The first time Kaitlin Hall, Speller 190 from Avon, Ohio came to the Bee, it was stressful, she said. She didn't know what to expect.
By the time she arrived at her second Bee this year, she was feeling a lot better.
Kaitlin loved the addition of the vocabulary portion of the Bee, saying it helped her more than hindered her. And she's less shy this year, she said, the result of going up to strangers with her Bee Keeper looking for autographs last year.
Her friend Meryl Warpula -- Speller 112 from Leominster, Massachusetts -- agreed.
"It's more relaxing because I know what's going on," she said. "I love this Bee Keeper thing because I feel like you can get to know everyone better. It's like a short story. It encourages all shy spellers to talk to each other.
Meryl and Kaitlin followed each other on Instagram last year. Now, Meryl said, they're already friendly.
"Last year, I was so busy taking it in," she said.
