• A Malibu home once owned by Kanye West is being offered as a fractional real estate asset.
• A new venture allows investors to buy memberships for access and equity in luxury properties.
• The owner of the property hopes to transform West's former home into a Soho House-like space.

Do you want to own a piece of a home once owned by Kanye West?

Steven "Bo" Belmont is betting that you do.

Belmont, who purchased the Tadao Ando-built home from West for $21 million in 2024, has big plans for this concrete slab in Malibu: turning it into a luxury community space for members in the vein of the Soho House. Belmont wants to let multiple people share in his property by selling paid memberships for access to the space and a share in its equity.

There's just one complication: West famously gutted the home before selling it.

"The equity in this is built on the finishing of the property," Belmont told Business Insider. "So when they invest, those dollars go toward just moving that property down the line."

Fractional real estate's main purpose is to democratize real estate investing so more people can get in on the action. Belmont is admittedly raising the barrier to entry with his latest venture, Populis, offering not just the potential to make money, but opulent experiences — like hanging out at events in a Tadao Ando-built beach house in Malibu once owned by a famous rapper.

"We made the entry a little bit higher, which tends to cater to more of an accredited investor," Belmont said. "But as we push through the luxury end of Populis, we will absolutely be spinning one out once we have the bandwidth to accommodate the full democratization of real estate and other goods, other real-world assets."

Fractional ownership for the wealthy

The Malibu mansion is listed for $12 million by Christie's International Real Estate SoCal, but that doesn't tell the entire story.

"This is not a traditional whole-asset sale," the listing reads. "It is a private, membership-driven opportunity designed for buyers seeking exposure to blue-chip real estate without assuming full ownership, management, or renovation responsibility."

Belmont, alongside Alexandra Damsker and Matthew Hintz, founded Populis, which is essentially a crowdfunding endeavor to turn "architecturally significant properties" into Soho House-like spaces while also giving investors a chance to make some money.

Belmont isn't solely in the business of catering to the ultrawealthy investor. His company Belwood Investments caters to the everyday investor looking to participate in luxury real estate flips.

But for a product like the Malibu house, he figured he needed some extra muscle in backing power — enter Populis.

The membership program, which is beginning with the Malibu house, aims to be a "civic movement of architects, artists, and outsiders reclaiming culture's rarest places," according to its website.

Through four different membership tiers, investors — after investing anywhere from $15,000 to over $100,000 — gain access to the properties in the form of tours, events, and summits at each.

"There's the opportunity to socialize and hang out with all of these other investors and meet at these amazing properties," Belmont said. "There are a lot of these really world-class class amazing properties around the world that we are able to offer to the masses."

Bringing life to an abandoned home

Kanye West bought the home in 2021 for $57 million, but never lived in it. It's one of a few properties West has unloaded recently, like one of his ranches in Wyoming. If all goes according to Belmont's plan, the Malibu home will see life where it hasn't in years.

As Belmont sees it, the home has value outside West's involvement. It's a uniquely built structure right on the Pacific Ocean that plenty of people will want to visit.

"This is not a regular single-family home — this is not even a regular concrete home — this is something completely different," Belmont said.

• After my fiancé's sudden death, I became a single mom of twins overnight.
• Grief transformed my priorities, fueling growth in my career and personal life.
• I've also found purpose in reimagining the future for myself and my children.

Most of my weekday mornings follow the same script. I pull into the drop-off line outside of my twins' elementary school, double-check their backpacks and take a sip of my coffee from my bright pink Yeti cup before it cools. But on a rainy November morning, sitting in the slow-moving line of cars, I found myself deep in thought.

Before the doors opened, my twins, 6, reached for my hand, so we could do our quick handshake, a ritual we created to help them walk into kindergarten with confidence and a way to let them know I will be back to get them. My daughter jumped out of the car, quiet and observant, while my son lingered long enough to look back and say, "Have a great day, Mommy!"

As the teachers waved them toward the entrance, I watched their confidence. And in that moment, it hit me. My children had come a long way in the past two-and-a-half years. I had, too.

Losing my fiancé reshaped me

I became a single mother on April 15, 2023, the day my fiancé, the father of my twins, died unexpectedly from complications related to diabetes. He was only 31.

