Since the first time I set foot in the after school MUN meeting on a sweltering day in 2006, I fell love. Nothing gave an idealistic 15 year old more happiness and fulfillment than giving her the power and responsibility to solve the most pressing global issues, from disarmament to nuclear proliferation, from the Pedro-Blanca territory disputes to the trial of Slobodan Milosevic. Even if it was just a simulation.
In conferences from Singapore and Beijing, I met some of the most amazing people in life. People like myself, third culture kids and global nomads who roamed the international schools of the world but never belonged anywhere. People whose international lives led them to be passionate about international affairs. There was one Korean boy From International School of Beijing who dream of being a diplomat and bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula. There was the Vietnamese-Scottish girl from the Lycee Francais in Singapore who wanted to work in women's empowerment in South America. And then there was me, obsessed with economic development. At my last high school conference, I proudly told these friends that I was heading to the University of Chicago and studying economics, becoming one step closer to my dream. They were happy for me, having being accepted by prestigious institutions themselves. We were an optimistic bunch.
In College, I ceased being a delegate and had 4 days every year to get my conference adrenaline rush. Despite the relentless preparation work, the background guides, managing a staff of 4 or 5, when it was time for conference, I felt everything was worth it. Everything. This year is no different. After trekking through piles of snow, overcoming extreme fatigue, and narrowly dodging a potentially disastrous situation, I made it to chair the first session of World Bank Executive Board. Seeing the hope and aspirations on those still childish faces made me so happy, the happiest I have been in weeks. It is only now, five years after I fell in love with MUN, that I realise this love will never die.
THIMUN-Singapore 2007
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