Happy Halloween

Halloween in America is like stepping into another world, with everything you can imagine adorned in decorations. Halloween mega stores pop up overnight as if from nowhere offering an array of frightful things.

Our dorm common room is twinkling with lights; pumpkins, ghosts and candy corn drawings decorate the walls. From pumpkin patches to parties, Halloween has taken over.

I’ve never seen so much thought and creativity going into costumes; if England wanted to compete we would really have to step it up a notch! Many people have been working on their costumes for months or building them up over the years. It’s impressive to say the least.

My first Halloween experience here was a CSULB UMS show at The Nugget. Getting into the spirit of things some dorm friends and I threw on the costumes. You may have seen Wonder Woman, Poison Ivy, The Joker and Edward Scissorhands riding the Campus bus that night!

At my first frat part I saw an array of costumes, from the expected lingerie and animal ears of the Mean Girls era to full blown Halloween transformations. As Halloween approached the CSULB Campus came alive, with Halloween carnivals, trick-or-treats, and haunted houses. With face painting and trips to Newport, needless to say it was a non-stop week of celebrations. 

The height of my Halloween experience ended with a Horror Night at Universal Studios in Hollywood. In spite of the painfully long queues for the Evil Dead and El Cucuy mazes, this was a night to remember. From riding the Terror Tram to the Universal Backlot invaded by The Walking Dead, to exploring the scare zones haunted by The Curse of Chucky, horrifyingly creepy Cirque du Klownz and the chainsaw wielding antics of The Purge.

Throughout my transformations into Poison Ivy, a sugar skull, and mocking spectator of those who run screaming in fear, I’ve had a real insight into American holidays. Next up – Thanksgiving!