency from Thailand, Japan, and India, totaling $1,620. "There's a gun," Patrolwoman Christy Wasser is heard saying in footage showing her searching Mangione's backpack.

Given the gun and the overlooked knife, the decision was made to strip-search Mangione.