Our twins were just 3 when they stood in front of their daddy's light blue casket. My memories from that period feel fragmented; grief has a way of blurring the days, weeks, and sometimes whole months.

However, I learned very quickly that grief doesn't stop life from moving forward.

In the year that followed, I underwent a significant transformation. Loss clarified my priorities. It forced me to look directly at the future I needed to build. Not later, but now.

As my business grew, so did my commitment to the work

My freelance writing business — something I had nurtured for over 10 years — began to grow. I wrote late into the night after my twins fell asleep, telling stories about Detroit's resilience, the complexity of motherhood, and the intimate corners of grief for a variety of outlets.

Those nights of "burning the midnight oil," became reminders that forward motion was still possible.

That clarity carried me into March 2024, where I began a new career on public relations team at a university, a team I had collaborated with a couple years prior for freelance assignments. It was an alignment. I was stepping into PR with the storytelling foundation I'd been building in journalism behind the scenes for years.

Two months later, while settling into that new role, I received a Society of Professional Journalists award for a feature I wrote while planning my fiancé's funeral. That recognition wasn't about timing. It was validation for me. Proof that my voice still held power, even during some of the hardest days of my life.

Creating a scholarship in my fiancé's honor helped me rebuild with purpose

In the spring of 2024, a year after his passing, I established a scholarship in my fiancé's honor at our alma mater, awarded annually to a graduating senior heading to college.

The scholarship wasn't about memoralizing grief, it was about ensuring his name stood for something bigger than loss. Creating it gave me a purpose at a time when everything else felt unsteady, allowing me to turn our pain to a path forward for someone else.

A new beginning — for all of us — came about

Then came another milestone, one that made his absence feel sharper than before.

This fall, on my twins' first day of kindergarten, I stood among parents taking photos as my children explored their classroom, checking cubbies and searching for new friends outside of each other. While they were beginning school, I was beginning something new, too. I had my first day of graduate school.

People often ask me, "How do you balance everything — single motherhood, graduate school, a new career, freelancing, grief?"

But balance isn't what carried us. Ambition did. Rebuilding did. And many nights of silent prayers.

Today, as I prepare for my final exams and wrap up my assignments for 2025, my twins are settling deeper into their school year — bringing home art projects, forming friendships, and rediscovering joy. They are healing. And so am I.

Grief rewired by ambition. My children shaped it. And the life we are building now is not built on balance, but on steady, intentional work of becoming.

• The author found that displaying family photos creates a sense of warmth and boosts mood at home.
• Growing up without family photos inspired her to fill her adult home with cherished memories.
• Displaying photographs has become a meaningful and affordable way to foster connection and happiness.

I grew up with my father, who never had photos developed and framed. When I spent time at friends' houses, I envied the warmth that family photos brought to their homes. Very early on, I knew I wanted my adult home to be more like that.

I saw the value in displaying photographs of loved ones and happy memories, and I craved it. By middle school, I started buying disposable cameras with my babysitting money and taking pictures when I hung out with friends.

I noticed the positive effect that photos had on my mood very quickly

I didn't have my own adult home yet, but I put pictures of my friends and me along the border of my bedroom mirror and regularly switched out my favorite photos in my school binder cover. I was searching for ways to create my own little spaces in the world, filled with memories that made me feel better. No matter what kind of mood I was in, whenever I saw those pictures, I felt loved.

By the time I was in high school and college, I was the one making copies of photos for friends. I noticed how exuberant my best friends would become when I gave them a photo of us being silly or just having a good time together. Before digital cameras and smartphones, looking at new pictures that had just been developed was really exciting for us.

Photographs allowed me to make a home on a small budget

When I had my son in my 20s, I knew I wanted to create a warm home, filled with photographs for him to see everywhere. As a single parent, photographs have been an inexpensive yet extremely effective way to make our home feel like a home. He has always loved it when I get new pictures to put up on the fridge or have framed.

It makes me really happy that I did this one simple thing differently from my dad, because I've seen it make an impact on my son's life. I can see his face light up when he looks at certain pictures that are displayed, even ones that have been on the wall his entire life.

At 12, he's now decorating his room in the same way I once did, pinning pictures of his friends up on the corkboards in his bedroom.

Pictures of my family help me always see what matters

Now that I've remarried, there are a lot of pictures of us together as a family or of just my husband and me.

