• I'm originally from Argentina but married a Mainer while living in New York City. 
• We had three kids and realized we wanted a house with a yard for them to grow up in. 
• People here are so incredibly friendly and we've made a fun group of friends in our 40s. 

When I found out I was pregnant with twins in 2019, my first thought was, "We won't fit in our apartment." At the time, my husband, our 2-year-old, and two dogs were already living in a cramped one-bedroom apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

We loved our life in the city but also wanted to give our kids space. We debated where to move and settled in Maine for two reasons: it's where my husband was born, and I needed to be near the ocean.

We moved in 2020 and adjusted pretty quickly to living in the suburbs. Here are the things that surprised me from moving from New York City, to Portland, Maine.

Everyone is so friendly

Mainers have a reputation for being friendly, but I was still surprised by how friendly people were when we first moved here. And it hasn't changed four years later.

When we first moved into our house, our neighbors wrote, "Welcome home!" on our driveway with chalk. It was a time when everyone was social distancing because of the pandemic, but even a small act like that made us feel so welcomed.

In the years we've been here, we've made such a big and fun group of friends. It's surprising because my husband and I are at an age where people say it's harder to make friends, but living in Maine has made it very easy for us. We have friends with kids the same age as ours but also intergenerational friendships with older people in the community.

People actually care about each other, which has been a refreshing change for us.

Our kids get to be kids

I grew up living in apartments for my entire life and felt like I missed out on a little bit of being a kid. As a parent, I see it in how I stress out about my kids' clothes getting dirty when they play outside or how my idea of fun is watching a movie instead of playing on the driveway. My husband had the opposite upbringing, and he loves doing things outside.

Our kids went from being "brewery babies" — a term I made up because they spent so much time hanging out in breweries in the city — to being full-on feral kids.

They can spend hours digging in dirt, picking up frogs who've made their way out of the pond in our backyard, fishing in a lake, or (when it gets colder) building snow forts and skiing.

There's something to do regardless of weather

Maine winters can be brutal, and as someone from South America, I'm still adjusting to the frigid temperatures. That said, there are things to do throughout the year, and we look forward to the changing of the seasons because of that.

My kids, who are 6, 4, and 4, have picked up skiing and ice skating pretty quickly because that's what everyone does with their kids to keep them entertained when it's cold. But they also love swimming in the lake or bodyboarding in the ocean. We go apple picking in the fall, and in the spring, we plant our vegetable garden.

Everything is a 20-minute car ride

One of the things I miss the most about living in New York City, or even my hometown of Buenos Aires, is being able to walk places. Here in Maine, unless you live in downtown Portland, you need a car for absolutely everything.

I always joke that things are always a 20-minute car ride away, regardless of which direction you are going. With three kids who require doctor appointments, different school pickups, and have different sets of friends, it feels like I'm always driving somewhere.

I also miss the serendipity of walking around with no direction and finding new places or things to do.

I miss having cultural events closeby

Living in New York probably spoiled me rotten because artists always stop there for shows, there are endless museums, and you can always find something new to experience. Living in Maine has left me wanting more cultural events to attend.

We drive often to Boston for concerts, but it's still a two-hour drive, and with little kids, it's not always easy. Sometimes, bigger artists make their way to Maine, but they go to Bangor instead of Portland, which again is a two-hour drive north.

Maybe as Portland grows, more artists will decide to stop. It is a great place to visit, after all.

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

Welcome back to our Sunday edition, a roundup of some of our top stories. A car enthusiast spotted a rare Koenigsegg Regera, a supercar that can cost more than $4 million, and snapped a quick video.

More than a month later, he looked again at the footage and recognized the driver: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

On the agenda today:

• Tesla prioritizes Musk's and other "VIP" drivers' data to train self-driving software.
• AI is quietly being used to pick your pocket.
• Citi's massive transformation team is struggling to fix its regulatory woes.
• How Andy Jassy wooed Wall Street and turned Amazon around.

But first: Startups and venture capitalists are betting big on the next trend in warfare.

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

This week's dispatch

Welcome to the new Fightertown

Remember the Top Gun movie? No, not the 2022 sequel. The original Top Gun, where Tom Cruise first plays the role of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.

Cruise's character is based out of an air station in San Diego. The training facility later moved to Nevada, but 40 years on from the movie, Southern California is reclaiming a place as a driver of innovation in aerial warfare.

San Diego is home to a burgeoning defense tech scene with a focus on AI-powered unmanned aerial vehicles, just as the industry attracts more funding from investors.

"The future of [naval aviation] is unmanned, autonomous systems that don't have people being shot off an aircraft carrier, but autonomous drones," a former Navy SEAL and VC founder told Business Insider.

In many ways, the unmanned future of war is already here.

They buzz the battlefield in Ukraine, which has successfully used naval drones to attack Russia's naval fleet in the Black Sea, with satellite imagery of the waterway showing Russian naval assets on the run in the region.

