What to expect when you go to Nationals

Day 1: Sit in a car for 8 hours with a bunch of noisy boys. Then get somewhere and wait in a slow-moving line to be taken all over a hotel and then walk around somewhere and tell people stuff and get stuff and have your picture taken and get interviewed.

Day 2: Wake up really early so you can walk downstairs somewhere and go into this tiny little booth and recite stuff. Then you go out of the booth and wait, then you go into this huge room with 100 other kids and answer written questions. Then you go back to your hotel room and wait. Then you dress up and wait in another slow-moving line to go up on a stage and get a medal, get your picture taken, and get off the stage. Then learn you didn't make it to Semi-Finals.

Day 3: Go on a hike with your friends, then come back and watch the Junior Semi-Finals. Then watch part of the Senior Semi-Finals and go to this huge big room and dance with lots of other people.

Day 4: Watch all the Finals. Then go to your hotel room and dress up, and sit down in a big room and listen to people talk. Then go into another huge room and eat cake.

Day 5: Pack up and sit in a car for 8 hours with a bunch of noisy boys. On the way back home, visit the Creation Museum.

Yep! That's it. :)

I expect to come in, free-running, up the walls like a boss.

I expect to come in, free-running, up the walls like a boss.

I'm gonna detonate an EMP, then in the darkness I'm gonna blow a hole in the roof and drop in.

If I make it I'm gonna jump over Carissa's head before anything else. :P

Hannah - you forgot the part where you stay up till like 2-3 every morning to talk with friends. =)

If I make it I'm gonna jump over Carissa's head before anything else. :P

Facedesk Do you seriously think you'll do that???

This was really helpful to me (since I have never been there myself). Sounds fun! Thanks!

I really really really really hope I make it this year!!!!!!!!!

I really really really really hope I make it this year!!!!!!!!!

AWwwww…you went to the Creation Museum on sunday? We went there Monday

AWwwww...you went to the Creation Museum on sunday? We went there Monday

smiles If I learn Parkour fast enough, yes. :P

Facedesk Seriously?!

don't you visit relitives on the way home?

Seriously. :P

Oh. I didn't do that.

Yep, we went there on our way back home. Dad HAD to have a break from driving.

No, no relatives were on the way home.

Noooo! xP It goes like this:

Day before Day 1: Text Dani while reviewing verses in the backseat of the car. Arrive at the hotel, get our room, unpack, sit in the lobby and talk to the other Californians who are still up.

Day 1: Go to the water park. Quickly get dried and dressed then go stand in line and talk to people while waiting for registration. Get registered and get asked by everyone involved in registration if this is your first time here. Go back to hotel room and say hi to friends on the way. Have choir practice. Go to the host dinner thing (and say hi to more people while standing in line for that). Review a few verses before going to bed.

Day 2: Be really happy that I don't have to get up super early any more. Go down to wait for written. Talk to people and meet new people. Go in to the test room and talk to they guy next to me. Take the test. Find my family, watch them eat lunch:P and wait…and wait…and wait…and pace back and forth with Bethany P… and wait some more… Then go in to the oral waiting room. And talk to the same guy again. Pray with the kids sitting next to me. Go to orals. Go to the "family fun room" and talk to friends. Be stuck in the ffr so long that you miss half the Memverse Meeting. Go to the MV meeting, but having, for the most part, already met everyone just stand around and talk to everyone. Choir practice. Get changed for the procession. Be late getting to the procession room…and have to ask for directions…again. Line up and march on stage for a medal, picture and tons of clapping. Get all excited after finding out who the semifinalists are. Have people sign my program.

Day 3: Watch Junior and Senior semis. Ask lots of people to sign my program. Go to the real family fun room. Watch my brother bungee jump, talk to people. Choir practice. Watch the horse thing. Go to the square dance and try figure out what I'm supposed to be doing and to not fall down or crash into people…without much success. Talk to people. Get pictures taken with people.

Day 4: Watch Junior and Senior finals. Be all sad that it's the last day of BB. Get picture taken with people. Last choir practice. Play violin with Dani (awesomeness). Closing ceremony. Desert reception thing (and not eat any desert:P:). Ask lots of people to sign my program. Get pictures taken with lots of people. Walk around the whole room looking for family pictures and talking to people. Get kicked out of that room and go talk in the circle room thing. Get a huge group picture taken. Get kicked out of that room. Go talk in the hotel lobby. Get more pictures taken. Be really, really sad that you have to say good bye. Stay up till 2:00am saying good bye.