It's really hard to stay mad at my husband when I walk past a picture of us on our honeymoon, and it's even more difficult to be upset with my son when I see a picture of him as a baby. It helps me see him as that baby again, who needs just as much love and support from me now as he did then. And when I see my husband and me so happy and in love, it makes me want to hang on to that and not take it for granted.

These pictures of different times in our lives don't just make us happier, but they are powerful reminders of what's most important. There's a part of me that's sad for not having experienced that when I was growing up, but I'm also relieved that I learned how to do it for myself and my family as an adult. My son loves photos just as much as I do, and so I know he'll grow up to display them in his own spaces. It's such a simple yet important thing he's going to be able to do for himself and his loved ones, and that makes me really happy.

• Business Insider spoke with three perfume experts about the best fragrances to wear for winter.
• Gourmand scents are still popular, and heady, musky fragrances are great for cold weather.
• Perfumers also recommend leaning into brooding, dramatic, dark-academia vibes this winter.

When the chill sets in and you find yourself swapping lightweight sweaters and trench coats for bulky jackets, don't forget to give your fragrance shelf a seasonal refresh, too.

Winter fragrances often lean richer, warmer, and more enveloping — think amber, spice, woods, and heady florals that wrap around you like a cozy, knitted blanket.

Business Insider spoke with three perfumers about which scents they love for winter and why. From narcotic florals to warm ambers, here's what they said about their seasonal favorites.

Warm yourself up with amber.

Amber fragrances provide some coziness in cold weather.

Dana Schmitt, New York City-based perfumer at the fragrance company Givaudan, said that one of her longtime favorites is Chanel Coromandel, a soft yet luxurious scent. It's a plush, amber perfume anchored by patchouli and frankincense.

Another staple she recommends is REPLICA's Jazz Club, a classic scent built on rich, spicy, and woody notes.

It evokes the feeling of settling into a dim jazz lounge on a chilly winter night in the city — making it perfect for a romantic date night.

Just like in the fall, gourmand scents continue to stay popular.

Gourmands — including vanilla, caramel, and honey — are just so cozy for winter, bringing warmth and comfort when the temperatures drop.

Bryson Ammons, New York City-based perfumer and founder of The Alloy Studio, likes to push the category a bit further by incorporating a bit of spice.

He really enjoys Amphora Parfum Honeycakes, a sweet yet savory scent that feels both nostalgic and surprising. "It's like a spiced coffee — a very sticky, syrupy fragrance," he said.

For something more amber-forward but still gourmand, Schmitt points to Mugler Angel Eau de Parfum, a sweet, praline scent that also features signature notes of patchouli and bergamot.

Narcotic, headier scents are the way to go.

Winters can be cold. When it's under 30 degrees, New York City-based independent perfumer Asia Grant likes leaning into narcotic, smooth fragrances that feel like wrapping yourself in cashmere and tucking into a dim, cozy library.

Rich musks and heady florals really come alive in cold weather, and also add a brooding, dark-academia vibe that pairs well with chunky sweaters and penny loafers.

Grant recommends Dominique Ropion's Carnal Flower, an intoxicating, full-bodied fragrance that features notes of melon, tuberose, and white musk.

Because it's so highly concentrated, she often likes layering it with lighter, fresher scents to balance it out.

Brighten up the chilly weather with citrusy scents.

Lemons, oranges, limes, and grapefruits might make you think "summer," but they're technically winter-blooming fruits, which makes them a natural fit for cold-weather fragrances, said Ammons.

They also add a bit of brightness and zing to the chillier months.

Bring the outdoors in with a fresh, woodsier scent.

Although spicy and ambery scents are a given for winter, Ammons likes to shake things up with fresh, woodsy one. Think: light florals, clean laundry, freshly-fallen snow, and a wisp of smoke.

One of his go-tos is Aesop's Rozu Eau De Parfum, which pairs notes of rose and bergamot with sandalwood and musk.

"There's something clean and kind of chic about it," Ammons said.

• Netflix has become a rival to Hallmark and Lifetime with its original holiday films.
• This year, it released four new holiday films.
• "Jingle Bell Heist" is easily the best.