In the Red Sea, US warships have been battling Houthi missiles and airborne and surface drone attacks for months, and there are calls from those involved for more training on drone warfare as threats become more pervasive.

Not all self-driving cars are created equal

Tesla employees say they were told to prioritize data from self-driving cars belonging to Elon Musk and other VIPs.

Current and former staffers say the result was excessive attention to routes frequented by high-profile drivers — and an uneven use of Tesla's resources.

Tesla's self-driving bias.

AI is ripping you off

You might be willing to pay more for an airplane seat than the person next to you — and airlines know it.

Companies are using AI to mine users' data, in order to determine and charge the highest price you're willing to pay. In a world ruled by personalized pricing, you never know if you're being ripped off.

Personalized pricing's personal hell.

Also read:

• Welcome to the age of wild price swings

Citi's woes won't subside

Citi committed 12,000 employees and billions of dollars to fix its regulatory problems and outdated tech. It's going terribly.

The bank was hit with a $135.6 million fine on Wednesday for failing to shore up its problems. Even worse, the fix-it program's top executive is accused of pressuring employees to lie to regulators.

Inside the ongoing fiasco.

Also read:

• Citi CEO Jane Fraser pledges to fix data mess and appease regulators. Here's what she told analysts.
• Investment banking is finally gaining steam. Here's why JPMorgan's Jeremy Barnum says it might not last.

Amazon's amazing comeback

Andy Jassy's takeover from Jeff Bezos was no smooth transition. Beset by the collapse of a pandemic boom when he took the reins in 2021, Amazon's stock plunged — and whispers swirled about bringing Bezos back.

Three years later, Jassy's leadership has pushed Amazon's value to record highs. He did it through significant strategy changes, including a renewed dedication to Amazon's investors.

How Jassy won Wall Street.

Also read:

• Inside Google's augmented reality reset
• Flying car startup Pivotal, backed by Google cofounder Larry Page, quietly delays shipments to next year

This week's quote:

"It can prompt the candidates with the right thing to say at the right time."

— Michael Guan, CEO and cofounder of Final Round AI, whose AI "magical teleprompter" can help people ace job interviews.

More of this week's top reads:

• I was scammed out of nearly $300K and forced to abandon retirement dreams.
• WhatsApp's new TV ads tell you a lot about the company's growth plans.
• Meet the ex-Goldman Sachs partner behind the scenes of the Skydance-Paramount deal.
• Mark Zuckerberg said he's the most well-known millennial in a newly revealed email. So, is he?
• Warren Buffett's heirs might be in for a "Succession"-style fight.
• Early Prime Day headphone deals include discounts on the Apple AirPods Pro.
• Influencer marketing is booming in 2024 with brands taking creators more seriously.

• Reports of illegal evictions are on the rise. Yet police rarely enforce the law.

  ---

  The Insider Today team: Matt Turner, deputy editor-in-chief, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.

• World leaders are reacting to the news that Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt.
• Trump said a bullet "pierced" his ear at a rally before he was rushed away by the Secret Service.
• President Biden condemned the "sick" shooting and said there was "no place in America for this."

Leaders across the world have come out in support of former President Donald Trump after he survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

The gunman behind the attack has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, the FBI said.

Crooks and a rally attendee who was caught in the crossfire have both been pronounced dead.

Following the attack, Trump stood defiantly with blood smeared across his face and fist in the air before he was whisked away by the Secret Service.

Heads of state from countries including Canada, France, Israel, and Ukraine have since sent words of support to Trump, while political opponents, such as Joe Biden and Barack Obama, have also condemned the attack.

Here's how some of the world's leaders have reacted.

President Joe Biden

Trump's election rival called the attack "sick" in a press briefing following the incident, saying that there was "no place in America for this kind of violence.

"It's one of the reasons why we have to unite this country," he added.

On social media, Biden also thanked the Secret Service and said he was "grateful to hear" that Trump was safe and "doing well."

Vice President Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris condemned the "abhorrent act" and said that she was praying for Trump, his family, and "all those who have been injured and impacted by this senseless shooting."

"Violence such as this has no place in our nation," she added.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer

The newly-elected UK Prime Minister said he was "appalled" by the incident, adding that "political violence in any form has no place in our societies and my thoughts are with all the victims of this attack."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel's Prime Minister, Netanyahu, said that he and his wife were "shocked" by the incident and that they were praying for Trump's recovery.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Canada's head of state said he was "sickened" by the shooting.

"My thoughts are with former President Trump, those at the event, and all Americans," he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron

Macron called the assassination attempt a "tragedy for our democracies."

"France shares the shock and indignation of the American people," he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukraine's wartime president said he was "appalled" to hear about the shooting and said that "such violence has no justification and no place anywhere in the world."

"I wish America emerges stronger from this," he added.

Former President Barack Obama

Obama called on people to use the incident "to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics."

"Although we don't yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn't seriously hurt," he wrote on X.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, called the attack "despicable."

