Gold IRA newbie success? Or just beginner's luck? Thoughts?

• •Okay, so I’m really torn between feeling pretty chuffed and also wondering if I just got lucky.
• •I put in my first $2k last September, and then another $3k a few months later.
• •Honestly, I didn't expect much movement this quickly.

Okay, so I’m really torn between feeling pretty chuffed and also wondering if I just got lucky. I opened a Gold IRA account last year, mostly because I kept seeing all these news stories about inflation and my teacher's pension just doesn't feel like enough anymore. I’m only in my late 20s, living here in Columbus, and my total investment portfolio isn't huge – maybe around the $30k mark, with about $5k of that now in gold since I just started.

I put in my first $2k last September, and then another $3k a few months later. Honestly, I didn't expect much movement this quickly. I was just looking for a bit of a hedge against crazy economic stuff down the line. But checking my account this morning… wow. It's up almost 8% already since I started. That's way better than my regular savings account, which is basically peanuts, and even a bit ahead of some of my standard mutual funds right now.

Is this a "success story" already, even with such a small amount and short timeframe? Or is this just the market being good to me lately? I know gold has been on a bit of a run. I’m trying not to get my hopes up too high or think I'm some kind of investment genius, but it definitely feels good to see that growth. My initial thought process was just to diversify and add some stability, not necessarily chase huge gains.

For those of you who've been in Gold IRAs for longer, what are your thoughts? Is this a typical early experience, or should I temper my expectations for the long haul? Any advice on how to think about these early returns, especially for someone just starting out from Ohio? I’m still planning to keep adding small amounts whenever I can, but this definitely feels like a good start.