When Netflix released "A Christmas Prince" in 2017, it became one of the true viral moments of the holiday season — eight years later, the streamer is still chasing that high.

This year, Netflix released four new Christmas films: "My Secret Santa," "A Merry Little Ex-Mas," "Champagne Problems," and "Jingle Bell Heist." They range from entertaining to bonkers.

Here are this year's new Netflix holiday movies ranked from worst to best.

4. "My Secret Santa"

People have been describing "My Secret Santa" (a title that doesn't even make sense, by the way) as the "reverse 'Mrs. Doubtfire.'"

To that I say: just go watch "Mrs. Doubtfire."

My list of notes, observations, and questions was by far the longest for this movie, which stars Alexandra Breckenridge as Taylor Jacobsen, a single mom (and former teen rock star, somehow), who decides her daughter must go to an exorbitantly expensive snowboarding school at a ski resort, and the only job she can find requires dressing up as an old man to become the resort's resident Santa Claus.

Along the way, she meets a man, Matthew (Ryan Eggold), who is quite determined to get to know her — for truly no reason besides the fact that she's pretty — but, gasp, he turns out to be the resort owner's son.

This might all sound pretty normal, but believe me, this movie seems like it was written backward. As in, since they needed Taylor to have access to some of the best prosthetics since "Frankenstein," her brother and his husband happen to be obsessed with Halloween.

Also, Taylor was just really bad at being Santa for too much of the runtime.

This brings me to the villain, Natasha, as played by Tia Mowry. She's hyper-competent, dedicated to her job, and has been at the resort for years. But when it's time for someone to get a promotion, Matthew the Nepo Baby gets it instead. Was I supposed to not root for her as she tried to sabotage his (quite poor) attempts at running things? Because I did not! She deserved the promotion!

Ultimately, this movie is deranged (but not in a fun way), the two leads have no chemistry, and it makes the cardinal sin of evoking a much better movie. It was a skip from me.

3. "A Merry Little Ex-Mas"

Now this is a movie that's deranged in a fun way.

"A Merry Little Ex-Mas" stars Alicia Silverstone as Kate, an architect turned stay-at-home mom (and handyman, for some reason), who is recently separated from her husband, Everett (Oliver Hudson), their small town's doctor.

So many choices in this were baffling. For instance, everyone in the town calls Kate's house the "Mothership." Why? It doesn't matter — it never gets explained. Kate and Everett's daughter, Sienna, brings home her British boyfriend, who inexplicably thinks he's a character in "Harry Potter," which is a bit dated in 2025. Fellow '90s queen Melissa Joan Hart is in this movie for around 5 minutes, and it was, frankly, rude not to give her more to do.

This movie's saving grace was Kate's much younger boyfriend, Chet, played by Pierson Fodé, who was hilarious. Everett's new girlfriend, Tess, played by Jameela Jamil, also brought a lot of laughs.

However, the romance between Kate and Everett just wasn't explored enough. From the first scene they're in together, it's clear there was no reason to split up in the first place — they needed some couple's therapy and to work on their communication skills.

I want better for two '90s legends than this.

2. "Champagne Problems"

Sue me, I thought this was cute! Any movie that takes place in Paris during Christmas is going to earn extra points with me, it's just a fact.

"Champagne Problems" stars Minka Kelly as Sydney, a dedicated employee at her mergers and acquisitions firm, but who has no life of her own. When she gets sent to Paris right around Christmas to pitch an acquisition of a local Champagne brand, she takes one night for herself and meets Henri (Tom Wozniczka). Can you see where this is going?

Yes, of course, Henri is the son of the man whose business Sydney wants to take over.

But Sydney's not the only one competing for the chateau's business. There are a few pleasantly kooky side characters who are along for the journey.

My main takeaway from this movie is that I should probably book a flight to Paris immediately (I also frantically Googled if the bookstore in the movie was real. It's not, sadly). My secondary thoughts include that Kelly and Wozniczka have great chemistry, and I need to pop a bottle of bubbly this Christmas.

1. "Jingle Bell Heist"

This was an easy choice. "Jingle Bell Heist" is the only one of these movies that didn't have an overly bright, but somehow still flat, aesthetic.