"My thoughts are also with all of those who were affected by the attack. Such acts of violence threaten democracy," he said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

India's Prime Minister said he was concerned about the attack on his "friend" and strongly condemned the incident.

"Violence has no place in politics and democracies. Wish him speedy recovery," Modi wrote on X.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

Meloni said of Trump: "My solidarity and my best wishes for a speedy recovery go to him, with the hope that the next few months of the electoral campaign will see dialogue and responsibility prevail over hatred and violence."

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida

Japan's Kishida said, "We must stand firm against any form of violence that challenges democracy."

One of Kishida's predecessors, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was assassinated in 2022. He was shot while delivering a campaign speech two years after his term as PM ended.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

Albanese called the attack "concerning and confronting," adding that he was relieved to hear reports that Trump was safe.

"There is no place for violence in the democratic process," Albanese wrote.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof

Schoof expressed relief that Trump's injuries were seemingly minor and wished him a quick recovery.

"Political violence is entirely unacceptable," he wrote on X.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán

Orbán, who met with Trump just days ago at Mar-a-Lago, sent his "thoughts and prayers" to the former president "in these dark hours."

• The Embraer Praetor 600 is a $21 million super-midsize business jet.
• Embraer calls it the most technogically advanced jet in its class.
• See inside the $21 million aircraft that's fully fly-by-wire and has touchscreen cabin controls.

Brazilian firm Embraer is the third-biggest manufacturer of civil aircraft behind Airbus and Boeing.

It found its start focusing on military aircraft, before expanding into regional airliners and business jets.

This array of divisions and their history paved the way for technological developments which have made its business jets some of the most popular.

In May, Business Insider toured an Embraer Praetor 600 at an aviation conference in Switzerland. The manufacturer extols it as the most technologically advanced jet in its class.

With features like full fly-by-wire controls and high-efficiency particulate air filters, here's what the $21 million jet is like.

The Embraer Praetor 600 is a super-midsize business jet, capable of flying over 4,600 miles and with a top speed of 536 mph.

Business Insider toured a Praetor 600 on display at EBACE, Europe's biggest business aviation conference, in Geneva.

In the flight deck, you can see the sidesticks that control the fly-by-wire technology, which Embraer initially developed for its military aircraft.

Instead of mechanical flight controls, fly-by-wire uses computer-controlled systems to process the pilots' input. It means better fuel efficiency as there are fewer parts and lighter wires, plus simpler maintenance.

Embraer's Phenom 300 also uses some fly-by-wire technology, but the Praetor 600 is fully fly-by-wire — the only super-midsize business jet to be so.

Another interesting tech feature can be seen on the nose, the enhanced flight vision system, which helps pilots land in low-visibility conditions.

Inside, there's a relatively spacious galley that includes a sink …

… plus an oven, microwave, and fridge.

The 6-foot tall cabin has room for nine passengers, plus a HEPA filtration system.

The cabin is also pressurized to an altitude of 5,800 feet, helping ease the effects of jet lag.

Some of the ceiling panels store oxygen masks in case of emergency. Attached with electromagnets, they appear flush with the interior.

And next to the air vents, there are small touchscreens showing information about the flight.

There were actually several touchscreens, like this control panel tucked away in a stowage area.

All the seats face opposite another one, with a table that pops out from the ledge …

… As seen here, set up for a meal.

Plus there's the three-seater divan that can be used as a bed.

At about 55 dB, the Praetor 600 has one of the quietest cabins on the market. That's aided by the absence of an emergency exit behind the divan, where noise could come through the moldings.

Above the divan and at the front of the cabin were small TVs that displayed flight information.

And in the aft, there's a compact bathroom.

The toilet can also be used as a seat, and drawers under the sink provide extra storage space.

A small door in the bathroom means passengers can access a stowage area midflight.

• I pictured my May trip to Big Bend to be picturesque and peaceful but it wasn't really.
• I thought I'd see the Rio Grande in all its glory, but I mostly saw a lot of dry ground.
• Hiking in the heat was tough, and I eventually realized this national park is not for everyone. 

When my fiancé said he had a few days off from work at the end of May, we quickly planned a trip to Big Bend National Park.

Summer was nearing, and I imagined the flowing waters of the Rio Grande against picturesque canyons, fields of desert cacti, and glorious mountain peaks meeting fresh blue Texas sky.

We reserved a hotel in the area and drove 10 hours from Houston to the park. Unfortunately, our trip wasn't quite what I hoped.

The vastness and seclusion of the dry desert landscape were intimidating from the start

When we arrived at the park, we paid $30 for an entrance pass and then traveled another 35 miles to our lodging site, Chisos Mountain Lodge.

I liked that the simple rooms in our lodge provided mountain views of the heart of the park, which formed from a volcano eruption over 30 million years ago.

The surrounding Chisos Mountains looked ghostly, with eroded rough cliffs and shadowed formations that looked like mysterious creatures.

