I moved to California with my family for a better life. Moving back to Berlin was the real fresh start.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A woman in a black long-sleeved top and jeans leaning against a wall.
Ruth Barry and her husband moved to California to be close to his family, then decided to go back to Germany.

Robert Rieger

I'm a single mom who left the chaos of the city to raise my daughter in a yoga town in the Himalayas

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Economy
Amrisha Agarwal and her daughter Lavenia.
Amrisha Agarwal moved to Rishikesh with her daughter, Lavenia, to escape the rat race of city life.

Amrisha Agarwal

While other moms carried their kids' backpacks, I handed mine a wrench. It taught her independence.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Woman posing for camera

Courtesy of the author

My closest friendships came from motherhood. They didn't last.

Tech Insider : Business, Sports, Technology
Old photo of mom
The author doesn't speak to her mom friends anymore.

Courtesy of the author

18 of the best major companies in the US for maternity leave

Tech Insider : Business, Technology
Amazon logo on building
Birthing parents at Amazon are offered up to 20 weeks of maternity leave.

bluestork/Shutterstock

I spend Mother's Day at my son's grave. It's the only place I feel like a whole family.

Tech Insider : Business
The author and her two kids at the grave of her son, William.
The author and her family spend Mother's Day at her son William's grave.

Courtesy of Susie Shaw

My son couldn't use his phone on a school trip to England. He didn't miss texting or scrolling — he missed taking photos.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Technology
The author's son looking out at a view while on a hike.
The author's son missed taking photos while on his trip most of all.

Courtesy of Kristina Wright

My grandmother stepped in when I needed her. I stepped up for her later.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Family photo
The author took care of her grandmother as she got older.

Courtesy of the author

Every US state ranked by the cost of raising a child, from least to most expensive

Tech Insider : Economy, Economy, Business
A child at a day care center.
A LendingTree study found that, on average, it costs $303,418 to raise a child over 18 years.

Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

I took my kids — all under 8 — to Epic Universe. Here are 5 things that made our visit a total success.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Economy
Woman a Epic Universe
The author visited Super Nintendo World in Orlando.

Courtesy of the author

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