Notes from a foreign country - almost American, always Australian

As many people are madly finishing things before the holidays, and perhaps even reflecting upon the forthcoming year, I am doing the same. Though for me, this year end is more momentous than most.

After 5 wonderful years, I am finally finishing my 2 year assignment to PwC US (not since I repeated year 2 at school have I needed so much remedial time).

These 5 years have been some of the most eventful, difficult and joyous of my life. I was at the epicentre of the global pandemic, started a family (and now have 2 children with a lifetime of US tax obligations), lost my father (something I will never get over), and gained a passion (some would say obsession) for running. Through it all, my two loves, my wonderful wife Maddie Landsberg and tax, were a constant source of joy.

How do you take stock of a life changing experience?

As an accountant, one way would be to do it by the numbers.

I have been on assignment 26% of my total PwC career, 55% of my tenure as partner, and 71% of my marriage! I have gained two children, lost one parent. I have raced three marathons (one in 2 hours and 59 minutes (and 17 seconds if anyone really wants to know)), four half marathons, five turkey trots (still yet to win one), and run thousands of miles (mostly on the Westside Highway - I'm a creature of habit). I have billed thousands of hours (arguably not enough), but more importantly, have served hundreds of clients, and formed dozens of friendships (ok that might be pushing it, but there are at least dozens of people with whom I'd like to be friends). I have written scores of linkedin posts (I apologise), and made even more bad jokes (I doubly apologise).

As a human, maybe a better way would be to do it by the experiences.

I have travelled to places I have always wanted to go (Chicago, LA, Cape Cod), and places I didn't know existed (Chattanooga, Rhinebeck, State College) and have loved them all. I have seen both children take their first steps, and develop their own New York accents. I have had the incredible highs (children being born, deals closing - had to get that order right), and incredible lows (I won't spell them out though some of you might be able to infer some of them). I have made great friends and mortal enemies (ok, I probably haven't actually made mortal enemies - but I felt it balanced the sentence). And best of all, I have been able to do it all from New York City (the greatest city in the world).

Maybe the best way to do it though is through the changes it has wrought in me.

I have developed a deep and abiding affection for America (I am an unabashed Americanophile these days), and a greater appreciation for global differences. I have finished a law degree (per Elle Woods, 'what like it's hard?'), learned a lot of tax (both US and Australian, but very little Pillar 2) and even more about how to serve clients as a trusted business adviser. I am more mature (but that could also just be getting older), more disciplined (that's more about running in sub zero temperatures) and I think (hope) more empathetic (that could be to do with dealing with toddler tantrums). After these 5 years, I am definitely older (albeit my new skin care regimen may help me look younger), and am hopefully wiser.

I finish this assignment incredibly grateful to everyone who has made it happen and contributed to the experience. There are too many to thank in full, but I would particularly like to thank Maddie Landsberg who is the most important person in my life - even if she sometimes calls herself #taxwidow. I would also like to thank Chris Morris , Michael Bona , Sherry Grabow and Maarten Maaskant who from a PwC Australia and PwC US perspective made this all happen and supported me throughout. I would like to thank all of my desk colleagues who become somewhat of an expat family. There are too many to name all of you over the five years, but in particular, Andrew Dunne , Daniel Redrupp , Doug Luthman , Thomas Rees , Vincent Voogt as well as Sriram Ramaswamy and Guillaume Barbier (the only people more adept than me at extending an assignment) have helped make the experience even better. I would also like to thank all of the many people within the US firm who have entrusted me with their clients, and shared their happy hours with me.

Most importantly, I would like to thank the clients who have worked with me over the past 5 years, and who I hope will continue to work with me for many years to come. I would not be able to do what I love without the trust you place in me, and it is an honour and a privilege that I do not take lightly. You all know how much I love the sheer intellectual satisfaction of tax, but the only thing I enjoy more is helping you all achieve your personal and business objectives - thank you for letting me be a small part of your successes.

EDIT: One group that I was terrible remiss in overlooking are all of our wonderful friends. I won't out anyone as being my friend (I mean some of these people like to present to the world as having standards - and to be honest, I think Maddie is still not happy with me for confirming that she's my wife), but one truth of life as an expatriate is that your friends become your chosen family and we have had the best. Whether it is our friends with whom we shared every thanksgiving, our friends who thoughtfully aligned their child births with ours (Tom has two friends born with one month), the friends who have vacationed with us and taken our children into their hearts, or our coffee friends who started out at Taylor St and whose friendship outlasted Taylor St, we could not have done this without you all and we will miss all of you dearly (except for those who are leading the way in terms of return to Aus and will be warming up Australia for our arrival).

Finally, in terms of what comes next, I will lose access to my US email from 12/31, and will only gain access to my Australian email (i.e. the pwc email without my middle name) some time in January. I will be contactable on my personal email (stuart.landsberg@gmail.com) and my cell throughout. I will be taking most of January and February on vacation, but I know tax waits for no person, and will always just be a call or an email away before starting work in Australia in earnest in March.