My masters thesis a couple years ago was original work in categorical homotopy theory, co-written with my adviser obviously. I did a lot (for me, not for an actual mathematician) in that paper, but there was one theorem in particular that I felt was the best proof I had ever written. I just looked up the paper again on the arxiv and I think that proof would probably take me a few hours if I wanted to read through it again. My adviser is undoubtedly the only other person who has read it and who will ever read it.

I miss doing math so much, but I don’t miss much else about that career path.