Not Everyone can be a winner… but Taylor is!

Spent Thursday afternoon through Saturday morning up at Austin, doing the UIL thing. Congratulate everyone who went, because Taylor appears to have won sweepstakes for the State UIL Academics contest!
Computer Science was pretty much a hit for us. Frank, David, and I managed to go 1, 2, 3 on the written test, and got the most programs in our division (though we performed less than optimally on that) for quite a sizable win.
Looking at that trip, that was easily one of the best competitions I’ve ever went to. It was a vacation, except better. Compare:

VACATION
– you pay to go on a vacation
– to cut expenses, you usually pick lower quality accommodations (at least, that’s how it’s done in my family)
– you have fun
– depending on the trip, you either end up with your family, or your friends
– you chillax getting away from normal life
UIL STATE
– the school covered all expenses for the trip, including food
– we stayed at the amazing Embassy Suites
– I went with several of my friends
– we got to take along computers and a router, having a LAN party in the room
– several excursions brought us incredible glory at a state level
– the frisbee came with us
– completely forgot about AP tests and how nasty they’re going to be

Overall, I truly enjoyed that trip. While activities tended to minimize time dedicated to sleep, I now feel entirely ready to jump into AP tests and power out to the end of the year.

That contest also represents the end of my competitive high school career. Almost four years ago, I excitedly jumped at the array of competitions that existed, and it’s been a fulfilling experience. Thanks in large part to having amazing classmates, Taylor has had amazing success at a variety of academic competitions, and I’m awfully proud to have been a part of that. While I would’ve hoped to be where I am now, and done what I have, I don’t think I quite knew what being on this side would feel like. No regrets.

After talking to my uncle (who happens to read this blog; hi Uncle David!), I’m beginning to realize how many different paths I have now. Just as a finish picking colleges, now I have to pick what I want to do.
Before, Symbolic Systems seemed a perfect match for my interests and capabilities, but looking at the other programs at Stanford, I’m not so sure ‘nemore. Heck, I don’t fully know what I want to do with my life. So perhaps you know me better than I know me: what do you see me doing? What have you seen me do that I enjoy, and what do you think my strengths are?