I hate flying with a deep burning passion. However, in order for our robotics team to reach the world competition in Houston, Texas, flying was the only option. 

Day 1 started very early.  We met at the 4C Academy at 6:15 in the morning; well, most of us. Two of our team members, who happen to be twins, were still sleeping causing a slight delay in our travels. We boarded bus 6919 for a smooth four-hour drive to the Hartfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta. There, we only had to wait about ten minutes to get through airport security and bag checking, which should’ve been a quick experience but, some of our members were searched and one even lost her shoe (she later found it)! 

Boarding the plane for Houston, there was another slight delay as one of our members left her bag in the airport. Thankfully, our mentor was able to retrieve it and we took off with no further mishaps. As far as flights go, I was told ours was a smooth one, but to me, it felt like we were skydiving as we landed in Houston. After gathering our bags and suitcases, we boarded an airport tram (which some of our members thought of as an amusement park ride) to an area where we could board a bus.

In Houston, you quickly learn that getting around mainly requires the use of public transportation. Needless to say, the bus was pretty crowded with more people getting on than off. Unlike Albany, in Downtown Houston, many people walk to get to where they need to go. It helps that everything is packed close together. Another observation: the pigeons are bold and are only concerned about their next meal. After taking a small walk around Downtown Houston and eating at Bombay’s Pizza, we ended our first day in Houston welcoming rest with open arms.

 While awaiting the opening ceremony on Day 2, we decided to visit the Museum of Natural Science to pass the time. Personally, I’d never been to such a detailed and beautiful museum in my life. There was a Native American and an Egyptian artifact exhibit as well as the Death by Natural Causes exhibit where we viewed animals clustered together in forms of art. There was even a gem exhibit full of various, literally blinding (I saw stars) gems that looked too alluring to be real. 

 Now, let’s get to the purpose for our trip. Our pit crew is currently setting up our pit and getting our robot ready for practice matches being held later today. The rest of our team will meet them soon and hopefully get the chance to communicate with some of the numerous robotics teams from all over the world. 

Our robotics team is grateful for a chance to participate in such an amazing event from the performance of our team and our robot at the Georgia competition. We are eternally thankful to our sponsors for supporting our team in everything we do and helping us reach for the stars.

Tune in tomorrow for another entry on our adventures in Houston and Day 1 of the World Robotics Competition.

Kiana Wright is a sophomore who is in her second year at the 4C Academy.  She is in the Information Technology pathway at 4C and has been a robotics team member since its inception.  Ms. Wright is a sophomore at Westover High School and enjoys reading, writing and learning languages.  She has a career aspiration to become a Psychologist.