Day 1: Natasha (Tunisia, High Commissioner of Refugees)

7:45: I climb onto the bus at Caven and nervously glance at the prepared students in front of me who have printed out statistics on their countries and packets on their committees.  I forgot to bring notebook paper.  

8:40: We arrive at the University of Houston and immediately exit the building due to a fire.  Mass hysteria ensues.  

9:30: Everyone finally re-enters the building and files over to the Opening Ceremony.  The Keynote Speaker is given an honorary gavel.  He is very excited and accepts the small gavel like it’s an Oscar.  

10:40: As the Opening Ceremony ends, we head to our respective committee meetings.  

10:50: My High Commissioner of Refugees (HCR) meeting begins.  The Djibouti delegate trips over someone’s bag and says “Pardon me, Madame” in a loud British accent.  Makes my day.  

11:50: Djibouti’s phone rings (by the way, his ringtone is fire). He loudly proclaims, “the delegation of Djibouti apologizes.”  This guy kills me.

12:15:  Things get a little heated. India rises and interrogates Japan regarding the fact that her country accepts only 0.18 percent of refugee applications.  The girl next to me dabs.

1:00: It is lunchtime.  I rejoice.

1:10: I race to the “secret” food trucks outside the building in order to avoid the massive Chick-Fil-A line.  Mr. Zartman had insisted that we keep these precious food trucks on the down-low.

1:15: While waiting for my food, the guy in front of me starts a conversation.  Five minutes later, he asks me what my major is.  I tell him I am a freshman in high school and he stops speaking to me.

2:00: I head back to my meeting and my group begins drafting our resolution.  My new BFF Kyrgyzstan gives me a high five.  He is wearing a very interesting tie with cats on it.  

3:50: I make awkward eye contact with a lady outside our room.  Everyone on this campus seems very confused by the number of high school students in business attire wearing name tags.

4:20: My group presents our resolution to the committee.  Canada stands and declares that he would like his name removed from the list of sponsors.  I thought Canada was supposed to be the nice country.  

4:50: The delegation of Djibouti falls asleep. He snores very loudly.

5:00: Dinnertime!  Instead of opting for a healthy, brain-fuelling meal I decide to wait in line for 45 minutes to buy a smoothie.

5:45: The Banana Nut Crunch smoothie does not live up to expectations.

6:30:  Japan receives a candy-gram, which are little messages with bags of candy that we could buy and send to each other.  It says, “I Equador you.”

7:00: We vote on resolutions and every one of them passes. Kyrgyzstan fist bumps me.

8:30: I finally get home and pass out, completely unprepared for day two.

Day Two: Sophia (Montenegro,United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)

7:45: Sitting in the musty bus in Caven, I jealously watch the other students in their red and black apparel head to a spirited Friday at school.

8:33: Our herd of tired zombies arrive at the University of Houston in desperate need of caffeine, only to have to confront a Starbucks line of 54 people.

9:00: The first committee session starts as I watch the overachievers unpack their briefcases filled with articles about their country. I pull out the one pen I brought.

9:15: Listening to the delegates talk, I still cannot get over the use of third person and the formality of these teens. I restrain myself from laughing as Kuwait speaks as if he is running for office.

10:45: The ten minute break has arrived. Students swarm the restrooms.

11:55: Lunch time! I dash out of my room in order to beat everyone to Freshii. I happily eat my teriyaki twist bowl and watch as a group of University of Houston students sing kumbaya in a circle.  

1:00: The second committee session resumes.

1:46: I listen to the various resolutions on how to protect journalists in foreign countries, which range from reincarnating Harambe to creating diamond bubbles to surrounding the journalists for protection. Slovenia, Kuwait, and Ukraine, our committee’s overachievers, present their legitimately well-thought resolutions.

2:45: We vote on resolutions. The Harambe and diamond bubbles resolutions pass, but Kuwait, Slovenia, and Ukraine’s does not. They slam their placards down in frustration.

3:00: The session ends. Everyone throws their placards in their air like it’s the last day of school in High School Musical.

3:15: Closing ceremonies arrive. Awards are given out while I constantly restrain myself from falling asleep.

4:30: I arrive home after the two days of madness.