I really savour writing about my travels on my blog, it’s like clasping a memory very tightly and having the ability to release it along with a sparkle of nostalgia whenever I please. That being said, I’ve been extremely sentimental recently about a specific trip I had about a year ago. At the end of March last year back in high school, several students with chaperons and I headed out to Dublin, Ireland to represent our school at a Model United Nations conference. It’s by far one of my favorite weeks ever and I constantly remember it with a smile. I just knew I was going to have a wonderful time in Ireland when I had an entire conversation with the Irish Customs Man and he said: “So, you’re going to solve the world’s problems, eh? You go girl!”

I have to say, the luck of the Irish was with us all through out, maybe not so much when I dropped juice on the flight there and when we missed our connecting flight.. but in spirit it sure was! As someone who suffers from severe social anxiety, public speaking has always been something I excelled at but still struggled with, I spent months worrying how I would do at the conference. Regardless, the harder you work, the more lucky you get! Thanks to months of hard work and preparation for such a prestigious conference, it seemed that my sweat and blood finally made a difference when I won a Distinguished Delegate award.

I recall being very nervous on the first day of the conference but on the way, I found a penny on the ground. I took this as a sign of good luck. Extraordinarily enough, that day I was able to craft a great proposal with other Member States and main-submit it. The next day, which was the first day of debating, I was again anxious of my performance while at the podium. Right after entering the meeting room and taking my seat, again, I find a coin under my feet! On both debating days, I spoke abundantly in my committee and had a resolution and three amendments voted for with an overwhelming majority. My first international conference was a success and I had made an insane amount of friends from all around the world, be it from Poland, India, America, Ireland, or Azerbaijan! I still am insanely thankful to the fact that people drop coins aplenty there.

In terms of the overall trip itself, it was the first time I’ve ever experienced traveling in such a large group. I’m not sure when it happened exactly but I found myself understanding the people around in a whole new way, people I’ve known for years. Maybe it was at the midnight hotel room hangouts in preparation for the conference or the long tourist walks full of singing. I’ll also forever remember a small group of us turning up in the middle of our hotel elevator acapella style. This journey was definitely one of the highlights of my senior year. Ireland is one of my favorite countries because of the memories it holds as well as its beauty and people.