The hours spent curating our audience’s journey felt like a whirlwind, a storm – that ended before I knew it. How much of our speakers’ passion was felt by our audience? How much of our volunteers’ care for the community were experienced as warmth of our TEDx Family? The applause did give me a sentiment on how we fared. But it was in the glimmer of our speakers’ eyes as they connected with the audience, and the camaraderie I experienced with our participants that reassured me that we may be on the right track.

This year, three of our speakers led the TEDx Adventures tracks – Humanity, Heritage and History. In each track, our speakers took us on a journey through time as we explored the stories of the past and the hopes of the future. And in each track, our speakers weaved us closer to the space as we got to know the people behind the scenes. We flipped through the books on the shelves and spied into the minds of each bookshelf owner. We touched and smelled fresh produce specific to Geylang Serai Market and got to know the families behind the businesses. We scrutinized each cast metal sort passed through our hands and found a sense of wonder and respect for the diligence of newspaper publishers of yesteryears.

It occurred to me how often I have rushed through these spaces, music in my ears, errands on my mind. In allowing my day-to-day tasks to occupy my mind, I overlook admiring one’s values towards one’s craft. In drowning out the noise around me, I neglect culinary and health wisdom of the past. In rushing through errands, I miss out on the little pockets of hope for a community of the future. I am grateful for the new meaning these spaces now have for me.

This journey to curate adventures with our speakers has been inspiring to say the least. I was able to listen to anecdotes about their paths leading up to this moment and admire their passion regardless of the hats they wore. I was also able to observe them interact with their team and experience the warmth of their community. But ultimately, the best experience was in soaking in the excitement of our speakers in their element. We started our adventures as participants and volunteers. As we adventured on and immersed ourselves in the energy of our speakers, the roles we see ourselves playing dissipated. In that moment, we were all just curious minds eager to view the world through another’s lens.

Su-Ann Goh has been a dedicated TEDxVolunteer since 2022. She is currently a passionate Research Fellow at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, committed to exploring new frontiers in her field. Her work embodies curiosity and a drive to make meaningful contributions.