The Texan is all I’ve ever known.

Sure, I worked at that restaurant and took a few classes, but those were just temporary phases in my college career at the Texan — like that time I pierced my ear.

It feels like yesterday when we leisurely hit our 2 a.m. deadline, or when we celebrated the managing editor’s 32nd birthday, or when my hair was almost as long as my 3 ½ years here.

Has it really been that long?

I walked into the basement my freshman year and got a job in design. I was looking for a club to join, but I got a little more than I bargained for.

I found my house (thanks, Hannah) and my home. I found a community of ambitious idealists dedicated to educating, entertaining and improving the University. I found indefatigable staffers who refused to be defeated by the inevitable mistakes and growing pains that are characteristic of a student newspaper and life in general.

Fifteen inches isn’t long enough to thank everyone I ought to, and anyone still here probably wouldn’t recognize half the names anyway. Plus, I know how annoying it is when a story comes in over inch count, so I’ll be brief.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with and learning from staffers whose names are now just faint whispers in the basement. Many have gone on to do great things in and beyond the field of journalism, and a few have become my best friends.

But I’ve undoubtedly learned the most from the staffers who helped me run this place for a semester. You inspired me and kept me going. You challenged and surprised me. You really ran the show.

The Texan taught me how to lead. It taught me how to learn. It taught me that every day can be brighter than the one before. But it never prepared me for this.

I’ll never feel as lost as when I step foot on campus next semester without the Texan. It’ll be my last semester, but I’ll never feel more like a freshman. At least I have the calming thought of graduation to ease my mind.

It’ll be nice to see the paper with fresh eyes for a change, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

I’m still not really sure why I ended up here, how I got the managing editor gig or, honestly, what I’m doing. And I’m definitely not sure why I’m leaving.