Something just doesn’t feel right as I sit in front of my newly cleaned desk (I use that phrase lightly) and stare at the blank page with this cursor flashing in the most taunting manner.

Exactly a year ago, I sat in this same position at this very same desk filled with feelings of anticipation and elation as I embarked upon my role as editor in chief of Technician. I sit here now as an unfamiliar, bittersweet sensation rises inside me.

It is difficult to describe the ride I’ve been on for the past 12 months, which translates to 154 issues to me. I faced upset administrators, livid Student Government officials, disappointed athletes and irate sorority women.

There were ups. There were downs; there were twists, and there were turns. And I’m pretty sure I was thrown off the ride at more than a few points (a quick search of my name on wral.com will explain further).

But I made it out alive and am a stronger journalist at that. I’m forever indebted to this newspaper for guiding and teaching me for the past 365 days. What I’ve learned as a writer and an editor is irreplaceable, but what I’ve learned as a person is inimitable.

Chances are I wouldn’t even be sitting here if it weren’t for a few people — a wonderful couple of people I affectionately call Mom and Dad. Writing was encouraged in our house from a very early age. I have, hands down, the most understanding and supportive (not to mention incredibly fun-loving) parents in the world. When others doubted, they encouraged. And I’ll never forget that.

I couldn’t have done any of the actual work as editor in chief without this amazing staff. Every day, a collection of editors, writers, photographers and designers spend unnatural amounts of time getting the story and reporting it back to you, the readers. I can remember days when I saw the sunrise in the early hours of morning from my office, only to be in the office as the next day’s sun rose.

Everything takes a backseat to this paper — our friends, families, significant others and schoolwork included. I know I speak for everyone on staff when I say thanks to everyone in our lives who puts up with us and the hectic lifestyle we lead on a daily basis.

And I want to take time to say thanks to everyone on staff — the professional staff, who put up with our chaos; the writers, who are out there every day getting the story; the photographers, who tell the story through pictures; the designers, who make the paper that much more visually appealing; the copy editors, who try their best to catch our mistakes; and finally, the editorial board, who bring everything together.

This time last year, the adrenaline rushed through my body because I was about to guide the staff into uncharted territory. Now that same nervousness encompasses me as I realize I no longer remember life without the daily grind of Technician.

Technician isn’t a job. It’s who you are. And as I head back to the world outside Technician, scared out of my mind, I know I’m leaving the paper in the best possible hands.