Editor’s note: A 30 column is a chance for departing permanent staffers to say farewell and reflect on their time spent at the The Daily Texan. The term comes from the old typesetting mark (-30-) to denote the end of a line.

Well, here I am after countless days of saying, ‘I am done with the Texan,’ I’m finally writing my 30 and leaving the basement. Throughout my time here, I’ve done some cool things that others would see and then would ask, “When can I try out?” My response every time? “Never. If you love yourself, never try out for this mess.” 

Working here has given me some of the most stressful days and sleepless nights of my college career. Along with some of the worst social anxiety — because camera shutters can be really annoying in a quiet room — the worst self-doubt every time those Statesman people came around, shoulder pains from heavy camera equipment that looks lighter than it actually is, and don’t even get me started on that sunburn when baseball made it to the College World Series. On top of that, I would get publicly roasted by Peter Chen every week.

Despite all the ways that the Texan has ruined my life, it has also made it so much better. Working here has given me the best experiences, the best friends and the best memories. Everything I’ve learned and everything I’ve gained from here will stay with me long after Peter starts kicking me out.

As embarrassing as it is to say, I had no idea how to use the focal points on my camera when I first started (ha ha, yeah …) I’d like to thank Josh for passing on this knowledge to me. I’d also like to thank Josh for taking me under his wing as the first photo editor I worked under during my time here, and helping me meet Grumpy Cat during SXSW last year. I’ve never let him know this, but he is one of the most talented photographers I’ve ever met. I got the same camera as him because I thought my pictures would be as amazing as his but then learned talent is within the person and not the equipment. What a waste of $2,000, lol.

Thank you to Zoe for being just as amazing of a photo editor and showing me Austin’s best tacos — and thank you Emmanuel for always driving us there, although his pet cockroach is kinda nasty. Thank you to Juan for all his patience and late night trips to Qdoba. Thank you to Andy for listening to all the complaints and still standing by me. Most importantly, thank you to Carlos for literally everything. Without your encouragement, I wouldn’t have spent these last two years living this cool photog life.

So, I say, farewell, Texan. Thanks for making my Instagram look cooler for the past two years.