Participating in a high school competition club meant reaching and taking part in the state competition. I was a part of a competition club this year, where you are able to select up to 5 events you are interested in competing in, varying from website development to fashion design, all using a component of technology. This club is the Technology Student Association, or TSA, and ranges in things that are all technology related. My partner and I were participating in the forensics event, where you first have to pass a written multiple-choice test for the qualifying round. My friend and I both had to take it individually, but we both did well, and hence made it to the state competition! We were going to participate in the event with people who qualified from all over Washington State. This is when the fun began.

Our chapter, or the group participating in the club from our school would all be heading to the state competition in Spokane together. After a lot of forms and paying our fees, we were finally ready to head out to Spokane. Charter busses awaited us as we filed with our group into the bus area. We could choose our own rooming partners, with four to a room, and headed off onto our journey. This was the first time I was living away from my parents in the United States, and it was definitely an experience to remember. Since the location was about 5 hours away, we stopped in the middle for lunch, my friends and I diverging to various fast-food joints, meeting up at the end to begin the last leg of our journey. Once we reached the hotel, we immediately got a badge with our name on it, one we had to wear every time we went out of our hotel rooms, in order to be recognized as a TSA participant. Most of the hotel was filled with TSA chapters, with people in formal wear rushing about, or the official TSA polo we could wear as our uniform.

Having the freedom to explore, my partner and I first finished our prelim test and then met up with our friends to explore. We had about 5 to 6 teachers as our chaperones for the trip, with each group of students assigned a chaperone. Before we went anywhere, we would text in our conjoined group chat where we were going to get approved by our chaperone. Each night, we would get a pass to get a food truck dinner, which was included in our package. There were various options to choose from, and so my friends and I mismatched and shared. On the very first night was the introduction assembly, and everyone gathered around in the huge auditorium celebrating the start of another competition. The vibe was cheerful, and everyone was in a good mood. There was music, dance videos and just a grand welcoming to yet another year of TSA. Our bedroom checks were at 11pm every night, getting ready for yet another day.

For most of the day, my friends and I were exploring nearby shops and went walking towards a nearby mall. It felt great to have the freedom to go nearby with friends, laughing and joking around. Everyone’s events were at different times, and so we made plans with different people accordingly. We would weave in and out of hangouts and meet up at the end of the day for the carnival. There were inflatables, games and a relay race, with a wagon slide in the middle, curfew being at midnight for that day.

Overall, this trip was one for the books, with a lot of laughing, exploring and locking in for our events. We went home happy after the awards ceremony, singing our way through the entire bus ride home.