Halloween has always been one of my favorite occasions. There is something magical about putting on a costume and donning a new personality, even if it is just for a night. Also, the idea that ghosts and goblins could be lurking around every corner is a thrilling thought to entertain. When I was younger, my favorite part of Halloween was of course the trick or treating. My friends and I would walk through the neighborhood, pillowcases in hand searching for the houses with the best treats. We even had an established route that we would follow every single year. This was done to make sure we hit the houses that historically gave the best candy first before they ran out. Most of my friends would want to skip the house of the dentist in our neighborhood. He had a really long driveway and at the end all you got was a toothbrush. I, on the other hand, actually liked going to his house. The toothbrushes he gave out came in fun colors and were sparkly. My friends would wait at the bottom of his driveway while I ran up, did my quick trick or treat, and came skipping down, pink sparkly toothbrush in hand. Conjuring up costumes was another fun adventure. I have no idea what I was for my first halloween, but I remember being a robot at the age of 3 and a bunny rabbit at age 4. At age 12, I dressed up as Albert Einstein and attended my school’s Halloween dance. I thought Albert Einstein was a fantastic costume initially, until I realized that none of the boys in my class wanted to slow dance with a girl sporting a fake mustache. :(
Given my love for Halloween, I was pretty excited to hear that New Haven was actually going to be chalk full of parties that night. My friends and I decided that the Flintstones would be the perfect foursome. We were right. It was incredibly fun to see everybody out and about in their costumes. Perhaps I am biased, but as a group, I think ours were the best for sure.
The next day we woke up groggy and hungover and hopped in the car to embark on a quick trip to Philadelphia for UPenn’s homecoming. What a beautiful city!
Our first stop was of course, a bar.
From there we had dinner at a fantastic Italian restaurant, returned to the hotel to get ready, and headed out to explore the town. The architecture of the buildings in Philadelphia is simply breathtaking.
The city is also known for its murals. If you ever get a chance, you have got to see one up close. They are fantastic. It really is amazing what the human mind can create.
We couldn’t go to Philly and not get a cheese steak sandwich! Oh, so greasy, but oh, so delicious.
I can’t believe I actually ate that.
After a night out on the town, we got pizza from one of Philly’s best pizza joints. It was good, but I still think La Ventina’s in Newport is better.
The next morning we packed our bags, checked out of the hotel and headed out to brunch. We waited for an hour to get a table at a restaurant called Jones. The wait, however, was well worth it. They serve this monkey bread which melts upon initial contact with the tongue and my huevos rancheros rival those of Taco Rosa (another Newport Beach favorite of mine). Post brunch it was time for a long drive back to New Haven. Somewhere along that whirlwind trip, I left a piece of my heart in Philadelphia. It is for sure one of my favorite east coast cities. Goodbye for now, Philly. Until we meet again.
Oops!
