• I’m a Quebec local, and I only recently visited our Bas-Saint-Laurent region for the first time.
• The drive to the area from Montreal was scenic, and we enjoyed exploring the shoreline.
• This region is absolutely worth visiting, though you may want to pack a rain jacket and boots.

As a city dweller living in Montreal, I know there’s still so much of Quebec that I have yet to explore.

My French-Canadian home province is roughly three times the size of France and has 17 regions. This summer, I checked a new one off my list: Bas-Saint-Laurent.

My partner’s brother and his wife were born in the maritime region and travel there every summer with their young daughter. This year, they invited us to tag along and discover its beauty for ourselves.

Even our drive to the region felt incredibly scenic.

To reach this region, my partner and I drove 400 miles outside the city along the south shore of the lower Saint Lawrence River, nicknamed “Bas-du-Fleuve.”

It’s in this area that the river widens into a gulf that flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The water is vast — a mix of fresh and saltwater — and breathtakingly beautiful.

The drive from Montreal to Bas-du-Fleuve takes roughly six hours if you go straight and take the largest highway.

It’s a little longer if you opt for the slower, more scenic route and make stops along the way like we did. Trust me, it’s worth it.

The drive gets especially pretty after Quebec City, where the views of the water begin.

The area is known for its fresh fish, local meats and cheeses (hello, cheese curds), and craft beer. So, we made stops at Tête d’Allumette, a microbrewery with a beautiful terrace overlooking the river, a smoked fish store called Marché Des Trois Fumoirs, and a specialty cheese store called Fromagerie des Basques to stock up on local goodies.

We eventually arrived at Motel de la Mer, which looks out at the river, where we all stayed in an apartment-style accommodation.

We found plenty to do in the area.

Our first morning in Bas-Saint-Laurent was rainy, so we toured the Onondaga, a 295-foot submarine that traversed the North Atlantic from 1967 to 2000. It’s also the first publicly accessible submarine in Canada.

We also stopped next door to visit the Empress of Ireland Museum, an exhibition about the greatest maritime tragedy in Canadian history.

Then, we met up with the rest of the gang for brunch in downtown Rimouski, the biggest city in the area. We filled up on eggs, crepes, bacon, and good coffee before walking around the city center and popping into cute local shops.

It was especially wonderful to walk along the shore.

Later that afternoon, at low tide, we walked along the nearby shore, taking in the views as we looked for interesting rocks and shells.

When the tide is low in this region, parts of the shoreline become exposed, and you can actually see and explore the sea floor.

When the tide rises again, that same shoreline is resubmerged. There are different high and low tides each day, and their timing and height vary.

We also enjoyed having fresh seafood.

That evening, we picked up dinner from a casse-croûte, a locally used term for a small, casual establishment that serves comfort food.

I had a lobster roll and fries while my partner had a lobster poutine.

We were highly impressed with the quantity and freshness of the seafood.

The nearby provincial park is beautiful — but beware of the fickle weather.

The following day, we headed out to Parc national du Bic, a beautiful provincial park nearby. We had a picnic and then started walking along the shoreline before turning onto one of the many hiking trails in the woods.

The weather started off gray and cloudy, but eventually turned to heavy rainstorms that left us quite wet. We laughed it off and still had a good time.

This region regularly experiences rainfall (in part due to the St. Lawrence’s oceanic influence), so be sure to pack a great rain jacket and boots if you plan to visit.

We also experienced the area’s famous sunsets.

The spectacular sunsets alone are reason enough to visit Bas-du-Fleuve.

Some even refer to the region as “the capital of sunsets” for its western-facing vantage point combined with the beauty of the river, which makes for stunning sundown sights most days.

The location of our motel provided us with a great view of the sun setting over the water as it dipped below the horizon, lighting up the sky.

There’s so much beauty to be seen in Quebec.

My stay in Bas-Saint-Laurent was rainy (of course, the sun came out and stayed out as soon as we left), but also incredibly memorable.

It showed me how much beauty there is to explore in this giant province I call home — and it made me want to share what I saw with others.

