Halloween Weekend

I woke up Wednesday morning, went through my usual routine, and it wasn't until I was half way to school on the bus when I realized it was Halloween.

It was Halloween, and I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. 

To cheer me up I started to draw a pumpkin with "Happy Halloween!" across the top of my page, and I was finished before the beginning of second period. My classmates saw my stupid drawing and started asking me questions about Halloween in the US, and as a result they started to tell me about Halloween in Spain. First of all, I am really glad they did because the outfit I had planned for the night, was not at all appropriate. I was going for the typical lazy American girl costume when I chose to be a cat. All black with ears. Easy. Apparently everyone in Spain goes for the scary costumes, a tradition that the youth of America for the most part let slip. I can't remember one Halloween where I was actually something scary. Lets see... Mermaid, Rock star, Rock star, Rock star, Rock star, Avril Lavigne, Tooth fairy, Chicken Burrito, and a Devil. That just about sums up the past nine Halloweens. 

So I got home, then Paige and I went out and got some vampire teeth and fake blood. After Paige applied the blood to my face, we were both thinking "We definitely put too much on", so of course Paige didn't put on any at all. Then we went out to the center to meet some of my friends from class, and we realized we were so out of place. 98% of Valladolid was completely covered in fake blood, scars, masks, etc. It was unbelievable. 

Sandra and I

Then on Thursday, there was the AFS Halloween party. It was exactly what I needed... some pumpkin carving, homemade pizzas, and a night with my best friends. It was only the students and volunteers from the Castilla chapter, but we had a great time! Then we all got our makeup done by Jimena (Paige's liaison), and went down to the center. This time it was the complete opposite, I guess we got a little to excited and in the midst of it all, we forgot that it was Thursday... not Halloween. But we live in Spain, where the fiesta never ends... so it wasn't a big deal. 

Esther and I 

Jimena, Utku, and Esther

ESTHER, you go girl!

Pumpkin carving!!!

A for Effort?

The group!

Manuel, Diego, Me, Lani, Esther, Luca, Paige, Utku, and Irene

And at the end of Sunday, after a four day break, I had a realization. I realized that my life here will not always be exactly similar to my life in America. But that is completely okay, I didn't choose Spain because it was America across the ocean. I chose Spain because of the culture, because of the language, because in reality it is so much different. I came to learn a new culture, language, and country, one that is no better or worse than my own, just different.

Lani, Paige, Me, and Esther

In the end, Halloween weekend may have just ended up being my best weekend here.