Although we were in the heart of Big Bend, we quickly realized we'd have a lot more driving to do throughout this trip. The drive from our lodge to Santa Elena Canyon alone was over 90 miles there and back.

I hadn't realized just how massive Big Bend National Park would feel at 1,200 square miles of land or just how spread out its landmarks were.

Most of the remote drives made me feel like I was on Mars. Every plant and cactus we passed looked parched from the scorching sun and sweltering heat.

I felt like desert prey as the signage we passed warned of rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and black bears.

We saw some beautiful views, but I didn't realize the glorious Rio Grande might be dry

We explored the easy Window View Trail, which offers a beautiful vista of the "window" formed between the mountains. It was outstanding at sunset.

Then we ventured on the rocky Chisos Basin Loop Trail, an easy-to-moderate hike that introduced us to views of Emory Peak, the highest in the park, and the square-shaped Casa Grande Peak.

I was especially excited to see the magnificent Santa Elena Canyon, a gorge where the Rio Grande splits the land between the US and Mexico.

To get there, we took the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, a geological wonder where volcanic ash and various rock formations meet. We didn't pass anyone on the road, just a coyote and vultures.

When the 1,500-foot-high limestone cliffs and Santa Elena's gorgeous purplish and beige colors came into view, I straightened up in my seat.

I was expecting to see sunlight beam off the ripples of the river between glorious canyon walls. Instead, I mostly saw dry, cracked ground.

I didn't know I might not see the Rio Grande in all its glory, but I later learned that it was always possible.

In 2022, Rio Grande dried out for the first time in about 40 years due to factors like persistent drought and lack of rainfall.

It began happening again in 2023, and with many hot days ahead in Texas, it's not out of the question for the future. I wish I'd reigned in my expectations by looking into the state of the river before we left.

I wasn't prepared to deal with the heat or how scared I'd be of wildlife

Getting to one of the park's most famous photo spots, The Balanced Rock, meant driving on an extremely intense rocky road. I couldn't see the hood of the SUV as we spent miles dipping up and down like we were on a roller coaster.

We parked near a sandy trailhead and set off on a steady pace. It was only a 2-mile round-trip hike through a boulder field, but all I could think about was mountain lions.

The hills were covered in clusters of huge boulders casting shadows, which seemed like the perfect spot for a lion's den. There are about 150 lion sightings at the park a year, and although only a few encounters have resulted in attacks, I was still on edge.

The hike's incline didn't help, either. I could feel my energy quickly evaporate while scrambling and pulling myself over steep boulders in the blazing sun.

In Big Bend, temperatures can hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit by late morning in May.

When I saw the famous Balanced Rock, I'll admit, I wasn't as impressed as I should've been. I was too hot, sunburned, and dehydrated to appreciate the poised composure of the huge boulder balancing atop other rock formations.

Many find Big Bend to be paradise, but I'm not sure it was for me

While driving toward the park's exit, I didn't look back.

We saw some beautiful views during our trip, but I found myself uninterested in doing too many challenging climbs to see more eroded cliffs.

I learned Big Bend is not a park where one can just "wing it." Hiking in the heat is no joke, and the weather can easily impact plans.

Had I realized the great driving distance between each landmark we wanted to see, I would've planned to visit only one a day so I could enjoy them without tiring myself out in the heat. I also really wish we'd visited during a cooler month, like March.

Still, Big Bend welcomes over 500,000 visitors each year. I'm sure many of them resonate with mountainous and wide-open desert landscapes, enjoy isolation, and trust themselves to hike in the heat.

• California native Michelle Clifford is moving to Celina, Texas — America's fastest-growing city.
• Celina is attracting movers with its affordability, many newly built homes, and small-town vibe.
• Clifford, 33, said she and her family hope the city can preserve its charm as it grows.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Michelle Clifford, a 33-year-old sales manager from California who is moving to Celina, Texas, in July. Celina's population surged 26.6% from July 2022 to July 2023, making it the fastest-growing city in the US. The population as of 2023 is 43,317. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm from Orange County. In high school, my best friend moved to Austin. I would visit her all the time, and I fell in love with Texas. I loved the people, their hospitality, and the state's lakes.

When I was a senior, I applied to only Texas colleges. I got into TCU — Texas Christian University — and attended for four years. I made a bunch of lifelong friends, who later even became my bridesmaids.

Back then, everyone, including me, thought I would stay after graduation — because I was a die-hard Texan.

But during my senior year of college, I fell in love with my husband, who was attending college in the Bay Area. He's a California boy through and through. So after graduating, I moved back to Southern California.

After college, we lived in San Diego for five years, and then, in 2018, moved to San Francisco where we lived until 2020. During that time, we got engaged, married, and had our first daughter. We then moved to Oceanside, California, and I became pregnant with my second daughter.

Over time, our priorities changed. We wanted to slow down and buy a house, but it wasn't realistic for us in California.

There were a lot of things that I liked about Texas, and my job also had an office in Frisco.