Though Montreal and Quebec City may seem like the obvious choices when traveling to this part of Canada (for good reason), you may also want to consider venturing beyond the big cities to witness what this one-of-a-kind region has to offer.

It took California a century to produce a pistachio harvest. Now, it’s the world’s top supplier. But as the Dubai chocolate trend fuels demand, and California droughts intensify, growers are fighting to keep up.

• I threw my daughter an elaborate birthday party for her first birthday.
• I rented out a restaurant, bought a large cake, and hired a face painter.
• I did it all to show off on Instagram, but I realize it should’ve been about my daughter.

I threw my 1-year-old a birthday party that was too over-the-top for a baby that still eats things off the floor and likes to play with the dog’s food bowl.

I rented out a local neighborhood restaurant for her first birthday. We had an open bar, matching outfits for the whole family, a photographer, a face painter, a balloon artist, and even glitter tattoos. Her birthday cake was two layers tall. We had a ton of desserts, pizza, pasta, and quesadillas. We even had a Build-a-Bear instead of traditional goodie bags for each child to take home.

Why did I do it? Because I only plan on having one child, and I wanted to give her everything. But I also did it to show off on Instagram.

The joy of the birthday party was short-lived

Once everyone left the party, I was surrounded by leftover and half-touched pastries, cake, and pizza. There were balloons all over the restaurant and glitter all over the floor from the face painting.

I was tired, my feet hurt, and I had to pay a $1,200 bill that I was already regretting.

The next morning, I woke up to text messages and Instagram DMs, thanking me for the invite to my daughter’s birthday party and letting me know what a great job I did. The validation felt amazing, and I was so happy that everyone enjoyed themselves.

Then the notifications stopped. The Instagram posts slid down the feed and away from my algorithm. Life went on. And my bank account? It hadn’t recovered for weeks.

I’m always comparing myself to other mothers on Instagram

When I felt at my most down, I decided to give myself a lot of grace. As a modern mother, social media makes you feel like you’re not doing enough — all the time. I felt this way before becoming a mom, and I feel this way even more now that I’m a mom.

Every time I open my feed or scroll through Instagram, I come across another mom showing off her perfect balloon arch, a themed dessert table, and a backyard full of rented bounce houses.

When I started to judge myself for going too far for my daughter’s birthday, I reminded myself that I had nothing to prove, and my daughter was well taken care of.

I now know I threw that party for all the wrong reasons

I can truthfully say that the party wasn’t about my daughter. Yes, she was celebrated by the most amazing people in our lives.

But it was more about me trying to prove something to the world. I wanted to prove to people on social media that I’m still “fun,” that I can still throw a party, and that motherhood hasn’t taken over my whole identity. I wanted to prove that my daughter has everything she could ever want.

But motherhood isn’t a performance, a highlight reel, or a perfectly curated Instagram post. It’s messy, loud, and exhausting.

If I were to do it again, I would skip the restaurant rental and just have close family and friends over for some good food and a great time. And the best part? My daughter would love every minute of it.

• Ireland plans to make a basic income for artists permanent in 2026.
• In a three-year-long pilot program, officials paid local artists $1,500 monthly.
• Recipients in the pilot said the basic income payments improved their daily lives.

As Ireland’s $1,500-a-month basic income pilot program for creatives nears its end in February, officials have to answer a simple question: Is it worth it?

With four months to go, they say the answer is yes.

Earlier this month, Ireland’s government announced its 2026 budget, which includes “a successor to the pilot Basic Income Scheme for the Arts to begin next year” among its expenditures.

Ireland is just one of many places experimenting with guaranteed basic income programs, which provide recurring, unrestricted payments to people in a certain demographic. These programs differ from a universal basic income, which would provide payments for an entire population.

Basic income programs of all kinds have been around for a long time, but have seen renewed interest since the COVID-19 pandemic and the onset of the AI revolution. Some of the world’s top AI leaders have called for such programs to alleviate the loss of income in the future if the technology ousts humans from their jobs.