It also stars two promising young actors, Olivia Holt and Connor Swindells. Holt plays Sophie, an American living in London so her mom can access cheaper cancer treatment — Sophie is also a star pick-pocket who learned everything she knows from her magician grandfather, which … sure. Swindells plays Nick, a computer expert who has recently been released from jail after being accused of robbing a department store.

Nick and Sophie link up to rob that same department store on Christmas Eve for their own reasons, but, of course, things never go smoothly in a film like this.

I give screenwriters Abby McDonald and Amy Reed a lot of credit, because this movie had more than one twist that genuinely shocked me. I also vibed with Michael Fimognari's direction, as it's clear he was doing his best '70s crime-thriller tribute. Lastly, the brassy score by Steve Hackman was great; it was giving "Ocean's Eleven."

My one knock on this movie is that the relationship between Sophie and Nick was pretty boring, all things considered. Perhaps they just had better platonic chemistry than romantic.

Even so, this was easily my favorite of Netflix's holiday films this year, and one I would recommend to anyone.

• Northeastern retirees are opting for North Carolina over Florida for its low-key beach lifestyle.
• North Carolina has a warmer climate than the Northeast and is more accessible than Florida.
• Calabash, North Carolina, has a calmer lifestyle than some Florida cities, and is still near the beach.

Fleeing the Northeast and flying south — usually to Florida — to wait out the winter in warmer weather is a common move for snowbirds. But some retirees aren't flying quite as far south anymore for an escape.

Take Diana Cawood, who skipped Florida altogether and relocated to North Carolina from New Jersey at the end of 2019.

"Florida was not an option," Cawood told Business Insider, adding that it was important that she be in reasonable driving distance back to New Jersey to see her children and grandchildren.

"We can drive back to New Jersey in about nine hours," she said. "That's a day trip rather than a couple of days."

Cawood, 61, started looking for places five years before she retired in 2019. She knew she wanted a warmer climate than New Jersey, more favorable taxes, and a quieter life than the city provided. Wilmington, North Carolina, didn't quite fit the bill, and neither did Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Then she discovered a retirement town that's less crowded than Florida cities like Naples or Tampa and is a shorter commute back to the Northeast: Calabash, North Carolina.

The coastal town near the border of South Carolina is about 27 miles northeast of Myrtle Beach and offers a quiet, beachy lifestyle for retirees. Cawood and her husband settled on Kingfish Bay, a housing development about four miles from the nearest beach — and 569 miles from Medford Lakes, New Jersey, where they moved from. But that's still a better commute than driving home from anywhere in Florida.

Florida isn't for every retiree

Kathie Yllanes, 64, grew up on Long Island and moved to Calabash in 2017 from Raleigh, North Carolina. She's been retired for just over a year and said she travels to the Northeast about six times a year.

"Our oldest son still lives on Long Island, our grandkids are on Long Island, our daughter just moved to Boston, and we have a son who's in the Charlotte area," Yllanes told Business Insider. "Being able to get to Long Island, even though it's not easy to get there, is a lot easier than if you were in Florida."

Although the weather isn't as warm year-round in North Carolina as it is in Florida, it's still significantly warmer than in the Northeast — a plus for many retirees.

"The weather was a big factor in why we wanted to move here," Cawood said. "We love the fact that this area gives us all four seasons without the dramatic effects of winter. It gets pretty hot in the summer, but I don't know that it gets any hotter than where we were from in New Jersey. It may stay hot a little bit longer, but it's certainly not uncomfortable. But that is the reason we did not want to go to Florida, because we just didn't want to deal with that heat all the time."

Florida still is one of the better places to retire, though that depends on what you're looking for. While cities like Fort Lauderdale and St. Petersburg offer a lot for retirees, some lament that they've become overcrowded and expensive.

North Carolina real estate agent Darren Bouley said that not only has he seen an uptick in Northeasterners choosing the Calabash area, he's also seen "half-backs," or people originally from the Northeast who move to Florida and then move halfway back up the coast, leaving Florida for North Carolina.

"From the feedback we've been getting, Florida has lost a little bit of its allure simply because the costs have changed down there," Bouley said. "Also, the population has just gotten a little more dense than people are interested in having."

Yllanes' parents were half-backs who moved from Deerfield Beach, Florida, to Calabash, North Carolina. She said Florida wasn't for her, either.