My husband and I were like, "Why not give this a go?"

In Texas, rent is cheaper and we can experience country living

We moved to Prosper, a town north of Dallas, in February. Prosper has been booming, with many Californians moving there.

I read that in 2009, the population was around 10,000 and now it's about 40,000.

Right now, we're renting a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house that sits on a third of an acre of land for $2,650 per month.

In Oceanside, we were renting a two-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow built in the 1960s for $3,300. I was working remotely, so I had to convert my office into a nursery for my baby daughter. It made our living space feel very crowded.

In July, we are moving into a 2,400-square-foot home in Celina that sits on an acre of land that we purchased for around $600,000.

Celina is about an hour's drive from Dallas and is very rural; everywhere you look, there are longhorn cattle.

We were drawn to Celina because we have friends from California who moved here and college friends who are natives. It felt like the ideal place to settle down and establish roots.

More importantly, it was about doing something completely different. We've experienced city life and wanted to embrace country living and own some land.

Our home is located near the only post office in Celina, close to its downtown square, on a small street at the end of a cul-de-sac. Our next-door neighbors have eight cows that are always right next to our fence — it's hilarious. We also just installed a chicken coop.

It wasn't as difficult to buy a home in Texas as it would have been in California

I've heard crazy stories about buying homes, so I didn't have high expectations when it came to buying a home ourselves.

In California, my friends often lost bidding wars for homes to buyers willing to offer up to $150,000 above the asking price, often in cash.

But finding a home in Celina was the easiest process. It was like all the stars aligned.

Once we found our home, we contacted our landlord in Prosper, who was also originally from California and had become a real-estate agent, to help us make an offer.

The sellers accepted our offer the same day we put it in, and we entered escrow and closed within 15 days.

If we stayed in California, we knew that buying a home would likely require moving far east to be near the ocean, or settling for a lifetime of renting or living in a small townhouse without a backyard. We're outdoor people, so it would feel like we were getting robbed.

I'm not usually an emotional person, but in the last month, I swear, I cried all the time — I just never thought it was going to happen.

I've been renting or moving almost every single year since I was 18. To finally have something that's mine is the most amazing feeling.

Knowing that in Celina I'll have space for my daughters to run around is the biggest blessing. I keep imagining them playing at the end of a cul-de-sac just like I did when I was growing up.

I'm just so grateful. It feels like it was all meant to be.

Our money goes further in Texas

We absolutely could not afford a home similar to ours in a Dallas neighborhood or even back in California.

I have really good friends who live in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas, and those home prices are right up there with San Diego.

Buying a home wasn't possible in the Bay Area, especially with what we wanted within our budget of $700,000.

I had a good job, but spending so much on rent made it difficult to save for a down payment. We also had many friends and were busy with weddings, travel, and bachelorette parties.

I feel like a lot of the city's natives will roll their eyes at me calling Celina affordable. It's a double-edged sword with Californians coming in and raising prices.

But for me, it made our dream come true to be able to buy a home.

Celina is growing fast, but it still feels cozy

Celina is actually a big town radius-wise, but it has a small, cozy vibe.

Everyone says hi to everyone, and I feel like we all know one another. It's hard to describe, but it feels almost like you're going back in time.

I'm honored to consider myself a Celina resident and am grateful to be welcomed.

The city and people of Celina have done a good job of preserving their culture, with many small businesses and almost no fast-food chains.

But I do know it's one of the fastest-growing towns in America.

My husband and I are really good friends with a land broker in Celina, so we are aware of how up-and-coming it is.

There are many residential homes and apartment complexes being built, along with a bunch of commercial businesses.

Though it might be hypocritical for me to say — especially as someone who is contributing to its growth by moving here —it's kind of bittersweet.

While I find its growth really cool and exciting, I also feel kind of protective over it.

I hope Celina doesn't lose that quaint feel that drew me here in the first place.

• My teenagers are 14 and 16, and have both started seriously dating within the last year.
• Through happy moments and heartbreak, I've supported my kids and grown closer to them as they date.
• The dating years aren't something to dread, but are a really fun time in my parenting journey.

When I was a new mom, it seemed like every well-meaning stranger in a grocery checkout line would turn to me and remind me to enjoy the infant and toddler days because they'd go "so fast." Their warnings terrified me, and I wondered what life would be like when my babies were teenagers. Would they still need me? Would we get along? And what would the dating years be like for me as a parent?

Today, I have a 16-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter, both of whom have been in relationships and gone on dates. To my surprise, the dating years have been a joy and have actually brought me closer than ever to my kids.

My kids talk to me about the ups and downs of dating life

Whether they're trying to figure out whether or not someone "likes" them or observing friends' relationships from afar, entering the dating world has opened up new conversation topics with my teenagers.

Around the dinner table, we chat about what's going well in their relationships and what needs improvement. Driving in the car, we talk about which friends are starting relationships and how they feel about these new developments. While the conversation has changed from the latest animated film to more serious topics, it's been rewarding to discuss tough things with my kids.

