Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved Halloween. There’s something so exciting about getting to be someone completely different, if only for one night out of the year. I always looked forward to our annual trip to Walmart to costume-hunt, me and my sister racing through the aisles of costumes, yanking one after another off the rack. To be a vampire or a witch--these are the deep questions of life an eight-year-old faces! As I got older, Halloween seemed to lose a bit of its magic—I’ve never been much of a partier, so all the Halloween parties and club events didn’t really appeal to me. That’s why I was so excited when I found out about U of T’s Scary Skate event! It was the perfect chance to dress up and show off a costume, and get back a bit of my childhood Halloween spirit.
I was actually a bit nervous to get on the ice—I haven’t ice skated that many times in my life. Growing up in California, the opportunities to hone my skills were few and far between. Every time I go, I forget just how hard it is! When I saw people whipping around, doing jumps and twirls, and gliding along so smoothly, I figured I’d be off in no time. Well, I was wrong. I stepped out on the ice and instantly felt off balance. Images of me cracking my head off the ice kept flashing in my mind, but I tried to cut those off quick before I deterred myself. Luckily, my friend Jaimi was a trooper, and let me hold onto her the whole time! She went as a “mom on vacation”—I think she took to the mother role quite well!
Jaimi found a "dad on vacation"--obviously a picture was necessary!
They also had instructors on hand to provide some hints for the beginners, and a little area to practice before getting straight out to the middle of the rink. It was so fun seeing everyone’s cool costumes, and everyone having a great time! They also had free candy and hot chocolate, so I took advantage of that really quickly. They had such a great turnout to the event that they had to give people a limited amount of time to skate to accommodate everyone. I was not too upset-near the end of my group’s time, my legs were sore and my arm was starting to ache from holding on to the wall (that’s how you know you’re a novice!)
Even though I’m not a skating pro, I still had so much fun! It was a great way to spend Halloween with my friends and try something different. Better to eat too much candy surrounded by the ones you love than by yourself in your bed, I always say!
Me and my friends went as the characters from the Fairly Odd Parents!
0 comments on “Embracing Halloween with Scary Skate”