My wife and I are boomers with no kids. We moved to Paris for retirement and enjoy the food and cheap travel.

Tech Insider : Travel
A man and woman kissing in front of a mural
Rick Jones and his wife, Ellen Bryson, retired to Paris

Rick Jones /Global Citizen

I dropped out of college with $25,000 in loans and did a tech apprenticeship instead. I have a great job now, but I wish I left sooner.

Tech Insider
headshot of a woman in glasses and a black blazer in a hallway
Janika Cook.

Courtesy of Janika Cook

My wife and I sold our home in Texas and started traveling the world with our 4-year-old to find a new place to live. We've been to 29 countries so far.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
A side-by-side of a father, mother, and daughter in front of the Great Wall of China and inside a castle.
Jimmy, Brooke, and Isla Sweeney are traveling the world together to find their dream home.

Courtesy of Jimmy Sweeney

I'm the 3rd generation in my family business, but I'm not sure if I want my kids to follow in my footsteps.

Tech Insider
George Vukasin Jr posing in front of his family-owned company
George Vukasin Jr. doesn't know if he wants his kids to follow the family tradition of managing the family business.

Courtesy of Lori Eanes

I quit my day job at 29 by investing in real estate. I'm now a stay-at-home dad building generational wealth for my kids.

Tech Insider
Matt Krueger with his wife and four children standing in front of a rock formation at at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.
Krueger quit his job in sales in 2022. He said real estate investment allowed him to become a stay-at-home dad and spend more time with his family.

Courtesy of Matt Krueger.

I had a baby during my senior year of college. My friends helped raise my daughter so I could graduate and continue working.

Tech Insider
Couple with baby posing for photo
Riho Maruyama had her daughter in her senior year of college, and her friends helped her raise her.

Courtesy of Riho Maruyama

Dating in Silicon Valley is hard. I want to be married and have kids, but Big Tech is holding me back.

Tech Insider
Overwhelmed worker surrounded by piles of work, with logos of big tech companies (Google, Amazon, Apple, Netflix) overhead, cursors, and broken hearts
A manager at a FAANG company says he's gotten more attention since he started working in Big Tech.

Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BI

I quit Merrill Lynch to start my own business. Leaving a 7-figure income and cushy corporate perks was hard, but I don't regret it.

Tech Insider
a man in a blue outfit poses in front of a palm tree
Chad Willardson.

Tom Pellicer, Rowco Media, LLC

I was scammed out of nearly $300,000 and was forced to abandon my retirement dreams

Tech Insider
Photo illustration of a man with money collaged.

Getty Images; Jenny Chang-Rodriguez/BI

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Leonid Shteyn. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I lost my dream job in the US because I couldn't get a work visa. In Canada, the pathway has been much smoother.

Tech Insider
Photo illustration of Vaishali Gauba.
Vaishali Gauba was given a work visa in Canada after moving there in 2022.

Courtesy of Mayank Sharma; Getty Images; Jenny Chang-Rodriguez/BI

Subscribe to as-told-to