Through break-up texts and broken hearts, I've been able to support my kids

I'll never forget the dinner when my son asked my husband and me for advice on how to end his then-relationship or sitting by his side a few days later when he communicated his feelings to his now-ex-girlfriend over text.

On a recent vacation with my husband, my daughter went through a major breakup, and although I felt physically far from her, as I was in another country, being able to text with her and offer support only brought us closer. It means the world to me to know my kids trust me and will accept my help when things get dicey.

Watching my kids go through relationships provides lots of opportunities for us all to learn

Within the last year, both of my teens have had their first serious relationships — and also gone through their first big breakups. Walking with them through the happy and sad times these relationships brought into their lives taught me a lot, too.

It's been interesting to learn when to keep quiet and listen, and when to offer advice, or to test how much they want to hear about what I do or don't think is OK in their relationships. I've learned to follow my kids' lead, and it's paid off by bringing us closer. It's also been a surprise to find that their breakups were difficult for me to go through, too.

Observing my kids' dating life has shown me what cool humans I'm raising

Something I wish more older parents told young moms in the grocery store is this: Yes, your kids will grow up. Yes, it will feel like time flew by. But there are so many rewarding moments in raising teenagers if you're open to accepting your kids for who they are and learning alongside them.

Years after my days of dragging toddlers through Target have ended, I am fascinated by what cool human beings my husband and I raised. Seeing my kids date and be in relationships hasn't felt like "losing" them but instead has made me feel even closer to them as I continue to help them grow into adults.

• George Dziamniski, 62, lives on Social Security and a Walmart paycheck in Pennsylvania.
• He lives simply and avoids the need for extensive retirement savings, he said. 
• But many older adults have an income near the federal poverty line and aren't sure they can retire.

George Dziamniski, 62, said he doesn't need much.

He works two or three days a week at a Walmart warehouse and cashes his monthly Social Security check, which he said is enough to finance his "simple" lifestyle. He has no retirement savings, but he isn't worried.

"If I had $1 million, I don't know what I would do with it," he told Business Insider.

Dziamniski's finances pay for his essentials: an apartment, groceries, and a cellphone. And, sometimes, he'll spend a little extra money on books — he loves history — or a new pair of running shoes.

He lives in Finleyville, Pennsylvania, a town 45 minutes south of Pittsburgh and receives $1,022 a month in Social Security, according to documents viewed by BI. He earns roughly $800 every two weeks from his job at Walmart, and he has a few thousand dollars stashed away in case of an emergency.

"I live within my means," he said.

To comfortably retire, the majority of Americans expect they need about $1.5 million, according to a Northwestern Mutual survey. But baby boomers are facing a period of uncertainty.

With the US on the brink of a retirement crisis, millions of older adults are without the savings or assets they need to stop working.

Per the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey, more than half of Americans over 65 had an annual income of $30,000 or less — a number close to the federal poverty line. Some are living paycheck to paycheck on Social Security, which could start shrinking by 2030.

Dziamniski, on the other hand, doesn't think he needs that $1.5 million. For him, the sum seems "outlandish" and is far more money than he could ever spend.

Dziamniski lives frugally and chooses not to vacation

Dziamniski has worked at Walmart in various roles — including unloading trucks and stocking inventory — for the past 14 years, and he doesn't plan to fully retire anytime soon. The paychecks help supplement this Social Security income, and he said the job keeps him active and social.

He lives alone, and while he doesn't have a car, he said he often rides public transit or gets a ride from a relative.

Dziamniski said he doesn't buy expensive food items, but he can comfortably afford groceries. He said he briefly received SNAP during the pandemic but chose not to renew his food benefits because he "didn't feel it's necessary."

For healthcare, Dziamniski said most of his doctor's visits are covered by Medicare, which costs a little over $150 a month and is deducted from his Social Security check.

However, not every boomer lives like Dziamniski. Business Insider has spoken with older adults who have gone into credit card debt to buy groceries, don't have enough Social Security income to go to the doctor, or have been forced to drain their savings on unexpected expenses.

He said money can help people feel secure, but doesn't understand why others spend more funds on "extravagance" than they can afford. Still, Dziamniski is not financially supporting other family members, and the cost of housing in Finleyville is 21% lower than the national average, according to the research firm Payscale.

Dziamniski said he doesn't often spend money on leisure items or activities. He also doesn't vacation: "I've been enough places, and that's fine for me," he said.

Going forward, Dziamniski plans to use his free time on hobbies like reading and writing. While he doesn't have much savings, he plans to keep working as long as he's able.

"I think if people were to see that they don't 'need' as much as they 'want,' they could be happier," Dziamniski said.

Are you an older adult living on Social Security? Are you open to sharing how you spend your money? If so, reach out to this reporter at allisonkelly@businessinsider.com.

