Regardless of what people may say, I was was thrown right into the middle of all of it.

My first real life experience with a Miss Universe was July 2004, at a party in Sydney that Jennifer Hawkins, the Australian Miss Universe of that year just so happened to attend.

She was immaculate; flawless from top to bottom. She was as down to earth as any one of us, yet commanded the attention of every single person in the room.

She only said a few words to me, I was too much in awe to remember exactly but it was from that moment on I knew that this lady, woman, queen was someone I wanted to emulate and one day I would know what it felt like to represent the magnificence of a woman for an entire country.

My time came for me in 2006 when I won the Miss Sri Lanka title. It was the most number of emotions in one moment I'd ever felt. The countdown to the pageant was nail biting.

I'm a relatively positive person but no amount of confidence can prepare you for competition of this kind. I didn't realize my own strength or that of my family and friends till I experienced the pageant.

Yearning so badly for a chance to carry my country's flag up high in an international arena made the crown so much more treasured. I remember the very first thought that came into my head when they called out my name, even though it was extremely difficult to think at that time, it was more or less what 'my people have given me, they have entrusted me, with representing the country'.

This meant a whole lot to me as having spent a large part of my life abroad, for Sri Lanka to believe in me and give me the chance, was a feeling of so much gratitude and pride in my people. And they call America the land of opportunity. We have it right here too, you've just got to look for it.

The next stage for me of course was gearing up for a competition viewed by over 9 million people worldwide.

With my very own country pinning their hopes on me, it was, as you would've already guessed it… nerve wrecking!

It was intimidating to think that I would be up against girls who had done this before, and was better prepared; so with whatever time I had, needed to be spent wisely.

I made a few arrangements to be coached by a giant of the pageant world 'India' and found the experience to be quite the eye-opener.

They made their training schedule, in order of importance, around physical training, wardrobe, walk-talk-look, skin, nutrition and finally, much to my surprise, interview practice. Unfortunately, they said, that had to come with real life interviews – up to 30 interviews a day was not unusual for them.

The best thing about my Indian adventure was what I had brought back to Sri Lanka. We can only be better prepared now than we ever were and that's the beauty being able to pass down my experience to the eager ears of the girl that takes my place next year.

Luckily, not being a country renowned for producing beauty queens - thank God for Rosy - our one and only international queen, I had got some great coaching right here organized by Ricochet (the backbone of the Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Universe).

Utmost importance was paid to poise, charm, articulation and grace and those are just the words I use to describe my public speaking coach, Loreta Goonarwardena. More than a coach, she was a mentor who stuck by me when times got tough and trust me, times definitely do get tough!

Loreta was ruthless, making sure I was well rehearsed with international affairs, being able to market Sri Lanka. And more than training for the Miss Universe she instilled in me the values of being a woman and the beauty of our femininity. "Remember, the noblest kind of beauty is the one that slowly filters into the mind".

Mental training and grooming having been taken care of, there was also the physical aspect of it. Luckily for me, my caring friends and family, banned me from my own true love, chocolates, and made to work out extensively at the 'LifeStyle Gym at Waters Edge'.

I learnt the benefits of being fit and healthy not just for the pageant but for life. It was a tough couple of months prior to the pageant.

Also there was the serious responsibility of supporting charitable organizations. I had already been working with one charity but after I won the title I was also able to help several others.

A study of compassion and benevolence that had always fascinated me as a person and it was something I've always been very passionate about pursuing.

I sought the advice of many experts on setting up my own foundation but was recommended to do patron work for charities already set up.

The sponsorship program for kids affected by the tsunami in Matara kept my hands full and kept me going as a person. The spiritual fulfillment obtained from helping and contributing is as therapeutic as any medicine in the market.

When "the time" came to leave home and enter the unknown I was so excited I couldn't contain myself! Friends, family, acquaintances were all calling up to wish me good luck and I felt like I had the entire country's blessings. As if I didn't have enough pressure!

The support I had from Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans living abroad was over-whelming and geared me up with even more energy, determination and morale to do my best. The time came to leave and I was the most confident I had ever been my entire life.

The journey getting there had been such a roller coaster of learning and bettering myself, I had no regrets.

The 24 hour flight was filled with reading TIME magazines, listening to classical music offered to you on the place and playing with the kids sitting next to me who were fascinated with my laptop.

"What's your purpose of visit?" asked the customs officer in L.A. "I'm representing Sri Lanka at the Miss Universe pageant".

