Today is one of my favorite days of the year.

It's a day to put on a mask and have fun, or perhaps take off our everyday mask and let our true selves shine. It's a day to be whatever you want!

• As a kid, I was obsessed with vampires—not the Twilight kind, but real vampires. I remember watching vampire movies with my father, feeling both terrified and fascinated by those seductive creatures. Even though I knew I wouldn't sleep for weeks, I couldn't stop watching. I think I dressed up as a vampire for my first ten Halloweens, honestly.

I'm not entirely sure why I love Halloween so much, but I've always enjoyed playing pretend. My friends and I would become the Scooby-Doo characters, Pokémons, or even invent our own characters from imaginary TV shows. I used my imagination to escape reality and become part of a grander one. Many people share this sentiment, and as we grew up, Halloween became our outlet.

Today is the only day when it's completely acceptable to dress up as someone else. By becoming another person, you can temporarily set aside life's burdens and immerse yourself in a world of playful fantasy. It's a time to enjoy a break from reality, including academics, work, and other responsibilities. Halloween is also a day of connection, bringing people together to share and learn about each other. I've dressed up as an vampire, an angel, the devil, Pikachu, Myss Keta dressed as Pikachu, a broke superstar, and this year... well, maybe you'll figure it out.

It's rare to find people who love Halloween as much as I do and who put effort into their costumes. If you're one of those few, join me for an amazing Modern Family's Claire's Halloween house party next year — if you know, you know.

P.S.: The picture above shows the wings from when I dressed up as an angel in Australia. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures, but it was something like this.

With love,

M.