Today I am packing up my porcelain elephant and the various bric-a-brac I collected over five years and heading home. It’s my last day in the Senate.

I admit I have mixed feelings. While I am looking forward to all the new things I will be involved in, I cannot help but feel a touch of sadness that some great times are ending.

It all started after I worked on Senator Steve Harrison’s campaign and he asked me to work in his office. After two years with him in a part-time capacity, I had the opportunity to join Senator Vic Sprouse in a fulltime position as his Executive Assistant – the only year-round Republican staffer spot in the Senate. When Sprouse decided to not run again for Minority Leader, I stayed with him and worked the 60 days in the 2007 regular session.

Perhaps I am biased, but I truly believe I have served two of the greatest Senators during my years there. I have gotten the unique opportunity to attend the University of Harrison and then the University of Sprouse. Each man is entirely different, but very successful by his own right. I’ve often joked that the difference between the two is Harrison is a sniper: you never see him, but you wind up dead all the same. Sprouse is Rambo: not only do you end up just as dead, but you get the privilege of screaming your head off as he charges you with a knife in his teeth and armed grenades in both hands.

When I first started, I was too careless and very youthful. Harrison taught me how to measure my words and my actions and consider the ramifications of what I did. He taught me to never rush into a scene while angels stand about.

Sprouse taught me about courage and how to stand up for what I believe and not fear anyone. My blog took off while I worked for him and some of the Democrats did not like it one bit. They were secretly (and openly) trying to get me to quit writing (which I was doing exclusively during my spare time) or leave. It was during this time that I went to Sprouse and asked what I should do. He just waved his arms about and said, “Ehh. What’s the worst they can do? Fire you? They aren’t dumb enough to do that.”

He was right. They did not do anything because they couldn’t circumvent the 1st amendment. Thanks to his encouragement I stuck with the site even though I have been cussed and fussed at by many an elected official.

Now, five years later, there’s an older, wiser me. My Rolodex is thicker and I am privileged to call some leaders of our state “friend.” I have appeared on multiple talk shows, been quoted in every major newspaper and media outlet, spoken at events all across Kanawha County including the University of Charleston, met many of the great people living in our state, attended many high level meetings, ghost wrote more speeches, letters and press releases than I care to remember, and worked on many bills and resolutions.

For now it’s off to Florida for a little rest and relaxation and then I will be returning to my first love, my graphics design business. The liberals should not be clinking their glasses just yet. While I may be leaving the Senate, the blog is not going anywhere.

The Sprouse side of me says I should write a tell-all book and not pull any punches, but the Harrison side wins out: it’s better to keep it all to myself. Discretion is the better part of valor after all.

The journey has been frustrating, exciting, rewarding, discouraging, hilarious, tiring, and rejuvenating — and most days that was all before lunch. I wouldn’t have traded it for the world.