Ex-Floridian retirees are finding a lot to like in North Carolina

The pandemic years were a boon for people moving to Florida, helping it become the fastest-growing state in 2022 thanks to its sunny weather and generally affordable cost of living. But as factors like home insurance price increases have people leaving Florida, states like North Carolina are capitalizing.

State-to-state migration data from the US Census shows nearly 40,000 people moved from Florida to North Carolina in 2023, the highest number from any state — including neighbor South Carolina.

Samuel Miller, a representative for Kingfish Bay, told Business Insider that Calabash, North Carolina's cost of living is on par with Florida's, and maybe better.

"We've had people come up from Florida to the development and particularly from the Northeast because they see the value down here, both in the housing prices and what you get for your buck," Miller said.

"When you talk of the state tax rates, for example, it's better in North Carolina than the Northeast, and that's obviously not a comparison for Florida," he added. "But in Miami, the cost of living is higher. You're going to get areas in Florida that are less expensive, but certainly the big centers are going to be more expensive. On the whole, Calabash is generally a very cost-effective place to live."

• When my son wanted a new toy, I told him to start a business where he could earn money.
• He decided to help neighbors collect and take out their trash.
• He had to work up some courage, but now he's making money and becoming part of the community.

After listening to my son try and convince me that he absolutely needed whatever the latest toy was that he was fixated on, I replied with, "That sounds like a want, not a need. You can use your money to buy it."

He told me he didn't have enough cash. At 6 years old, his only sources of money were birthday gifts and the tooth fairy.

In our family, we don't give money for household chores as we believe it's everyone's responsibility to pitch in and complete the tasks that keep a household running. We also don't give a set allowance.

My husband chimed in with, "Let's think of some ways you can earn money."

After tossing around a number of ideas, one stood out above the rest: taking in and out the trash and recycling bins for our neighbors. My garbage and recycling truck-loving kiddo was excited and ready to go.

As parents, we're there to support, but not do the work for him. He was about to get a crash course in business and in life.

He first had to gain some confidence

In order to get clients, we helped him prepare a marketing flyer and a short pitch. But when he realized that he was the one who would have to go door to door, he almost gave up before he got started.

This led to a talk about facing your fears, understanding that getting a "no" is simply part of the process, and that you can only control your actions — not another person's.

After gathering his courage and multiple practice sessions, he was ready to go. He knocked on the doors of neighbors he had never met and was rejected more than a few times. But those first few neighbors who said "yes" gave him the confidence to keep going.

Now he has nine clients, but more than that, he has gained skills that most kids don't learn until their teenage years or beyond.

He quickly earned some money

Initially, he charged 25 cents a week, and once he gained experience, he increased his rate to 50 cents. Each month, my husband creates invoices in QuickBooks, and my son delivers them to his customers.

In the first month, one of his clients showed him a water bill with all the extra fees associated with it. He explained that if a company can tack on seemingly random fees, then he wanted to give my son additional pay for good customer service and on-time delivery. His $1 rose to $5.

To help him learn about saving, we opened a bank account and told him that whatever he decides to save each month, we would match, but it needs to remain in his account for at least six months. The rest he can spend as he wants.

Initially, he was excited to spend his money, but as time has passed, he has started to think more strategically because he now understands how much time and effort it takes to earn it.

He's learned about commitment and community

Tuesdays are trash takeout days. It's also a full school day followed by his First Communion class, which means he doesn't get home until around 5:30 p.m.

That first Tuesday, he came home after class, saying he was tired and wanted to rest and watch TV. We reminded him of the timeframe he gave his clients — between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.— and that keeping your word comes first. After a few grumbles, he got going.

Over the months, he has shown up on time, rain or shine, with a smile on his face and has earned the trust and respect of his customers.

His business has also allowed him and us to become part of the fabric of our community. We moved into our neighborhood a year and a half ago and would wave to neighbors and exchange pleasantries, but now we're forming true relationships.

He's been invited into what were once strangers' houses, been given birthday presents from people he didn't know a year earlier, and walks down the street with a sense of belonging that this is his community.

But most important is how he sees himself. When the subject of his business comes up, he beams with pride, noting that he is a business owner who earns his own money and helps his neighbors.

And that toy he claimed he needed? Turns out he didn't want to spend his hard-earned money on it after all.

• 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.