Ireland first launched its basic income pilot program in 2022, when some 2,000 artists began receiving a weekly stipend of €325, or about $370. Although officials initially scheduled the pilot program to end this August, Patrick O’Donovan, the minister for culture, communications, and sport in Ireland, extended it to February 2026.

Citizens who participated in the pilot program said the payments improved their daily lives. A report published by Ireland’s government in May said the payments reduced financial stress, allowed for professional growth, and boosted mental health.

A government press release this month said the 2026 budget would include a provision to make the country’s Basic Income for the Arts pilot permanent in 2026.

“The Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme, which I extended this year, will end in 2026, and I will bring a successor scheme to Government with the intention of embedding a permanent basic income in the Arts and Culture sector,” O’Donovan said. “This scheme is the envy of the world, and a tremendous achievement for Ireland, and must be made futureproof and sustainable.”

Maura McGrath, chair of the Arts Council in Ireland, praised the decision in a statement.

“The Arts Council particularly welcomes the continued investment in the Basic Income for the Arts, which provides artists with the stability to develop their practice, innovate, and contribute meaningfully to Ireland’s cultural landscape,” McGrath said. “We are ambitious for the arts sector and will continue to work with Minister O’Donovan and our Department colleagues advising on the optimisation of opportunities for artists, arts workers and audiences.”

• Sarah and Aimee Charlwood from Brisbane, Australia, are identical twins.
• They didn’t spend a day apart from when they were born until they were 16 years old.
• Eerie coincidences happen to them, but they don’t think it’s twin telepathy.

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

Throughout my life, people have been fascinated by the fact that I’m an identical twin. Usually, people love it. They’ll say: “Oh my God! There are two of you!”

My identical twin sister, Aimee, and I didn’t spend a day apart from the moment we were born until we were 16.

Back then, it was almost impossible to tell us apart, but these days, the differences are slightly more apparent — my face is rounder, and Aimee’s hair is shorter, among other things.

We would switch classes in school

We get bombarded with questions, and usually I love people’s interest. Sometimes, though, people’s comments can be insensitive. I’ve been asked, “Does your sister’s nose go up like yours does?” Strangers sometimes point out a perceived flaw to demonstrate they can tell the difference.

At school, though, we played upon being confused with each other. At the teachers’ request, I wore yellow ribbons to school, and Aimee wore blue. Most days, we swapped our ribbons so we had one of each color, and then we could swap classes. We played to our separate strengths: I took Aimee’s Japanese and music exams, and she took my tennis exam for me. Teachers could only tell us apart by our ribbons or our backpacks. They had no idea we bluffed for each other. I don’t think even our parents knew.

At 16, we both went to cadet camp, but Aimee went home sick after the first night. Within two hours of her departure, I was standing at a phone, calling her. It felt too bizarre not having her there to talk to. She moved to England after university, and we emailed and texted every single day. It was during that time that I began to get more accustomed to not spending all my time with her.

We share many interests

Most commonly, we get asked about boyfriends and if we like the same guys; (no). We’ve never gone after the same guy, but I did, at my sister’s request, break up with her boyfriend for her once at school. He didn’t realize it was actually me.

We do share many other tastes and interests. We share a Spotify playlist and an Instagram reel list folder. We read the same books, and have the same food preferences (we both dislike marzipan). We recently discovered our favourite book is the same.

One of the best parts about being an identical twin is sharing a wardrobe — we genuinely have the same style and like and share the exact same clothes. If she buys a $100 skirt, it’s really only $50 because we both get to wear it on rotation. We never owe each other money — we take turns buying things, including dinners. I’ll see her at least two to three times a week. We never argue.

I love having an identical twin

People often say the most similar thing about us is the way we talk — the way we move our hands and our heads at the same time when telling a story. We do sometimes finish each other’s sentences.

Another common question is whether we’re telepathic. Eerie things do often happen. Recently, I Googled what to wear to an Olivia Rodrigo concert. I’d just typed it in when Aimee called and said, “I’ve just bought you an Olivia Rodrigo shirt from Target.” We’ve also had things like randomly having teeth out on the same day when she was overseas. It’s hard to say what’s just a coincidence. I’d say we’re in sync because we spend so much time together, but not telepathic.

