I quickly ran off the steps off the bus, being careful not to faceplant into the pavement that was beneath me. My bag falling off of my right shoulder, I made a point to arrive at the bottom of my driveway in a timely fashion, nearly losing the black flats protecting my feet. I was welcomed by my mom at the end of the driveway and could barely contain my excitement as she opened the front door for me, letting me inside. My pink backpack was thrown on the ground and I grabbed the black handles on the closet door that would grant me access to my Halloween costume that great thought was put into.
Seeing the red sparkles on my dress catch the light, I eagerly reached for it, ripping it off the hanger it was hanging on. I did not hesitate to put on my costume, waiting impatiently to become Gabriella Montez from my favorite movie series, High School Musical. The red dress fit perfectly, however my perfect costume was ruined by the black leggings my mom was forcing me to wear. Welcome to Halloween in upstate New York. I would say the resemblance was close enough but the costume could not reach its full potential without the dark brown wig with curly hair complete with Gabriella’s signature blue flower hair clip. My mom helped me secure the wig and my look was finalized. Pleased with the outcome, I stood against the wall in my foyer and smiled as my mom snapped a picture. My younger sister came bounding down the stairs decked out in her Hannah Montana costume, complete with a foam microphone, that to her dismay, did not actually work. As the time drew closer to 3:30, I knew it was almost time to leave for my uncle’s house.
The fifteen minute ride to Guilderland felt like hours as I sat in between my sisters, constantly asking how much longer was left in the ride. The plastic pink pumpkin that would eventually carry the pounds of candy I would collect was on my lap, being admired by both my sister and I as we imagined the chocolate that would soon be in it. We pulled onto my uncle’s street and the red Cadillac parked in the driveway soon came into view. I watched excitedly as my cousin James jumped from the steps of his porch, greeting my family at our blue Traverse pulling into the driveway. Before the car was even in park, I unbuckled my seat belt as fast as I could and met James at the bottom of the porch, eager to go inside to see the rest of my family. My sister and my parents trailed behind me, obviously not as excited as I was.
James opened the door and I followed him inside and the familiar scent of Halloween at my uncle’s house filled my nose. The various Halloween themed desserts on the island and the mummy dogs on the table in the kitchen were a familiar scene, as it reminded me of the Halloweens spent there before. Time could not have passed any slower as I waited for my other cousins to arrive. I spent time with my grandparents, my aunts, and my uncles, not realizing at the time, how important this Halloween would become to me.
I had spent countless Halloweens at my uncle’s house, but this one stood out to me, mostly because it was the first one I could distinctly remember. Discovering that photograph this year reminded me of the excitement of Halloween and the importance of the holiday as I shared it with my family almost every year. Although I am getting older and Halloween is not as exciting as it used to be, I remember my family’s tradition and a smile comes to my face, realizing that this is something that I will remember for the rest of my life.
