Hey folks. Hope the holidays are treating you and your families well. Had this post idea for a little bit, figured now may be a good time.
I know nothing about your 2022. Why don't you tell me some of the high points? Some of you have probably had a fantastic year. Some of you have probably had an okay year. And for some, this year may be a truly shitty one. But regardless of which category your 2022 fell in, I know for a fact that all of you have had at least one good event, activity, or accomplishment. Please share 'em!
With the influx of negativity around the world, be it geopolitical discourse, inflation worries, or anything in between, it's important to analyze what good can be found in life. I've had times in my life where I very seriously considered quitting on a multitude of things - we've all been there. One important thing that I've learned from my therapist and a lot of other people in my life is gratitude. Especially on this forum, we all live such fast-paced and often materialistic lifestyles - hey, it comes with the job! I think sitting back and reflecting on what you've earned, accomplished, and what you have is more important than ever.
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I'll keep it quick, but I'll go first: I got married this year. I've been engaged since late 2020, but the idea of a Zoom wedding didn't suit me or my now-wife. We knew our commitment would remain steady, so we opted to delay our ceremony until we could properly convene and share it with the ones we love. The ceremony and reception were a dream come true in so many ways, but more importantly, I can now confidently say I have met my 'other half' - a phrase I often heard, but never truly understood. Not until now.
Now, lovey-dovey shit aside, I am a better employee, better worker, and better man for adding her to my life. If everything else went wrong, at least I could say that I have her. It's a wonderful feeling - I'm sure many of you reading this currently understand what I'm talking about, and if you don't yet... I am confident you will find your person. I'm 32 years old - most friends my age have been married for 4-5 years now, some of 'em have a couple of kids. Always thought I was late to the curve, but time is always just a perception. I can confidently say I wouldn't have wished for it to turn out any other way.
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Now, let's hear some of yours! I don't care how big or small they may be, all accomplishments matter. I think in a world of gloomy media, cynical headlines, and a general pessimistic rapport going around our nation and others, it's vital that we can lift our spirits. All stories are welcome - just try to see the light!
Again, happy holidays to the WSO community. Be safe out there, and enjoy some much-needed time off.
Congrats on getting married. You’re living the dream.
Finally able to buy a house!
That’s awesome - are you doing a house in a suburb or a townhome or what? What kept you from buying until this year? Financials? Lifestyle (moving around, not ready to settle down, family)?
Asking as I have found it fascinating to learn how others live their lives, especially those who have similar jobs / incomes as I, as well as those older than me who are in places I want to one day be
Congrats - great stuff. Must be an incredible feeling. Wife and I are moving to Austin this summer, and think we're going to buy. Headed down in February to check out some postings, and am excited finally bite the bullet. Currently pay $4500/mo for rent... the equivalent of $1mm+ mortgage going to waste, so will be nice to finally assign some equity to some things.
Again, congrats to you, and wishing you a fruitful holiday. Stay safe!
Congrats brother. Is she younger? Just wondering.
Personally, I’ve bought a new car. Not crazy, but being in the financial decision to make a large purchase like this is nice. Finally living by myself which has been amazing. New job that’s great.
Biggest thing is I’ve felt I’ve matured a ton. Was actually talking to a relative last night and said something along the lines of how I’m still considered a “kid” in our family but am an adult and will respond as one when someone tells me to do stuff (like a different uncle who’s just dumb). Nice knowing successful people you trust and admire acknowledging you’ve grown up and are mature.
Def not want kids or anything like that right now, but I do feel I could care for one. Not sure how with my busy schedule, but from the maturity aspect, I’m an entirely different human than I was even just 1 year ago. Still lots of work to do, but I’m making progress and getting there one day at a time.
Best wishes and I hope you and everyone else has an amazing holiday season and 2023.
WHICH car?
Thanks for your kind reply, and your continual healthy dialogue on this site. Always look forward to hearing from you.
To answer your question, she's younger than me but only by a year! We met through a mutual friend at a dinner party some four years ago. Insane to think how I was thinking of declining that invitation... wondering where I would be now!
Glad to hear you're still pumped about the new car... when do you take delivery? Must be counting down the days. The paragraph about maturity resonates with me as well, and I'm glad to hear that you're moving on in your life with all kinds of things. Can only go up from here!
Best of luck to you for 2023 and beyond. Keep on doing good things! Cheers.
End of February is estimated delivery. Wild how such small things as going to that dinner party can result in a life partner - more reasons for us single guys to keep after it and see what happens
Released 22 songs under the name of my epic new music project this year, definitely the highlight of my year was the music stuff that I was doing.