• I am one of three siblings and we used to travel together as a family. 
• I have three kids of my own now, and I travel individually with each of them instead of together.
• It's too expensive to fly five people, and we always need two rooms. 

Growing up with three siblings, I regularly spent my summers at a beach house with cousins and spring breaks in Arizona, watching the San Francisco Giants' spring training. I always thought I'd do the same when I had my kids and spend our vacations exploring new places as a family.

Now that I have my own three kids, I've found that I don't particularly enjoy family vacations. It's expensive to fly with five people, you always need two hotel rooms, and my husband doesn't enjoy travel. I am the planner, and that role is tough when you are trying to please five different personalities, especially with teenagers in the mix.

Traveling with just 1 child is so much easier

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Florida and bring one of my kids along. While I would normally have declined the opportunity in favor of a full-family trip, I decided to take my oldest kid along. I couldn't believe how easy it was to travel with only one kid: We could visit the hotel's pool when she wanted to and enjoy a tepanyaki restaurant where her brothers would have turned up their noses.

Since then, I've sought out opportunities to travel with my kids individually, and it has become my favorite way to see a new city or country.

My middle kid could spend all day fly fishing on a river in Wyoming without a care in the world. This activity would be particularly hard for my youngest due to his ADHD. He's much happier on a food tour or doing something active like hiking.

When my daughter and I visited Costa Rica on a cruise this past spring, we spent part of our time in Quepos, visiting the many thrift stores in town. If I'd been there with all three of my kids, there's no way we could have spent as much time doing this activity that she loves.

Individual trips mean we avoid sibling drama

There's nothing worse than planning a big family vacation and having your kids fight with each other and complain the whole time. Small rental cars, hotel rooms where sharing beds is required, and early wake-up times are typical triggers. Somebody always feels they got the short end of the stick, and it's just not fun to referee sibling fights while trying to relax.

Single-kid trips allow me to accommodate teens who need more sleep with later wake-up times, and there's no fighting over who gets to sit in the front seat of the rental car.

Traveling with my kids individually lets me get to know them in a new way

My three kids are all teenagers, and they'll likely go to college in the next few years. I especially love traveling with them individually as I get to see their personalities develop.

When my middle kid and I cruised to Alaska two years ago, he was one of only a few kids on the ship. Without others his age to hang out with, we spent many afternoons in the Crow's Nest, where he taught me how to play Catan. I'm not going to say that we shared our deepest and darkest secrets, but I got to know him outside his place in our family, which was invaluable.

While we do occasionally go on whole-family trips and force Dad to accompany us, I prefer these solo-kid adventures and hope they continue. Cross your fingers that I can convince one of them to hike the Camino de Santiago with me in the future.

• Many Gen Z Americans are prioritizing financial savviness, aiming for early retirement.
• Young Americans invest more than previous generations; two-thirds save for retirement early.
• Four Gen Zers said they're embracing FIRE principles like cutting spending and diversifying income.

Gen Z is becoming more financially savvy — and many are doing whatever they can to retire early.

Many more young Americans are investing compared to their parents in their early- and mid-20s, and two-thirds of Gen Z has already started saving for retirement, according to the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies.

Four Gen Z Americans told Business Insider they've followed the principles of the FIRE — financial independence, retire early — movement to achieve a high net worth before their 30th birthdays. These include cutting back on spending, investing in index funds and real estate, having passive income from side hustles, and maxing out retirement accounts early.

Some said they don't intend on following the "retire early" part of the acronym and instead want to pursue their passions while making money doing so.

Their stories vary widely, from a serial entrepreneur, to a Boeing engineer, to an enlisted sailor in the Navy. But all four emphasized that their sacrifices and risks earlier in life may be the key to their financial stability down the road.

Cody Berman, entrepreneur and "passive income expert"

Cody Berman, 28, hit financial freedom at 25 but has no plans to retire early. He started a handful of businesses in college, some of which failed. He achieved success with his disc golf manufacturing company.

"I had always thought of 'rich' people being people who made a really high dollars per hour — doctors, lawyers who make $200, $300 an hour," Berman said. "Then I realized that you didn't actually have to trade your time for money on a linear basis. You could trade your time, your energy, your money, for things were going to pay you perpetually, whether or not you're working on them."

He got a corporate job as a commercial real estate lender but worked on side hustles each morning and night, sometimes working 15-hour days. He left his job after seven months and went all in on freelancing, digital products, blogging, and podcasting.

At 25, he made about $400,000 in a year from side hustles, which is when he considered himself financially independent. He saved about 90% of his income, investing most of his money into index funds and his portfolio of 11 rental properties.

"I'm not in the FIRE movement for the RE part," Berman said. "I love building businesses."

His net worth is about $2.8 million, but he drives a 2015 Nissan truck approaching 100,000 miles. He and his wife live in a one-bedroom property and rent out a four-bedroom property next door. Cutting back on housing costs allowed him to spend almost $10,000 a month in travel, dining, and concerts.

