I guess I've gotten the kick in the pants to start posting around here again....
I see many of my friends chiming in on this... Kate, Andy G, Matt.... and I agree with all of you. Kate, I particulary think you hit the nail on the head.
My path was similar. I ate, drank, breathed and sleeped FIRST all through high school. I had a leadership position even as a freshman on my team, and tried to carry that burden of the school district and sponsors along with the pressures of being a student. Everyone in my high school knew I was going to stay involved upon going to college. I tried to get involved with what was going to be my college team (RIT - 73) before I even moved on campus. I couldn't see myself doing anything else with my life. FIRST inspired me to choose my major - Mechanical Engineering/Aerospace.
Then reality hit. I never made it to college. I picked up at the age of 19, and had to forge my path over 1,000 miles from everything I had ever known - FIRST, family, home. And in my time alone, I spent my time plotting on how to get back to FIRST. I attended the Richmond regional in 2002 - and realized how much I had given to FIRST, and how much I had forgotten to indulge in the things I really loved. The stress of the two years prior when I left my high school team and started "floating" - just trying to be useful.... it was suddenly too much. And for anyone that knows me, at that point, I recognized I was burned out. FIRST had become more of a chore than a passion. And I dissapeared.
It's been a while now since I've had anything to do with first. It's been far to long since I've talked to or seen most of my friends from the program. But I needed time to recover the passion that I had for FIRST. Now, I realize I would like to return, but in a much more limited fashion. I have a good job, friends, and a drive to return to school for something very different than where I started (diesel mechanics). For me, I can't let a blind passion erase all that.... but, in the same, I can't step away completely any longer
Burnout does seem to be the one thing that hits a student after they've left things from the high school side. I understand now why people have left with a whole new perspective that you can't get unless you've been there. But there will always be the draw to return in one way or another.....
~ lora