April 3 marks my last day as a YourHub.com staff member, but the blogging will go on. For more than a year, I've had the pleasure of helping cover Boulder, Lafayette, Louisville, Superior, Broomfield, Erie, Longmont, Niwot, Weld County, Dacono, Firestone, Frederick and some of Denver.

In a short period of time, I've gained an incredible perspective of all things citizen journalism and met a countless number of intriguing people. Being a part of spreading the word for local nonprofits, projects, latest happenings, new beginnings and fond farewells within your communities has been a matchless experience. Here are some of my favorite stories:

I never thought I would hit it off with metal fans and interview Brendon Small ...

Susan Phelan is one bad a$$ woman who was super fun to meet ...

These mothers are taking over the world ...

Let's put it this way: I loved interviewing all these boys ...

Some people make nothing impossible...

You know you've got a good headline when a transgender activist in San Diego links to it ...

Being on the sidelines during the CU vs. CSU game was pretty friggin' awesome ...

Megan Rogers rocks a typical man's job ...

Sometimes attending an event can be life changing ...

Would you ever expect an interviewee to agree to be your Grandma No. 3? ...

For those of you who've suffered endless nagging from me to start a blog or column, I hope you're thanking me now and will keep up the great work. My blog, A Lady's Lair, is by no means becoming kaput. I'll be keeping up with the CU Grad Gab and continuing to spread the word about local women doing great things. So if you know of fabulous folks who deserve recognition, always feel free to contact me at brithorvat@gmail.com.

Come fall, you might be reading mostly about people who live in or pass through New York City. Why? I'm going back to the Big Apple, as I've been accepted to Parsons The New School for Design. I'll be tackling Web design, magazine layout, video editing and all the things our evolving media demands these days.

Thanks again for making this experience totally worthwhile. From now on, your go-to guy is Kevin. E-mail him at villegask@yourhub.com or give him a ring at 303-954-2631.

How has the staff at YourHub.com become my second family? Let me count the ways:

John Eisel, the only thing I'll miss about you is the delicious leftover fajitas from your wife. JK! LOL! I'll never forgive you for making me listen to Queensryche or for using my stapler every 30 minutes on Fridays, Mondays and Tuesdays. But, really, thank you for enlightening my cubicle with the Positive outlook can lead to a more rewarding life article and always turning my frowns upside down. Your laugh makes me laugh -- and I'll miss your random, hilarious comments. When I learn how to actually cook, you and Ashley will get the best of it.

Kevin Villegas, you're my brother from another mother. Your floods of sarcastic, daily insults make me want to be a better person. Thanks to you, I find myself saying, "That's outrageous," or "That's obscene," to things that aren't even outrageous or obscene. I will forever carry bits of a skill you've mastered: taking any boring story and telling it in a downright exciting, suspenseful manner. Just as much as I'll miss throwing things (soft, non-threatening things) at you from my cubicle and bickering with you like we're 8-year-olds, I bet those who sit around us won't miss a thing.

Charmaine Robledo, you and your animal-loving ways/links to ads have made me think about getting a puppy about once a week. Thanks for always listening to my boring, pointless stories and recaps from "last night's crazy dreams." Thanks for always crackin' the whip on the North Team and being the bad a$$ editor you are. And thanks to your persistence and will power, you've gotten the ball rolling on some awesome changes around here. (Ahem, Guild Contract negotiations.) Keep on fighting!

Brendan Leonard, I know that once I'm gone, you'll still find a way to make me feel bad for not bringing chocolate in on a Friday. It's cool. I need an excuse to come bother everyone time and again. While I sure as hell won't be running in to you while climbing real mountains, I will always consider your examples, perspectives and advice when climbing my own. *tear* To me, you are Brendan "No Bull-Sh!t" Leonard. Bad a$$.

John Zwick, your karaoke skills are unmatched. Your knowledge of music and, well, everything else in this world is pretty unbelievable. I miss sharing a cubicle with you! Aw, the good old days. I'm pretty sure you don't miss, "John.... how do I make a headline? John ... what's a punch package? John ... what's wrong with the Web site?" I love hearing you laugh from across the way. It's a rare occurrence, but when John's laughing, something is downright funny.