Berman co-founded Gold City Ventures, which helps others launch Etsy businesses selling printables through workshops and courses. Berman said they've seen people quit their corporate jobs and make much more through online selling.

Jubilee Bosch, engineer taking a sabbatical

Jubilee Bosch, 26, has worked as an engineer in St. Louis since graduating from college, though with over $190,000 in net worth, she's taking a sabbatical.

Bosch was raised in a lower-middle-class family in California by a stay-at-home mom and military father who worked three jobs until starting a house-cleaning business. Though raised to be frugal, she never learned how to invest.

After attending community college and a four-year college, she got a mechanical engineering degree and graduated debt-free due to merit scholarships, college jobs, and some assistance from her parents.

After an internship, she was hired full-time by Boeing, making $64,000. She struggled to transition to the corporate world and burned out quickly, but she kept rising up the ranks, negotiating a promotion and a salary increase to $95,000 a year. Around this time, she read about strategies for reaching financial independence, and increased her investments while helping her friends open Roth IRAs.

She kept expenses to about $22,000 a year and put most of her savings into the market. She moved into a smaller space with her partner, strategically meal-prepped, and got travel credit cards to lower out-of-pocket flight expenses.

"I was starting to realize I probably didn't want a traditional career, and I'm sure I'll probably have gaps in my life where I don't have a regular job, so I can roll those over and be tax efficient," Bosch said.

She had enough investments and savings to take a year off from work, so she eased up on investing to build a cash cushion. She realized she didn't need to be "hyper-frugal" anymore and could spend on things that mattered to her. She now anticipates retiring between 45 and 55, as she wants to try different career paths.

"I started to spend more in areas that brought me a lot of joy and realized that some lifestyle creep is worth it and changes the bottom line very little," Bosch said.

Amber Smith, tech worker-turned-online reseller and content creator

Amber Smith, 27, has a net worth of about $250,000 and quit her tech job earlier this year to pursue her side hustles full-time.

Smith, who lives in West Des Moines, said her parents sold things on eBay for extra money and stressed the importance of side hustles. She got a full scholarship at college and stumbled into a financial planning internship. She read finance blogs and received training from her manager on how to help others — and herself — best prepare for the future.

"Here I was in my first real office job, and I thought I could do this for another 40 years of my life, or I could save aggressively now and cut that timeline much shorter," Smith said.

After graduating, she did contract work with her local government and a bank. She landed at a startup making $78,000 two years out of college, then transitioned to a financial tech company making about $100,000. However, she was laid off from two jobs back to back, and when she landed in an insurance role, she felt stressed and directionless.

She quit her insurance job to grow her side hustles, as she had a large enough nest egg to avoid the office for a few years. She turned down recruiter interviews and focused on monetized content creation and reselling secondhand clothing.

She made $30,000 to $50,000 a year reselling part-time while at her previous companies. She brought in more from brand deals and influencing in the first five months of 2024 than in all of 2023. Content creation hasn't been as consistent, though she made $2,800 once for a brand deal and accepted others paying over $1,000.

Though her savings are down this year because of the drop in income after leaving her corporate job, she said she's been smart about her investments and isn't too worried since her net worth continues to grow.

"I want a way to pay my bills and afford my life, and I want to do that in a way where I'm not stressed out," Smith said. "The peace of it is such a big part, even if I am making less than I was in my insurance job."

Cory Sarkisian, enlisted sailor in the Navy pursuing a financial planning role

Cory Sarkisian, 27, has been an enlisted sailor in the Navy for eight years, saving and investing $375,000 in the process. He and his wife, who have two kids, have been a single-income household for the last six years, moving between San Diego, Hawaii, and Connecticut.

Sarkisian had $10,000 saved by the time he joined the Navy, and for his first three years, he didn't have to worry about food or housing, allowing him to save most of his earnings. In 2016, he bought a four-year-old Honda Civic in cash and still drives it.

In 2018, he moved out of government quarters and got married. He was given a housing stipend of $2,700 a month, the set amount for someone of his rank, and he and his wife found an apartment for $1,700 a month and kept the rest. He has also never had to pay for healthcare, which is free through the military.

In 2020, he began investing in index funds through his Roth IRA and Thrift Savings plan, and he and his wife put 10% down on a condo with a 15-year loan and 1.75% interest rate. He was forced to move to Connecticut two years later, though they sold the condo for $70,000 more than they paid, which they used to start funding their kids' 529 plans, purchase a used car, and put more into brokerage accounts.

They've put $180,000 into their Roth accounts, $125,000 in after-tax brokerage accounts, $45,000 in savings, and $21,000 in 529s. With their savings, they traveled to four Hawaiian islands and New Zealand. Sarkisian said he's looking to pursue financial planning after his time in the Navy.

"We don't feel like we are depriving ourselves," Sarkisian said. "Maybe early on, we endured some deprivation, but we think we have found a pretty good balance."

Are you part of the FIRE movement or living by some of its principles? Reach out to this reporter at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.