I have never taken so much pride saying anything till that moment. "Wow, you're one of the first to arrive, good luck and welcome to LA".

Greeting me was the head of the Sri Lanka Foundation in L.A, Dr. Walter Jayasinghe and his son, Delan. The support from Sri Lankans worldwide was unwavering. They wished me good luck and told me that the whole of the Sri Lankan community in L.A were praying for me.

L.A was picture perfect. The limo ride to the hotel made me feel every inch the queen I was made to believe I was. I stepped out of the limo and it felt like a red carpet moment. Press, photographers and fans were all gathered outside the hotel.

Thank God I freshened myself up on the ride there. People looked a bit puzzled reading my sash ' Sri Lanka' as I later learnt that most people had not even known where or what our beautiful island paradise was. I was determined to change that.

Over orientation and registration I had the chance to get acquainted with the girls. Eighty six girls, each with varying, unique beauty and each one with smiles as big as the other.

For some, this was their first time ever abroad, others were just happy they were in L.A. As for me, I was just in my element, familiarizing them with Sri Lankan culture and heritage, introducing them to their next possible tourist destination, and standing for what it meant to be Sri Lankan - friendly and sociable and spreading the unique Sri Lankan smile we have all inherited everywhere I went.

Miss India, Neha Kapur was my roommate and we stuck together like peas in a pod having known each other from past modeling experiences.

Miss Ireland, U.K, Belgian, Colombia, Australia , Canada, St. Lucia, from continent to continent we exchanged stories, experiences, fears, hopes, dreams as if we had known each other forever.

Colour, race, ethnicity, religion, we were all equal and beautiful in our own special ways and we all knew it.

Luckily, me and Neha shared the largest room among all the girls so our place was the gathering room of everyone, we constantly had contestants walking in and out, some using the internet, others listening to music, some doing crunches in the corner and some naughty ones guiltily tucking away into popcorn and chocolates that were constantly made available to us in our own private kitchen. I was convinced it was some kind of conspiracy.

It was three weeks full of touring L.A, meeting with celebrities (Snoop is cuter in person than I could have ever imagined!), posing for pictures with adoring fans.

Mexico's fans outnumbered everyone else's!

Nevertheless I was soaking up every bit of attention I got. Pageant fanatics all seemed to know who I was much to my astonishment. Hearing people screaming out your name, and even more touching, your country, words cannot describe.

I would occasionally come across a Sri Lankan supporter at a TV appearance or autograph signing and we would chat and laugh, each equally grateful to come across a piece of home.

Sometimes the girls would ask if I missed home and I replied honestly that I didn't. Everywhere I went I would always take a piece of Sri Lanka with me, representing my country ever so proudly till the end. However, a good rice and curry was admittedly occasionally on my mind!

As days grew closer, the tension grew among the girls. Insecurities, pressure, stress were all starting to show. And it was at that time I realized the importance of friendship. At vulnerable times in our lives, we, as human beings crave the comfort that comes with comradeship.

To my surprise, we grew closer as a team than as contestants.

Miss Puerto Rico even let me borrow her I-Pod every time her group was called up on stage for rehearsals and the remaining groups were left with nothing to do. I had never seen a girl with so much energy, passion and genuineness than in Zuleyka Rivera, Miss Puerto Rico and eventually Miss Universe 2006.

So yes, in my honest opinion, she did deserve to win and I don't think they could've picked a girl more deserving than her.

She did her country justice by always being immaculate, graceful and most importantly a good friend to everyone. Many people asked me what it was like in those final moments before going on stage and to be perfectly honest I didn't feel the slightest bit nervous.

I was more than prepared for the show and ready to enjoy myself on stage holding my country's flag up high and proud.

If you wondered why I didn't make the final cut, only the judges can hold an answer to that question but from what I've learnt, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder and comes in all shapes and sizes.

Eight judges alone don't determine beauty for the entire universe and it doesn't make us any less than those that were there in the final 20. I am grateful for the experience that has enriched my life in so many ways.

My career has catapulted and I now have a powerful platform in which to voice causes that I believe in for my country. And it all began with a dream to represent my country internationally.

If you ask me what was the best thing about the entire experience, I would say knowing that you were able to bring Sri Lankans together all over the world, regardless of ethnicity, where they were born, raised and living, we all came together to support a fellow Sri Lankan and as I stood there in my sash that read 'Sri Lanka' I knew I had the whole of Sri Lanka behind me, praying.