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