Great stuff. I've been on the guitar for about 6-7mo now, finally got back into it after a 10+ year hiatus. Its a therapy in and of itself.
Nice man that's awesome, what kind of stuff do you like playing?
I got asked to teach a finance night class at a school in my area. I’ll be whipping some b school kids into shape starting this spring.
Heck, one of the these runts on WSOasis may be in my class.
Sounds cool! What qualifications does one need to be a professor?
For an adjunct, which is what I was asked to be, it says a masters and equivalent experience. I’ve gotten to know a few key faculty members and at one point expressed an interest in teaching. A spot opened up and they’ll called me.
Wow! Great stuff, Wolf.
Teaching is a dream of mine. Once I become an old(er) man and retire, I would love to take an associate professor role at a university. It's a long way out, but a man can dream. Keep me posted on your journey, looking forward to hearing about the inevitable success that will follow you. Best of luck - stay safe.
One of the adjuncts who I initially knew is a VP of finance at a local organization. He then teaches one night a week for kicks.
He’s told me it’s his glide to retirement. He wishes to get involved in the local consulting game. Many of the professors at the school collect big fees for consulting. One of the professors I know mentioned he got offered $40k a year to sit on a board of an organization where he’d be the independent objective academic among those in industry. Seems like money for nothing. Another professor at the school mentioned they make 2x consulting compared to their teaching salary. It seems like quite a racket when a tenured professor is teaching a whoppin 30 credits a year.
I have a relative who does taxes. He has a Dean of university as a client. Guy makes an enormous annual income. 25% of it comes from the school being the Dean. 75% of it comes from consulting and speaking engagements. We’re not talking a target school either.
One more thought. I’m at a place where I think it would be more advantageous to sell pans than it would be go out prospecting for gold. There is money to be made in academia and while it comes with student headaches, you won’t have the monumental stress that comes from a coveted position in finance like many go chasing.
I'm happy that my parents are still alive (they are in their mid-80s) and that I have a good flexible job.
Great to hear. Cherishing the moments we have with our parents as we get older is a skill and a virtue. I'm glad to hear that yours are going well - how is your mom doing? I hope nothing but good things.
Thanks Stonks - I appreciate it. My mom is hanging in there. She is eating and drinking so she's staying alive. She loves vanilla Boost drinks so I bring 1-2 bottles every time I see her.
Fell in love for the first time after 4 years of dating different women. Hope she's the one
Congrats! Cheers.
Congrats on getting married!
Got a full-time (return) offer and completed an Ironman. I've also recently started a gratitude journal which has made me more appreciative of everything in life, which I've noticed has made me a more positive, confident, and happier person overall.
An Ironman is insane congratulations brother
Which Ironman did you do? I completed Boulder, CO 140.6 a few years ago.
Let me start off by saying congratulations for all the good that has happened in your lives this year. When times look most bleak, it's important to remember that blessings are all around us if we look hard enough. When I get upset, I always try to remember a certain phrase: "Omnis dies super terram est dies festus." In English, it translates to "every day above ground is a good day", originally uttered by Mel Bernstein to Tony Montana at the Babylon Club. I find that it helps me keep calm in high-stress situations, and it reminds me of my favorite movie.
Unfortunately, this year hasn't exactly been champagne and roses. My parents are on the brink of a divorce, and my elderly grandmother, an old world Italo-American immigrant of ninety-one years, is competing against the clock of life. There was a strong likelihood that my grandmother wouldn't be alive for Thanksgiving this year, worrying my family and I further since my grandfather passed away on the day after Christmas in the hospital in 2020; being as sick as he was, he wasn't able to be with us for the holidays, and we got the call that told us he was dying two years ago yesterday. However, the condition of my grandmother's health is where I have to find solace: not only did she make it past Thanksgiving, but she is doing well enough to make it to Christmas Day. It truly was a blessing from God above.
As a final note, I'd like to say one thing: if you are fortunate to spend Christmas Day with your family and loved ones, make sure to let them know you love them and that they mean the world and more to you. It doesn't take much to say and show it, but you'll regret it forever if your last moments together are an unresolved fight. Give your mothers and fathers lots of love too -- they'll appreciate it more than you know.
Merry Christmas to all of you, my fellow monkeys. May the year ahead bring blessings and fortune to all.
Moved out into a much bigger city from my small university town
At the start of the year I moved across the country to NYC for a job in PE after a terrible relationship ending. I can honestly say looking back, best decision I ever made and I am happy. Also, crushing it work (I hope, first reviews are coming)!
