What keeps me going? Well, i have transitioned from the role of a mentee to a mentor, and it is satisfying to see the knowledge i gained from the folks on my old team (177) get passed onto the new students working with our team. FIRST for me has been more than just another club, a trip to disney, or a fun time at a regional. It has given me, and many others a chance to complete something great.
If you just show a normal highschooler a picture of a robot, they would have no idea where to start in building it. FIRST allows them to learn from the people who do.
As for what i miss in FIRST, i miss the smallness of the competition. Although i realize that expansion is necessary, the good old days of the 100 team national competitions are what sucked me into this in the first place.
Good luck in finding a team to help down there, and... c-ya in houston if you go
-Tom