Recap of 2022
31 Dec, 2022
Photo credit @pazzero from unsplash.
Today is the end of 2022, I remember the last time I wrote a year-end recap was in 2017. Time flies, and I can't believe it's been 5 years already.
This year was full of ups and downs - from happiness and sadness to frustration. It was an uphill struggle, but there were still a lot of things I want to record. Here's a list of some highlights:
# Quit job and Get new job 👨🏻💻
I finished my research and development substitute service (RDSS) in November last year. I had been working at Yahoo for 3 years, since I was 28 (now I'm 29 🥹), I thought it was time for a change before getting old. I wanted to explore a field that I'm more interested in and that also could offer a better salary.
Even though I really enjoyed my time at Yahoo, I knew it was time to move on. I leave Yahoo in March, then I decided to join a crypto exchange Bybit in April as my next stop.
# Layoff 🤦🏻♂️
This year's market hasn't been good, and the Luna Crash made things worse for the crypto market. In June, my new company announced that they needed to downsize the team, so almost 95% of employees in Taiwan were laid off, including me.
I never thought I would be laid off in one day, and I was initially sad and frustrated. However, Bybit provided a decent severance package for those affected by the layoff, which helped cover my basic living expenses for a couple of months and gave me more time to think about my career path.
# Moving Out 🫠
In August, I moved out and started renting my own place. Living independently was a big adjustment, but it taught me a lot about managing my own space, budget, and daily routines. After a few months, I found a new job and planned my next move—this time to Japan.
# Traveling 🛤
Traveling can always heal me. These trips were memorable for me.
- 🏕 Had camping with my girlfriend for 5 times.
The most favorite camping area in 2022.
- 🚙 Traveled half Taiwan for 6 days with my girlfriend in July. Went to Liuqiu Island, Taitung and Hualien.
Coast in Taimali, Taiwan.
- 🛫 Taken a trip to the United States with my lab mates in September, visited LA and SF.
Sunset in LA.
Backer Beach, in SF.
# Look for a new job 📄
I decided to take a break for at least 3 months after being laid off. During this time, I planned to travel a lot, ride more bikes, do lots of LeetCode problems. I also planned to seek my next job during this break, I wanted my next job to be entirely in English and fully remote so that I could have the opportunity to work with people from all around the world, which would also be beneficial for my career. The last, my ideal onboarding date for my next job would be in either October or November.
Riding bike 4~5 times a week in July.
I applied to several companies in August without success, which left me feeling a little frustrated. After returning from the United States, I doubled down—more LeetCode, JavaScript review, and behavioral interview prep. I kept applying, and eventually received offers from two companies.
The hiring process for the role I wanted was long—some had three or more rounds, with the longest stretching to seven. It took patience, but I was lucky to land my ideal job in the end.
However, the job market in the second half of the year got worse, with many hiring freezes and layoffs. I decided to join a finTech company as my next stop and planned to move to Japan in March.
# Exercise 🚵🏻
Because of the pandemic, I only ride bike in most of the time. But I found biking didn't help me burn fat very well. Therefore, I returned to the gym in November. Also, thanks to my girlfriend's birthday gift of a Garmin Fenix-7 in September, I can easily record exercises and have 52 active days in 2022 since I wear it.
Garmin Fenix-7
# Investment 📉
Almost 100% of my investment was in crypto at the time. Compared to 2021, the net profit was significantly lower. Since the market was bearish, I seldom traded this year—mostly researching, building arbitrage code, and holding. The FTX bankruptcy in November was a hard lesson in risk management. I learned not to rely entirely on a single exchange and moved toward self-custody with a hardware wallet.
Sum up
It was a really difficult year, with everything from layoff to job searching to lessons in investing. But of course, there were also happy parts as well. It just wasn't easy, but I made it through and realized that life doesn't have to be a smooth path. Goodbye 2022, I'm not sure what the next year will bring, but I'm ready for whatever it may be.
← Back home