Day 5: Get up and get dressed as fast as you can to see if there's anyone still in the lobby. Talk to people and say good bye again. Pack up the car. Talk to people in the parking lot as they pack up. Say good bye. Be all sad you can't go to the church service. Spend the next two or three weeks looking at your program, reading the signatures of everyone who signed it, looking at all the pictures you took, emailing everyone and talking on MV to try to get over your Bible Bee blues. :P

That's how it goes. :P

Wow. Yours sounds so fun :) mine's SO boring…just studying, studying, studying lol :) and only to the water park a little bit :( I seriously need to try that bungee thing. If they have it this year, I think I will :) I've been trying to work up the nerve to do it for the past two years :D

Haha! But I wasn't on stage:):) Yeah, the bungee jumping thing looks pretty fun…but I haven't done it either. :P

The Euro-bungee was great! I didn't go to the waterpark at all…. :(

Yeah, the bungee was great!!!

nods

@Hannah and Carissa: I……probably won't ever go on the bungee xP The water park was fun! Because I went with Dani:):):) I wouldn't have gone if I didn't have someone to go with.

@Hannah and Carissa: I......probably won't ever go on the bungee xP The water park was fun! Because I went with Dani:):):) I wouldn't have gone if I didn't have someone to go with.

Aww… I feel special :)

Haha xD :D

Why not?! It's so.much fun!!!

Because I don't want to trust my life to a couple of rubber bands… xP jk

Ahhhh…seriously! XP

:P I don't know…I'm not really much of a daredevil… :P And usually I just want to visit with people because that's the only time of the year it happens. :P

Because I don't want to trust my life to a couple of rubber bands... xP jk

:P I don't know...I'm not really much of a daredevil... :P And usually I just want to visit with people because that's the only time of the year it happens. :P

You forgot the part about it being difficult to maintain the appearance of one of the top 120 Seniors in the nation at a competition for Bible knowledge and recitation while being a blur of bounciness on a couple of rubber bands.

:P I don't know...I'm not really much of a daredevil... :P And usually I just want to visit with people because that's the only time of the year it happens. :P

You forgot the part about it being difficult to maintain the appearance of one of the top 120 Seniors in the nation at a competition for Bible knowledge and recitation while being a blur of bounciness on a couple of rubber bands.

Because I don't want to trust my life to a couple of rubber bands… xP jk

Sums up my feelings exactly. :D

:P I don't know...I'm not really much of a daredevil... :P And usually I just want to visit with people because that's the only time of the year it happens. :P

You forgot the part about it being difficult to maintain the appearance of one of the top 120 Seniors in the nation at a competition for Bible knowledge and recitation while being a blur of bounciness on a couple of rubber bands.

Right!!! And you have to maintain whatever dignity you have left after waving your hands around like crazy… jk :P

:P I don't know...I'm not really much of a daredevil... :P And usually I just want to visit with people because that's the only time of the year it happens. :P

Ditto!! I didn't go to the waterpark at all for that reason.

@margaret - LOL!!!!

Yeah…It was fun, but I don't blame you :P

I would ** REALLY ** like to make it to Nationals this year!

I would too! But I don't know if I'll be able to go this year if I do… Have you made it before?

I would ** REALLY ** like to make it to Nationals this year!

Me too!! :)

How are you feeling? We've been praying for you =)

I've never made it before. My back and neck… they have been hurting pretty bad today. right now my neck is throbbing with pain. :(

Yikes! I hope they feel better soon!

Me too!

Have you made it to Nationals before?

Yes, last year I made it. It was a lot of fun!

We're going, I think, no matter what. My Dad found some cheap airplane tickets :)

We're going, I think, no matter what. My Dad found some cheap airplane tickets :)

Ooo…awesome! :) We won't be going unless one of us makes it, or unless the Lord provides some way :)

We're going, I think, no matter what. My Dad found some cheap airplane tickets :)

That's great!!
We're going to have to drive there…as usual. ;) I think it will take around 18-19 hours. ^For someone who hates car trips, that is torture. x)^

If we go, we'll be driving, too; about 19 hours, without traffic.

I don't like car trips either… They give me headaches. All I can do is sleep and watch movies.