Every time I visited the States before, I only ever got a teaser of Halloween. Once October hit, houses would start transforming: Skeletons on porches, pumpkins by the doors, spider webs everywhere, and foggy nights of the fall season that felt straight out of a movie. But just when Halloween approached closer and closer, I’d have to fly back home for school. Back home, the “Halloween experience” was ringing a doorbell at 10 pm only to be scolded by a grumpy lady because that was a disturbance of her bedtime.
This year, though, I finally got to experience my first official Halloween in the U.S. I wasn’t prepared to be greatly disappointed.
(I’m purposely making this dramatic, it wasn’t a total flop)
TWO WEEKS LEFT BEFORE HALLOWEEN
Looking back, Halloween was probably doomed from the start. Things began going wrong two weeks before the holiday. (Side note: I had no idea Halloween is an actual holiday in the U.S.) Apparently, putting together your costume two weeks in advance is not enough time. When my friend told me, “You should hurry, time’s running out,” I laughed it off and gave him that incredulous look. Big mistake. I should’ve listened. Also, I’m German, meaning I’m stingy and picky by default, and despise spending money on single-use clothes. I went on an impossible mission to DIY a costume out of the clothes I already had, and only buying additional stuff I could reuse later. Spoiler: Mission failed (successfully)
ONE WEEK LEFT BEFORE HALLOWEEN
On the weekend, I went to “Spirit Halloween”, those pop-up stores take over empty warehouses every fall. I wanted to go as Clawdeen Wolf from Monster High, so I was looking for ears and purple-black striped stockings. The ears were only available as a set, and I’d rather not walk around with a tail, so I left with just the stockings and still some hope to figure something out. Eventually, I caved and ordered $15 ears from Amazon, and I already had a skirt and platform shoes I can work with. Also, all the pre-made costumes in that store were at least $50 and up. And Amazon, even with Prime, a lot of costumes or just pieces of a costume wouldn’t even arrive until after Halloween.
FOUR DAYS LEFT BEFORE HALLOWEEN
I thought, finding a top sounded simple enough. I checked every Ross, the Goodwill at West Portal, Stonestown Mall and its stores Zara, Windsor, Cotton On, 2nd Street, and even went downtown to Urban Outfitters and came home with nothing. Haight Street was my last hope. It’s supposed to be the thrifting street in San Francisco. Me personally, I think a lot of the second hand clothing is overpriced in there. I did like 2nd Street in there though, just didn’t give me a good top. I also came across two Halloween stores, “Toxic Thrilz” and “Piedmont Boutique” but the lowest priced article I found was $50, and that for a tiny top I barely identified as a top. If you look for the America that has a mall at every corner, San Francisco isn’t exactly that.
THE DAY BEFORE HALLOWEEN
My last last hope was H&M. I found the top on their website but of course the sales assistant told me it’s completely sold out. H&M was in San Francisco Centre, a dead mall. I was kind of sad seeing the pretty building so lifeless. Then, just when I was ready to give up, I revisited Urban Outfitters and found a $15 top in the sales section in the bottom floor. I was very relieved.
HALLOWEEK
Somewhere between all the shopping, I came down with a cough. Halloween parties already started on Wednesday, Halloween day #1 but I was still outfit less and sick. Thursday, Halloween day #2, same story, I needed to do some serious tea drinking. Friday, the official Halloween day, but already day #3, I was very excited. My group and I went to a huge pregame party but turns out all this trouble of finding an outfit was not worth it. More than half of the people I talked to didn’t even know Moster High, which I find is kind of ridiculous, that was my favorite kids show. But I was awaiting the real party, a frat party. I wanted to at least experience a frat party once during my exchange year, and I got so disappointed. Not because of the party itself, but we never even made it in. Even knowing people from the frat was not help. My advice: Arrive early, or just skip the frat scene on Halloween and go bar- or club-hopping instead.
So yeah, Halloween itself was kind of a flop.
But thank goodness it’s HalloWEEK: Saturday, Halloween day #4, totally made up for it. I went as Minnie Mouse, and it was so much fun. We party-hopped all night, met new people, including someone I’ve seen in the background of one of my pictures at an IEEC event at Dolores Park months ago. When going through my gallery, I made this shocking discovery that they were in the background all along. The world is so small. By Sunday, Halloween Day #5 I decided my social battery was burnt out, and so was my voice from all the karaoke. (Sorry Kim Possible outfit, she has to wait until next year.)
MORAL OF THE STORY
Plan your Halloween outfit before you leave your home country. Two weeks is not enough time. Also, don’t take your costume as seriously as I did, and don’t have any expectations and just go and enjoy Halloweek. Because of my shopping marathon I missed out on walking around to see the decorated houses. People here really go all out, and I regret missing out on taking pictures.