Yes, the year is almost over, but even more sadly, EAR, the Early-career Acousticians Retreat, is over. It was a pleasure to be included and granted for travel subsidies for this event hosted by the American Society of Acoustics in San Diego. I have met lots of peers from the academia, the industry and the government. We shared issues and possible fixes and got great training on mentoring and improving our career. Being there was thrilling, and I'm just trying to recollect