I went on a trip with my 91-year-old grandmother to her home country. It deepened my love and respect for her.

Tech Insider : Travel
People in Switzerland posing photo

Courtesy of the author

I met my best friend of 16 years for the first time at her wedding. It felt like a reunion with an old friend.

Tech Insider
Miranda and Demi Drew at Miranda's wedding reception, outside on a field of grass.
Demi Drew and her best friend of 16 years, Miranda, met when Miranda got married.

Courtesy Demi Drew

My mom died when I was 8, and my mom's sister adopted me at 12. I got a second chance at being part of a family.

Tech Insider
Isabella Ambrosio with her mom and dad. They are dressed up and she and her mom are holding bouquets of flowers.
Isabella Ambrosio's maternal aunt adopted her four years after her mother died.

Courtesy Isabella Ambrosio

I used to rely on grocery delivery services to save time. Now, I shop with my kids — they love it, and I save money.

Tech Insider
Elliott Harrell's kids at the grocery store, in a cart and grabbing ketchup from a shelf.
Elliott Harrell now shops with her kids in a grocery store instead of using grocery delivery services.

Courtesy Elliott Harrell

When I retired at 54 with my husband, I worried we'd be bored spending all our time together. I'm learning to focus on myself.

Tech Insider
selfie of Leonie Jarrett in front of the ocean in greece
The author retired early.

Courtesy of Leonie Jarrett

I wanted to have a name in Spanish and English like my dad. I learned names can be adaptable.

Tech Insider
Woman wanted her name to be in Spanish
The author's dad is Chilean and went by a Spanish and English version of his name.

Courtesy of the author

I traveled with friends in my early 20s and again in my 40s. I love traveling with girlfriends at different life stages.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Melissa Noble (middle) and her friends while having a picnic in Bhutan.
Melissa Noble (middle) and her friends while having a picnic in Bhutan.

Courtesy Melissa Noble

I'm a therapist who's been hospitalized for a manic episode. I worried about the stigma at work — then, another patient recognized me.

Tech Insider
Marcia Naomi Berger wearing pearls and a sweater and smiling.
Marcia Naomi Berger is the author of "The Bipolar Therapist: A Journey from Madness to Love and Meaning."

Courtesy of Patty Spinks

I'm a middle-aged man and father who struggles to make friends. Here's how I worked through my loneliness.

Tech Insider
two men shaking hands
The author, not pictured, struggled to make friends.

Mladen Zivkovic/Getty Images

At 72, I'm still constantly making new friends. I look for people with similar interests and am always open to new connections.

Tech Insider
Louisa Rogers with her husband, right, and one of their friends.
Louisa Rogers and her husband Barry, right, enjoy hanging out with friends together.

Courtesy Louisa Rogers

Last week, my friend Robbie and I cycled along a bike path for about three miles, then locked our bikes and walked through brush to a small beach. No one was around, so I had a nude dip, and afterward, we sat on a rock and talked.

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