Getting into my dream B school (T20-T25 but very strong alumni / ties in an industry I'm passionate about). Grew up quite a lot these past ~4 months in terms of what I want career wise and what I want my remaining 30s to be like. Pretty much want to be in a finance / strategy, big picture type of role in a specific industry I have in mind. Really hated the minutia of my previous job in operations and my core operations classes at my school confirmed that I do not want to return to that function.
Grades really don't matter and recruiting has surprisingly gone fairly well so far. Life's good! Also realizing how helpful alumni are regardless of where you end up. Pretty sure I got dinged at one of my top choices but I do think the recent alumni at the firm is a very nice guy to know/keep in touch with.
The year started out not so great - I was interning at a buy-side M&A boutique for all of 2021 and was struggling to convert my internship into a full time analyst role in 1/2022 - (I found out as I was leaving this shop that my analyst hated me and shat on me whenever he could - it had nothing to do with work product - he was very fratty/bro-y and I was not). An MD/Sr.Ass finally offered me a spot which I desperately accepted. Great MD, horrible Sr.Ass. - like make you personally feel like shit horrible - and horrible pay. I saw on here that most analysts suffer for 2-3 years then exit, so that was my plan - take it up the ass daily, study for the GMAT on the side, and exit to PE or B-School. To add to all this, my grandma died in the last week of 2021 and I didn't want to jeopardize my full-time analyst hiring so I didn't go to the funeral and stayed in town so I could go intern in office.
Then out of nowhere in early Q2 I get a cold email from a headhunter. 4 interviews and 1 Super-Day (7 interviews in one day), and 1 two-hour online test later, I verbally receive an offer for a role at a LMM PE shop in a state where I had never stepped foot outside of the airport before (aside from my Super-Day). Offer comes in: total comp is 2x my prior comp, plus benefits were insane and included co-invest. Feeling like no job could be worse than my buyside M&A role at the time, I take a huge leap of faith and accept, which has turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made.
To celebrate, after sending in my resignation letter, I pay for my first real vacations using money I'd made: 1) I go to Vegas for a weekend to gamble for the first time (I won a couple hundred bucks in a poker tournament). 2) I then go spend a couple nights in Cabo at an all inclusive resort.
I move out for the new job in mid Q3 with 0 friends in my new city, and the closest family being a cousin who is a 5 hour drive away. The week after I move out, and one week before starting my new job, my other grandma (in an Asian country with heavy COVID lockdowns) passed away, so I was not able to attend that funeral either.
Now that the year is ending, despite family losses and a bad first few months of the year, I truly do feel blessed. I'm not one to be all "hashtag blessed" and I'm not really religious either. But I am extremely thankful for the opportunity I have - great team, great pay, senior management is great and tries to interact with juniors, great culture, and most important of all my associate is the polar opposite of my previous associate - I feel that he truly wants me to succeed. My associate also gave me an informal review ahead of a formal annual review with my MD, and my associate said he gave me an A on performance and that I should just keep doing the same thing and I'll do well/be promoted.
Seems like you're finally finding your groove. What a great feeling! While change is hard, getting past those first couple of weeks and months is pivotal in establishing a solid rhythm. Glad you're slipping into yours - hope it continues.
I really put myself out there in the dating scene last night. I matched up with this girl on The League 2 hours away from me and decided to make the commute to see her. We had a great time and I’m already really into her. I’m not a big fan of long distance relationships but maybe this can work. I’m just looking for a LTR and she is too.
Did u smash? Also if u finally get married I expect a wedding invitation
haha no didn't smash, just a few makeout sessions. She said I was smooth AF. You're on the list for the wedding - cheers.
You know there will be a WSO table or 2 at his wedding. I expect an invite likewise.
Yes, gotta have the WSO crew there. You're on the list. Will be an epic reunion for all.
I think there should also be a special "WSO Isaiah Wedding Deal Toy" for all who attend. It's only fair.
Isaiah's wedding will be the real WSO meetup
Yeah, no question. I'll be at that wedding. Non-negotiable, Isaiah!
On a serious note, glad it's working out so far. Having someone there for you is always needed for positive human interaction. Hope she treats you well & vice versa. Best of luck to you all!
haha ok you're officially invited - cheers
I rode around with her in her Long Beach Blue BMW yesterday. She said she keeps getting tickets because of the color. But, judging by the way we were going 70 on winding roads in a 35mph zone makes me think she also drives fast - lol. She is a pretty talented driver though. We have plans to hit the track one day and race each other in exotic rentals. Should be fun.
Sounds good. My wedding will probably be in Charleston, SC with sword bearers unless she wants a destination wedding.
Congrats, brother. I expect your invitation every second :)
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