Steve Shultz, I CAN'T WAIT TO BIRDSIT your bird. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: You don't have to go out of town for me to birdsit for you. Just call me when you need a break. I'm going to miss saying goodbye to you every day! That sounds like I just can't wait to get rid of you, but you know what I'm talking about. You always make a point to say "hi" and "bye" to everyone - no matter what mood you're in. That's a rare quality. Oh, and I don't think you'll ever realize how funny you are.

Joey Kirchmer, I'm going to save my light-up flip-flop thing-a-ma-bobber forever! Oh, how exciting it was to make it flash when Federal Heights got another Water World posting. Thanks for always helping me with anything involving police/crime stories/blotter. You're a pro. And thanks for always laughing at my stupid jokes. You're quite an easy guy to talk to. Next time you go to Seattle - REMEMBER: Go to a show at The Showbox and make a late-night stop at Dick's Drive-In.

Eric Lubbers, you are a man of many talents. What would I have done without your heroic efforts to help me out here and there? I'm excited to see you take over the world or InterWeb or whatever happens first. Glad to see someone else in this office shares a strong love for Spoon. I have no doubts that you'll continue to keep leading Denver with your journalism super powers.

Daniel Smith, I will totally miss your hilarious stories during the meetings and hearing, "OK, Brit, you win ... you're the last one here," when you leave for the day. You are always so personable and helpful to everyone you speak with. It's very admirable. And, again, thanks to you and Charmaine fighting for the Guild Contract negotiations, you've successfully brought about some legitimate changes. Nice work.

Fairlight Baer-Gutierrez, I don't know how you do it. Are you a secretly manufactured robot? How do you go through each day successfully completing all the tasks you do and not pull your hair out as a result? I'm totally psyched that you are the new editor of YourHub.com. You've taken on this new position with stride and are already handling it like a pro. (I'm not surprised.) Thanks for being someone I could easily turn to. You will never get rid of me. Mwah haw haw haw.

Erin Feese, the way you lead Lakewood is beyond me. When I lived at home with my Lakewood resident parents, I'd read your page 2 columns and wonder what working at YourHub.com was like. I'd wonder if the gal behind the column was as helpful and kind as she came off to be. Welp! You didn't fool me! It's awesome how in tune you are with so many of the residents. Thanks for not missing a Grad Gab posting yet! Ha! Your submissions are so fun and informative. And, remember, if you start slacking, I know exactly where to find you!

Seth Davis, I'll never forget the day you so calmly approached my desk with a serious face and placed a small Post-it on my stapler that read, "There is a bomb in your stapler," and walked away. No one has a sense of humor like you, Seth. Thanks for always making me laugh. Maybe one day you'll actually wait in line for your chance to be on American Gladiators. Welp, in any case, I know who to call when I need a bodyguard.

Kevin Hamm, how do you stay so calm and relaxed while getting big, bad jobs done? You gracefully handled the Faces of South Metro project, which is totally an example of how you do everything. You're always so informative and helpful. I wish you and your family (especially the new one on the way!) the best.

Karen Groves, you are one of the kindest women I know. I miss sitting across from you and making each other laugh. Being the new kid I once was, I wouldn't have wanted the seating arrangement to be any other way. You were very welcoming. I'll miss you always saying good morning and waving bye to me. Something always seems a little off when you're not in the office. Ha! I admire your strength and genuineness.

Crawford Clark, there's no one more down-to-earth than you in this office. I'm sad that we've been on opposite ends of the room. I'm so happy for you, your wife and your new little baby! Slap my personal e-mail on the next list of contacts you send the next adorable photo of your child to.

Rebecca Zimmerman, thanks for always helping me with any questions or problems I had. You are always so patient and kind with people - no matter how annoying they can be. I could always be myself around you. Maybe that's because of your amazing patience. HA!

Travis Henry, even though you no longer work here, I must say thank you for everything. Thank you for leading this staff the way you did. There was no better person to get YourHub.com started than you. Your suggestions and ideas always kept everyone revved up. I wish you the best with your new endeavors. You'll continue to kick a$$.

Thanks for reading. Hopefully your eyes haven't fallen out by now.