I met some twins once who said they hated being identical. That really blew my mind. Having an identical twin, for me, is always having someone to talk to, always having someone there for you.

I actually cannot comprehend how people don’t have a twin sister. It’s such a privilege, one I never take for granted. I’ve never once not wanted to be a twin.

• Big companies continue to leave California.
• Overall, research shows the number of companies leaving is small.
• But the departures include some of the nation’s largest companies.

Big companies continue to leave California.

Some executives, including Tesla’s Elon Musk and Palantir’s Alex Karp, have made it abundantly clear why they left.

“This is the final straw,” Musk wrote on X in 2024 after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that barred school staff from informing parents of a student’s gender identity.

The number of companies leaving California is small. According to a 2025 report from the Public Policy Institute of California, only 3% of firms in California moved to a different state. However, larger companies are more likely to leave than smaller ones.

Outside of businesses, people, too, have been leaving California at a high rate. US Census data from October 2024 showed nearly 700,000 people left California between 2022 and 2023. Lifestyle and affordability were the main factors for moving elsewhere.

Company relocations are trending upward. Business Insider compiled some of the biggest names so far.

McKesson Corp.

Pharmaceutical giant McKesson left California in 2019. In terms of public companies, only Apple loomed larger in the Bay Area.

Then-CEO John H. Hammergren said that McKesson was moving its headquarters to Las Colinas, Texas (near Dallas) to “improve efficiency, collaboration and cost-competitiveness, while providing an exceptional work environment for our employees.”

McKesson remains the highest-ranking Fortune 500 company to leave California in recent years.

Chevron

Oil giant Chevron had deep roots in California, going back to the 1870s when an early predecessor discovered oil north of Los Angeles. That didn’t stop the company from moving to Houston in 2024.

Looking back on its move, the energy giant says that California’s leaders have taken steps that made it “unappealing.”

“While our relocation has very real benefits to our business, we also believe California policymakers have pursued policies that raise costs and consumer prices, creating a hardship for all Californians, especially those who can least afford it,” Ross Allen, a spokesperson for Chevron, said in a statement to Business Insider. “These policies have also made California investment unappealing compared with opportunities elsewhere in the US and globally.”

Tesla

Like some of his fellow tech CEOs, Elon Musk grew frustrated with the limitations of the Bay area before Tesla left for Austin in 2021.

“There’s a limit to how big you can scale in the Bay Area,” Musk said at the time.

Before the move, Musk had also clashed with officials over keeping Tesla’s Fremont, California, factory open despite COVID-19 orders.

Oracle

In 2020, Oracle left its longtime home in California. The computer technology giant isn’t done moving yet.

Last year, CEO Larry Ellison said the computer technology giant would move its headquarters from Austin, where it had been for less than half a decade, to Tennessee.

“Nashville is a fabulous place to live,” Ellison said, according to an Associated Press report. “It’s a great place to raise a family. It’s got a unique and vibrant culture …. It’s the center of the industry we’re most concerned about, which is the health care industry.”

CBRE

Global real estate company CBRE monitors the number of companies leaving California. The firm itself left Los Angeles in 2020.

“Designating Dallas as CBRE’s global corporate headquarters formalizes how our company has been operating for the past eight years,” Lew Horne, head of operations in the Southwest, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times in 2020.

Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab left for Westlake, Texas, in 2019 after it agreed to buy Omaha-based TD Ameritrade.

Schwab chairman and founder Charles Schwab singled out the business climate in California as motivation for the move: “The costs of doing business here are so much higher than some other place” he told Forbes.

The companies said in a joint statement that their new home would “allow the combined firm to take advantage of the central location of the new Schwab campus.”

In 2023, SFGate reported that Schwab further reduced its presence in San Francisco, its former home.

“We’ve had an extremely positive experience in Texas,” a spokesperson from Schwab said in a statement to BI. “From day one, the energy, innovation, and welcoming spirit of North Texas has far exceeded our expectations.”

