FIRST Withdrawal?

[Lora Knepper]

It's a funny thing really. For me, FIRST changed my life while in high school, and I swore up and down that I would never ever ever ever leave it. But the past two years I've found myself dancing on the edge... in FIRST, but not... adopted by some great teams, but never <i>really</i> belonging to one. Last year, I faded into the FIRST backround until competition time, when the draw was too strong to ignore.

Then again, this year I swore I was going to get back into the team side of FIRST... and again, I find myself fading into the backround. It draws me back for Kickoff, and I know I'm going to find traveling to at least one regional and probably nats will be irrisistable. But my focus seems to have changed no matter how hard I tried not to. I'm still drawn to FIRST, but things like moving, work, and getting back to school are taking more of my energy. I find myself talking a little less to old FIRST pals, and beginning to make new friends outside of robotics. The addiction is still there for me, but my life has begun to fill the holes that once only FIRST could - making me complete.

~ lora