When I was a kid I would walk an imaginary ramp and regale anyone I met with my thoughts and stories. A lot of this confidence came from my mother. Besides being the most humble and kind person I know, she also taught me to always be true to myself. Both my parents taught me valuable life lessons and principles but this self-confidence has carried me through every hurdle and challenge.
This faith in myself proved to be even more important when I participated in the Miss Bhutan 2022 pageant. I went into it with the belief that even if I didn’t win, it would open other doors and opportunities for me. This turned out to be true as soon after the national pageant, I was called by a director from Project Bhutan. They told me that I had potential and asked if I would participate in Miss Glam World 2022. I didn’t hesitate and said yes on the spot.
In that moment, I was excited at the prospect of representing my country in an international pageant. However, we didn’t have any grooming sessions to prepare us. I turned to YouTube and books for guidance on how to walk and answer pageant questions. I was overwhelmed at the thought of competing with well-groomed women from around the world. Despite these challenge, I never gave up and decided to showcase my best self.
Before I knew it, it was time for the biggest pageant of my life. It took just a day to reach Kochin in Kerela, India and the event started one day after I arrived. It was a whirlwind of activity as every day started at 9 am and lasted anywhere from 5-10 pm. We were taught how to organize our thoughts for the question and answer session and how to walk the ramp. I couldn’t believe that my childhood fantasy of walking the ramp had turned into the real deal!
One of the best parts of the competition was getting to meet the 21 participants from every corner of the world. Everyone participating in this pageant was uniquely beautiful; some had different dialects and struggled to communicate. Even with the language barriers, I speak Nepali, Hindi and English and tried to befriend and understand the other women. Sharing my culture, clothes and language with my new sisters at the pageant is an experience I’ll never forget.
After an amazing 10 days, I was thrilled to learn that I had made it to the Top 6 contestants. They told me that I had a positive and optimistic attitude. In that moment, I could think of nothing but a sense of gratitude l to everyone who had supported me. I pictured my parents, family, friends, Mr. Paljor and Project Bhutan who had made all this possible. I couldn’t even cry because I didn’t know what was happening. It was only when I felt the weight of the crown on my head and the bouquet in my hands that I realized I won the second runners up. I was overwhelmed with joy and happiness.
I was immensely proud to raise our country’s flag high and let the world know that I am from the small, vibrant, and beautiful country of Bhutan. I wanted to show everyone that no matter what difficulties you face, you can still do unbelievable things. Participating in this pageant taught me a lot of things. Above all it reinforced my belief that if you are kind, strong, bold and have confidence in yourself- everything else will fall into place.