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

In 2020, Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced it was leaving California, another COVID-19 era departure.

“Houston is also an attractive market for us to recruit and retain talent, and a great place to do business,” CEO Antonio Neri said in a statement announcing the move.

Neri praised HPE’s new home in Spring, Texas (a Houston suburb), but stressed that the company was not leaving Silicon Valley entirely.

“Our San Jose campus will remain a hub for technological talent and innovation,” he said.

Palantir

Software giant Palantir left Silicon Valley in 2020. Before the tech company moved, CEO Alex Karp said he had concerns about California.

“I’m pretty happy outside the monoculture in New Hampshire,” Karp told Axios in May 2020 when asked if he would move back to California as the COVID-19 pandemic was receding.

Karp said at the time that Palantir was narrowing down its list of future homes, which potentially included Colorado.

Palantir has been in Denver since August 2020.

SpaceX

Elon Musk promised to move SpaceX to Texas in 2024, part of a series of announcements that positioned his companies away from California.

In announcing SpaceX’s relocation, Musk singled out a California law that forbids schools from requiring staff to inform parents of a student’s gender identity.

“This is the final straw,” Musk wrote on X in July 2024. “Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas.”

Neutrogena

Kenvue, Johnson & Johnson’s spun-off healthcare division, uprooted Neutrogena from California in 2024 as part of a corporate consolidation.

Roughly 100 employees were affected by Kenvue’s decision to shut down Neutrogena’s Los Angeles headquarters, SFGate reported. The well-known cosmetics company had been in California since it was founded in 1930 as a supplier to the stars.

Kenvue said it was relocating Neutrogena’s operations to its then-planned global headquarters in Summit, New Jersey. In March 2025, the company held its grand opening of its new HQ.

Playboy

Hugh Hefner’s bachelor pad is no more. And neither will be Playboy’s home in California.

In August, the iconic men’s lifestyle brand announced that it was moving to Miami. While Hefner’s famous Playboy Mansion was in Los Angeles, the company was headquartered in Chicago from the magazine’s inception in 1953 to 2012. Hefner, who died in 2017, wanted to be closer to Playboy’s operations.

“Miami Beach is among the most dynamic and culturally influential cities in the country, making it the ideal home for Playboy’s next chapter,” CEO Ben Kohn said in a statement.

In an interview with Fox News, Kohn said it was too difficult to keep doing business in California.

“Given Florida and Miami’s pro-business stance, leaving California, which is anti-business and a very difficult place to do business as an employer, we’re excited to be relocating to Miami Beach,” Kohn told the outlet. “And the city of Miami Beach has been phenomenal and helpful in the move.”

Realtor.com

Relator.com said it was moving its Bay Area headquarters to Austin.

“Austin and Texas offer a strong and growing talent pool, a powerhouse economy with unparalleled housing growth, affordability of living only matched by its aspirational lifestyle, expansive tech and academic communities, and a dynamic and vibrant city at the heart of the thriving state of Texas. There is no better place for us to call home,” CEO Damian Eales said in a statement.

News Corp. CEO Robert Thompson said the media giant was “proud” of the online real estate company’s home. The conglomerate, which also owns Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, operates Relator.com through a subsidiary, Move, Inc.

“We are proud to be housed in a state which understands the crucial role played by business in providing opportunities for personal growth, professional success, and community achievement,” Thompson said in a statement.

AECOM

Global consultancy firm AECOM left Los Angeles in 2021, saying that Texas offered more benefits.

“Dallas has emerged as a US hub for corporate headquarters and a compelling corporate talent magnet, particularly among our peers and public companies in the engineering and consulting sectors,” a company spokesperson told The LA Times.

FICO

Financial data analytics firm FICO, officially known as the Fair Isaac Corporation, quietly moved to Bozeman, Montana, sometime in 2021.

The company, best known for its FICO score, previously moved its corporate headquarters from Minneapolis to San Jose in 2013.

It’s not entirely clear why FICO left California.