By Razan Alaqil, YES 2014-15, Saudi Arabia

Since the first day of October, I knew that experiencing Fall would be extremely new and beautiful, because we basically don't have a lot of trees that turn colors due to the climate of Saudi Arabia. And I also knew that experiencing Halloween for the first time ever would definitely add a new chapter to this year.

The color of the leaves stole my heart, as the sound of crushing them brought joy to me everyday whenever we went out to walk the dogs. The smell of this season, its food, and the spirit that I found in all of the people here made each day joyful and different. The people that I'm living, studying, and interacting with here are like nobody else in the world. They're very special in their own way, and they're like one huge family. They all know each other, care for each other, and love one another. Marion may not have a lot, but its people and nature are enough for this Saudi girl who looks at everything differently.

Carving my first pumpkin was a great experience; maybe because I didn't know that pumpkins may smell bad, and I didn't expect to find a lot of things inside of them. At first I used a giant scooper to clean it, but then I decided to be courageous and stick my hand in there, and clean it like a real American! I won't lie, that was very disgusting, but I enjoyed it!

Then the awaited day arrived! Halloween is finally here. I wore my Kennedy Lugar YES Program t-shirt, and told people that I'm dressed as an exchange student....yet that didn't quite work. The first costume I saw was a chemistry teacher dressed as a vampire. And after that I saw a lion, Thing 1, zombies, aaaaand The Four Ninja Turtles by the school's principals. Interacting with the students is one thing, but dressing up to share with them an important day like this one is another thing. Yes I did laugh when I saw them, but I was really impressed. Because I've never thought that principals would do such a thing, they really did succeed in making everyone happy today, and they got me into the spirit of Halloween.

I went back home and by 6:00 pm we were going trick or treating with my host sister and brother. The weather was cold for me, because this is our winter in Saudi Arabia, and it usually doesn't get colder. Just to be honest, here's what I was wearing: a t-shirt, a polo shirt, a sweater, a not-so-heavy-coat, jeans, and I was still cold...

They knocked on the doors while I stood from a distance watching them and smiling. The happiness that my host sister had was amazing, and I loved hearing her say "Trick or treeeeeeeat." We walked to a bunch of houses, and by the end, I had such a satisfying day.

I kept on asking myself "If this is Halloween, then how will Christmas be?" The thing that made me really interested in all of this is how everyone was into the spirit of Halloween, kids and adults, they were all united by the happiness and joy of this day. It seemed like Halloween doesn't ask for a certain age, just a good costume, and lots of candy. Now I wonder, where will I spend Halloween next year, because I'm excited to get right into its spirit!