You're right, San Antonio is closer, but not by much. I considered that; however, Revolution wasn't an option for me. In the end, it boiled down to parental support. It was much easier to convince my parents to let me march with an established corps that had been around for 45 years versus a new corps that had been around for less than 5.
Regarding people marching the "BIG" corps: I was obviously talented enough to make the corps, so why wouldn't I shoot for Div. I? It was the next logical progression for me. Its not a horrible thing when someone wants to march at the top level of this activity where they think they can get the most benefit.
Just to be clear, I love the smaller corps. They absolutely have their place purpose for being. I became a big supporter of the smaller corps after I marched. I've gone to Div. II/III shows. I even went on to teach an Open Class corps. Because of my experience, I can emphatically state that I would not have had a better experience marching Revolution instead of Blue Knights in 2003.