A year ago, I never thought I would be working at The Columbia Chronicle—again.

In fall 2016, I worked as an Arts & Culture reporter before life got in the way and I had to give my two-week notice. I remember feeling guilty about having to leave behind the two people I started out with on that desk, Jonathon Sadowski and Brooke Pawling Stennett.

In the short time I worked with them, I realized how much we had in common, and I felt as if I was throwing away an opportunity to make the college my home, but other circumstances left me with no option except to leave.

But when you’re supposed to be somewhere, funny things happen to make it possible. On Aug. 21, 2017, I was meeting a friend on campus to watch the solar eclipse, but nothing was going right that day. Somehow, I ended up getting off the train an hour earlier than I was supposed to and my phone died unexpectedly.

I took refuge on the second floor of 33 E. Congress Parkway to escape the heat and charge my phone, fuming over how bad my day had been.

The eclipse was nearing when General Manager Chris Richert saw me and said, “Tell me you didn’t just hear us talking about you.”

He told me he was just about to contact me to ask me if I would come back to The Chronicle as the Opinions editor. But in a twist of fate, there I was in front of him.

I didn’t have much time to think about my answer. In fact, I don’t think I ever officially said “yes” to the position. Instead, I followed Chris into that newsroom I thought I had left permanently months before, at a loss at what I was supposed to say.

As I walked into the office, Jonathon, Brooke, Connor Carynski and Jackie Murray’s familiar faces greeted me, just as shocked to see me in the office as I was.

Seeing their faces, it seemed like everything that day—the odd inconveniences, the momentous eclipse—was part of a bigger plan. I never had to tell Chris “yes” because it felt as if the universe had made the decision for me, and all I had to do was appreciate it.

The last year has been stressful, exhausting, amazing and unforgettable. Now, I’m about to venture into a new world.

For the entirety of my last year at Columbia, the future has become incredibly frightening and unfamiliar. But when I was overwhelmed by what was ahead, I was always able to turn to The Chronicle for comfort. It’s almost impossible to name everyone who helped me get over my fears of the future.

To Stephanie Goldberg, one of our advisers, thank you for seeing something in me and encouraging me to apply for the position. If it weren’t for you, I may have never found my way back to this newsroom. To Len Strazewski, our other adviser, thank you for reminding me to take a break when stress got the better of me.

To Zoë Eitel, you have been more than just the editor-in-chief. You always made time to answer my questions, endearingly poke fun at me and made me feel like I was home again.

To Brooke and Jonathon, I wouldn’t have made it to where I am without your help—and humor. We may be in different newsrooms, states and stages of our lives in the coming years, but I will always be there for you.

To Chris Richert, thank you for never giving me the option to say “no” to coming back.

And to whatever cosmic force dropped me into this newsroom that fateful day, thank you for the second chance. The future is daunting and mysterious right now, but I’d like to think you have another plan in store for me already.