Updates from 2024 SeaPerch Team at Internationals-Day 1

After a weary morning consisting of both, begrudgingly waking up at 4:00 am and a lengthy drive to the airport, it was quite the relief to finally arrive at the airport. Once we completed TSA the real fun began, the boy’s (Gary, Dalton, and Sage) hunt for a Mcdonalds. Specifically in search of the brand new Mcdonald’s steak bagel or in other words “a greasy delite”. This food item seemed quite imaginative, however the three boys were somehow satisfied with it. The rest of their waiting time was spent wandering the airport and riding escalators which Gary claims to be the pinnacle of technology.
Subsequent to their escalator escapades our team boarded the plane. It seemed to be a normal flight for all of us, except for Gary who had never flown before. Which clearly was the source of his absolute amazement during take off.
The weather once we landed was quite the opposite of Washington: hot and humid. It felt like being stuck in a boiling pot of maple syrup, although I believe the syrup would at least taste good. The trek to the air bnb was quite the challenge due to the extreme heat, however our team made it there. Fatigue was plaguing us all except for me, actually the opposite I was wide awake. I begged to do something fun such as leapfrog or trust falls alas I was rejected every time. Until Josh, Sage, Gary, and Dalton all agreed to one thing: Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board. Gary was the one we tried to lift, sadly we did not succeed. The other four all said it was because we were not strong enough, although anyone who has been to a sleepover as a pre-teen girl would know otherwise.
Eventually even I was tuckered out from the seemingly endless day. Thankful, we got pizza but that’s when the real drama began. The Jenga match of the century between Dalton and Gary. The room had palpable tension, everyone was on the edge of their seats as the climax of the competition was reached. Everytime a new block was pulled we were all sure the game was over, making someone a loser. Only for it to last 6 more turns, each turn heightening the suspense. Eventually, Gary ended up losing, putting an end to the competition.
Now, we did much more than this but these moments were the highlight of the day. Thank You for supporting the Wahki-High’s Robotics team!!