Have you ever just ignored the weather forecast because you don’t think a severe storm is going to happen? Well, from my experience, paying attention to the weather forecast is a precious lesson to learn because the weather can change extremely fast.
   

 I played for the San Francisco Juniors 12-1 Roshambo Volleyball Club, and we were chosen to play for the Girls’ Junior National Volleyball Championships in Columbus, Ohio in 2012 .When I first heard the news, I felt nervous and excited because we were going to play against even more competitive teams from all over the state! On June 28th, our whole team had to travel from San Francisco to Columbus.
   

 My dad and I arrived in Columbus in the afternoon of June 29th. As we stepped out of the rental car, a wave of heat took us by surprise. It was a scorching 104 degrees Fahrenheit! While we hauled our luggage from the parking lot into the Embassy Suites hotel lobby to check-in, my dad’s chubby body became soaked with sweat. Then, he wiped his hair with tissues. I felt sweat dripping from my black hair onto my T-shirt. Soon, when we entered our magnificent hotel room, we were astonished by how everything was so meticulously placed and cleaned. The bathroom had a large shower stall, a sink, a disinfected toilet, and even a mini-TV! In the rest of the room, there was a TV on the cabinet in front of the king-sized firm mattress with two large pillows. There were also two comfortable chairs and a huge sofa. After examining the room, we watched the weather forecast on the flat screen TV, which stated that a severe thunderstorm was heading to our area. I carelessly ignored it because there were no signs of a thunderstorm outside. The white, thick clouds were surrounded by the beautiful shade of royal blue, and the sun was still burning and fiery hot.
   

 Later, I felt overheated by the sun, so I asked my dad, “Can I go swimming with my teammates?”
     Then, my dad replied, “Didn’t you hear on the news that there was going to be a severe thunderstorm soon?”
     “But it’s sunny outside right now!” I exclaimed, rolling my eyes in frustration because he was being too overprotective.
     “Well… Okay. Just be careful,” my worried dad said.

     Soon, my dad and I went down to the second floor where the swimming pool was located. We got to the doorway, and I assured him that I would be safe with my teammates. As I entered the swimming pool room that was filled with the smell of chlorine, my teammates swarmed around me and forced me to jump into the pool. Splash! The glistening cool, sky blue water splattered everywhere! Then, we raced each other across the swimming pool to see who can swim the fastest. I was having one of the best times of my life, until we noticed flashes of lightning that lit up the sky half an hour later. We also heard the torrential rain and the howling wind pounding on the glass windows. Moreover, the roaring thunder shook the floor and rattled the glass windows. The rapid change in the weather shocked us. Suddenly, the lights blinked a few times and went out. As a result, we all panicked and screamed of terror by hugging each other tightly. Then, two team parents rushed to the swimming pool deck and urged us to leave immediately. They escorted us up the stairways to our rooms since the elevators weren’t working. As I was walking up the stairways, I thought about how I should have listened to the weather forecast and my dad.

     When I finally got to the door of my room, I realized that I forgot to bring my access card, so I knocked on the door, but my dad didn’t respond. After several call attempts, the reception failed. I felt terrified and my heart began to beat faster and faster. Soon, I burst into tears and thought about all my mistakes. Luckily, when my friend and her dad opened their door, they saw me standing alone across from their room crying, so they generously let me stay in their room until my dad came. Her dad called my dad to let him know that I was safe. Surprisingly, he answered! After the call, I felt relieved because I thought that I had lost him. A few minutes later, my dad ran to my friend’s hotel room and picked me up. He looked exhausted from scurrying back and forth between the swimming pool room and our hotel room. When we went inside our hotel room, we hugged each other. I felt guilty for going to the pool when he had already warned me about the storm, so I confessed that I should have listened to the weather forecast and him. Later, I wanted to take a shower and sleep early for the 6:00 A.M. tournament the next day, but the water was unpleasantly cold. I felt like I was standing alone in the Canadian Arctic! The darkness scared me, so I turned on my iPhone to light up the room. Then, I quickly took a cold shower and put my pajamas on. Without electricity, I felt as if I have lost my life. I couldn’t watch TV or read because there were no lights. Even worse, it also appeared that my iPhone died because I used up all the battery power to light up the room. After a few hours of the blackout, I felt myself growing tired and bored. Soon, I gradually fell asleep.

 The power outage continued onto the third morning, and we headed to the Convention Center for the tournament. When we came back to the hotel in the evening, the power was still out. We went back to our rooms to rest and take a shower. Then, we met at the lobby to enjoy some food and drinks provided by the hotel. Suddenly, the lights blinked a few times, and the power turned on. As a result, everyone in the lobby celebrated and cheered with joy.

My trip to Columbus, Ohio was the most memorable and terrifying trip I have ever gone to. A valuable lesson I have learned was that ignoring the weather forecast can be hazardous because the weather can change from good to bad very quickly. I even jumped into the swimming pool during a severe thunderstorm! Lightning could have struck the water and electrified me! From that day on, I imagined how the consequences would be if I didn’t pay attention to the weather forecast -- severe.