I thought I was a failure because I needed a CPAP machine. Now I tell everyone how great I sleep.

Tech Insider : Business
Woman wearing CPAP machine
The author realized that using a CPAP machine was helping her.

Courtesy of the author

I waited in a TSA line for 5 hours. I still missed my flight and had to cancel meetings with potential clients.

Tech Insider : Business
Joanne Simon-Walters at the airport with the long TSA lined
The author waited in the TSA line for hours.

Courtesy of Joanne Simon-Walters

I was an empty nester who got laid off and felt alone. I started housesitting, and my whole outlook on aging changed.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author, Amber Campbell, at Sonoma Coast State Park.
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Courtesy of Amber Campbell.

I've been married for 9 years and rarely travel with my husband. It's the key to our happy relationship.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Jaime poses at a viewpoint in Lisbon, with buildings and a river below.
I travel without my partner and think it's the key to our happy marriage.

Jaime Mazur

I'm still paying off tens of thousands in school loans as my oldest applies to college. My financial burden is shaping her approach.

Tech Insider : Business
The aunther and her daughter pose in front of green mountains.
The author, shown with her daughter, says that her lingering student loan debt has impacted how her kids think about college.

Courtesy of Kate Loweth.

I felt guilty leaving my kids for a long weekend trip. It helped me be a better mom.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Jamie Davis Smith on a beach in granada
The author decided to take a long weekend trip without her kids.

Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith

We have 5 kids and work 10 jobs and side gigs. It's not sustainable, but we're doing everything we can to pay the bills.

Tech Insider : Business
Couple posing for photo
The author and her husband work multiple part time and full time jobs to stay afloat.

Courtesy of j&j brusie photography

I gave my marriage a 2-day mental health break and explored a nearby city solo. It was just what I needed.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
The author and her husband enjoy a pair of swings in Quito, Ecuador.
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Courtesy of Louisa Rogers.

Being self-employed means working during vacations. Being a single mom means I have to do it with my toddler around.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Mom and toddler
The author is a single mom and works for herself.

Courtesy of the author

I learned Gen Z slang to connect with my kids. They still cringe when I use it.

Tech Insider : Business
Teenage girl with mother doing dab standing at beach
The author (not pictured) started learning her Gen Z kids' slang to connect with them.

Westend61/Getty Images/Westend61

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