My daughter was too overwhelmed to focus on her college applications. I became the nagging parent.

Tech Insider
a selfie of Alana Sheeren and her daughter
The author, left, is frustrated because her daughter, right, doesn't want to do her college applications.

Courtesy of Alana Sheeren

My husband and I moved from the US to Canada 13 years ago. We love the free healthcare and the friends we've made.

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Couple enjoying city view
Living in Toronto is like living in a smaller, cleaner version of NYC.

Grant Faint/Getty Images

My best friend and I gave our daughters the same name. We hoped it would strengthen their bond.

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Dana DuBois and her best friend with their daughters
The author and her best friend gave their daughters the same name.

Courtesy of Dana DuBois

I went back to work 6 weeks after having a baby. My husband had to turn his schedule upside down to support mine.

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Close up of mother holding and cuddling her baby
The author (not pictured) returned to auditioning for acting jobs when her baby was six weeks old.

Halfpoint Images/Getty Images

I'm a college professor, and I'm not sure I'll send my kid to college. A degree isn't required for success.

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a professor sitting in a college classroom with students at desks
The author, not pictured, is a professor but won't require her son to go to college.

Maskot/Getty Images/Maskot

My family of 5 lives in a small apartment. It helps us be minimalist and keep a connection with our neighbors.

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Happy family at home with mother carrying daughter piggyback
The author (not pictured) says that living in an apartment has kept the family's possessions minimalistic.

OR Images/Getty Images

When my friend canceled our 40th birthday trip to Paris last minute, I was frustrated. But it led me to meet my French husband.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Dufflyn Lammers walking the streets of Paris with a bag of flowers
The author met her husband on a solo trip to Paris.

Courtney Bowlden Photography

I wanted my daughter to graduate from college debt-free, so I bought a storage unit business. It paid for her entire tuition.

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Nancy Brier cleaning out a storage unit
The author owns a storage unit business to pay for her daughter's college tuition.

Courtesy of Lauren Trippeer

My teenage daughter backpacked alone through Europe. Despite my worry, I'd let her do it again.

Tech Insider : Travel
Woman backpacking in Europe
The author (not pictured) says she'd let her daughter go backpacking solo again in a heart beat.

Oscar Wong/Getty Images

When I was 11, I made a friend who changed the trajectory of my life. She inspired me to go to college and try harder.

Tech Insider
Three young women standing in a rural valley in northern England.
The author, left, pictured with her school friend, Geraldine, center, and another friend in their native England when they were in their mid-20s.

Courtesy of Jane Ridley

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