When I think of Milwaukee, I usually think of all the events we go to: Brewers games, Bucks games, and Summerfest. It’s particularly convenient because it’s only about an hour away, so when the first Milwaukee cubing competition was announced, I couldn’t miss it! This competition was quite monumental for the Wisconsin cubing community as it was the first ever competition held in Milwaukee, so I’m both happy and honored to be part of the birth of a new community in the WCA. It was a bit of a bummer that there were only four events (2x2, 3x3, Pyraminx, and 3x3 One-Handed)—but that certainly didn’t stop me from having one of my best competitions to date: in fact, I managed to drop not one or two, but THREE personal bests (two singles and one average) in the 3x3! I also got to witness one of my closest cubing friends break the coveted 10-second barrier in the 3x3—arguably one of the biggest rites of passage in a speedcuber’s journey. This was my last ever competition as a middle schooler—now it’s time for the big leagues! Hopefully by the end of my high school years, I will have broken the 10-second barrier.