The very first time I visited Suffolk, I was only focused on what I was facing. I was going to a job interview after being unemployed for a month. At the time, I had barely heard of Suffolk, and I hadn’t even known the community was large enough to warrant a newspaper.

The only thing I really remember about the community after the surprisingly quick interview was that my route to and from the Suffolk News-Herald office required a drive by a fairly small but brightly smiling statue of a well-accessorized peanut.

In the more than three years since that day, I’ve driven by what I learned was the famous Mr. Peanut twice a day, five days a week — and sometimes more. I’ve learned a great deal more about this city since then, and discovered many great things to love.

I’ve learned this city is more diverse than anyone could ever explain, yet you often find very different people working together toward a common goal. That goal is often charitable or involves neighbor helping neighbor. This giving spirit is part of what makes Suffolk such a great place to work.

I’ve learned that Suffolk is a hidden culinary haven for food lovers. With so many independent restaurants, it’s hard not to come away from the city with your belly full of everything from doughnuts to jerk chicken to gourmet sandwiches.

I’ve spent much of my allotted space on this page espousing the unique and mouthwatering foods one can acquire in Suffolk. I’ve even made special trips to the area with family and friends, hoping to introduce them to some of the wonderful places that deserve our support.

I’ve also found a city of problems, many of which the News-Herald has helped bring to light. But every city has problems. What sets Suffolk apart from some other cities is that it is also a city of people selflessly seeking to fix those problems. My coworkers have sought to put these shining examples at center stage, too, giving them the recognition they deserve and sometimes don’t receive.

It’s for these reasons — and many more — that I’m sad to announce I will no longer be a part of this wonderfully diverse and unique city and its hometown newspaper. While I’ll be around to finish up some projects and train my replacement, my last day will be Saturday.

And though I’m excited for my own future, I’m sad it won’t be so easy for me to grab a sandwich from C3Vino or witness Mr. Downtown steadfastly making the rounds of his fair city.

I’ll miss a great many things, including the readers who have put up with my ramblings on this page during my time here. But, I think I’ll miss the smiling edifice of Mr. Peanut most of all.

OK, that’s a lie. It’s actually a tie between Plaid Turnip’s California Burger and the Maple Blueberry Pancake Bacon doughnut from O’doodleDoo’s. But Mr. Peanut is pretty cool, too.