2024 was a transition year. I transitioned geographies, leaving Texas after roughly a quarter century for the Bay Area. I transitioned jobs, leaving BCG after 3 years for a healthtech startup. I “transitioned” my relationship status, breaking up with my now-ex-girlfriend. And through all of this, I’ve learned more about myself – my strengths, what I value, what I hope to achieve over the next few years – than I thought possible.

PROGRESS ON 2024 GOALS

1. I came up short on my stated physical fitness goals – instead of running a half marathon faster than 1:45, I managed 10 miles at a 1:46 pace before my body called it quits and I finished the year at 17.2% body fat versus my 15% target (though I did stay within the 160-175 pound range). I mentioned last year the important of the process here though, and I’m super happy with where I’ve landed. I’ve been far more consistent about working out versus when I was at BCG, and I’ve discovered some effective workout routines (GZCLP, GZCL, and a fair bit of Zone 2 thanks to reading Outlive) that have increased my 5-rep maxes for the main barbell lifts. Ultimately, the “mirror test” is showcasing great progress (at least in terms of strength).

2. Personally, I moved (finally!) to the Bay Area, found a job (admittedly, I can’t remember what I meant by getting “financially established”), and I feel socially established. Finding people was a journey that took a couple of months, but I think I’ve met some great folks.

3. Professionally, I’ve been in my new role for about 3 months now, the first of which was spent ramping up on billing in the healthcare industry as a whole. The jury’s still out on how my current role compares to my time at BCG in terms of day-to-day fit (both in terms of skillset and personality); it’s certainly a different environment than the green halls of BCG Houston. I did score well on the GMAT, which should hopefully position me well for when business school happens.

All things considered, I executed well against the goals that I set for myself.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2023

• I did my last BCG case – a due diligence in Washington, DC. I unfortunately did not catch a glimpse of the White House rooftop snipers.

• More fun BCG events – Texas games, a trip to Brazos Bend State Park, Penny’s wedding, coffee tours, mushroom night, wine bars (and “one glass at a time”), Zach’s “Mardi Craw” crawfish boil, a weeklong trip to Costa Rica with my Work Friends (incl. coco locos and a friend scared of heights), a trip to upstate New York with a different set of friends from BCG (incl. failing to make pizza), durian tasting (yuck!)

• I travelled to Nepal for a few weeks to hike up to Annapurna Base Camp with my parents. Along the way we spent 24 hours in the Istanbul Airport because we missed our flight, and I read Outlive by Peter Attia.

• I went car camping (I wouldn’t call it overlanding, really) in a Jeep with my now-ex-girlfriend and her dog. I foolishly refused to bring a blanket (so we slept in the car after freezing our butts off). I watched her dog when she traveled to Paris/Vienna and later to Hawaii, and we explored Stanford’s campus together. After breaking up (thankfully amicably and mutually), I enjoyed Morgan Wallen’s music that much more.

• I visited Colorado again in the summer, this time with my old roommate from college. We rode bikes through Summit County after it rained and I had a concerning-looking wet mark on my shorts. I also discovered that heights in VR feel very, very real.

• I visited Austin for the July 4th weekend. I decided to take my dad’s car, and then realized that it wouldn’t Supercharge. When a storm rolled through Houston, I drove back to Austin the next week and spent a bit of time with my godparents (not really godparents, but I’m not sure what else to call them and they’re far closer to me than “family friends”). Funny enough, when my dad’s car was in the shop later I got a flat tire in the loaner while driving around with my cousins.

• I ate some food: A5 at home (we probably ruined it), chiles en nogada (so good), vegan pasta that was so good I wouldn’t have known it was vegan, the usual from Local Foods, fancy hydroponic Japanese strawberries (overpriced), dim sum, mushy peas (surprisingly good), coffees in Seattle, geera pork in Trinidad (I’m biased, but I think it’s the best local dish I had), and a fair amount of meal-prepped beef stew and breakfast burritos.

• I finally moved to the Bay Area! I’m living now in Mountain View because it’s close to work, but visit the Marina District more or less every Saturday to partake in 8am 6 mile runs. I made friends, explored some hikes (but not enough), and went to a Glass Animals concert (but found the Houston show to be better).

• I visited Seattle for my old roommate’s wedding. There, I discovered the highs (a super neat maps store and amazing views) and lows (drugs deals and anarchist potlucks) of Seattle.

• For my 27th birthday, I got high (by going in a hot air balloon at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta). The Special Shapes Glowdeo was spectacular and I highly recommend that folks make the effort to go see it.

• I closed out my year with a trip to India (which I surprisingly enjoyed, turns out going to do things in a new area can be enjoyable vs. just sitting at home all day) and Trinidad (which was, funny enough, like a blend of India and the US). During that trip I read Die With Zero, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

goals for 2025

1. Physical fitness: I’m maintaining my 2024 goals: a half marathon in under 1:45, under 15% body fat, and over 160 lbs. weight. It’d be nice to get better at swimming and biking – my technique is rather poor currently. Perhaps I attempt doing an Olympic triathlon by the end of the year (with a goal time of under 3 hours).

2. After reading Die With Zero, I’ve found myself hyping up a months-long trip to Guatemala (Antigua) or Spain (somewhere in Andalucia) to immerse myself in the Spanish language, and at least become conversational. It does seem silly to me that I’ve studied Spanish for well over 6 years in school and I can’t really speak with folks.

3. Professionally, achieve good “fit”. That may look like going to business school, growing in my current role, or trying something new. In any case, maintaining a growth mindset to learn as much as possible will be crucial.

things to ponder

• Reading Die With Zero has prompted more introspection than almost any other book over the past few years. While I’m in my 20s and don’t have family obligations (i.e., kids), what’s the right balance to strike between focusing on career progression and seeking out experiences

• What’s the right path forward for me, professionally? I could continue at my current role, find a new one, perhaps start a company with a friend, decide to attend business school (but first, I need to apply)… there are many paths I could choose to go down.