First, let's take a moment to acknowledge how far Mandy Moore has come in her career.
Not knocking her early 2000s singing stint, but I mean... A Walk to Remember still makes me cry just thinking about it and This Is Us is an amazing accomplishment that I am not even sure humans are worthy of viewing. NBD.
- Reflection -
Stage 1: I'm a 00's girl, in a Britney-Spears-dominated world
Stage 2: I don't need to shave my head and wear a snake around my neck to be a fan favorite
Stage 3: Britney who?
It's Mandy, ____.
(you know how it goes)
- END Reflection -
Anyway.... back to the point of this post:
I arrived in Ennis, Ireland on October 31st, 201o.
I had done some preliminary research on the Internet about Halloween, because for some reason, I thought I wouldn't be affected by a 7-hour flight / jet-lag and assumed I'd be painting the town red.
Yeah.... no. I was tired.
But what I learned was that,
A. The Irish actually partake in the holiday (wasn't sure)
B. They call costumes, fancy dress (that is really as adorable as it gets)
So, because I was tired and didn't go out that night for Halloween (which I deeply regret to this day.... stay young kids), I don't have much to add to this extremely petite post relating to travel and Halloween, EXCEPT....
THE IRISH GIVE OUT UNWRAPPED CANDY IN BOWLS BECAUSE IRELAND IS THAT PURE AND TOO GOOD FOR US
No, but really. They give out unwrapped candy, and I couldn't believe my eyes.
And it got me thinking.... what kind of world are we living in that is so different from this beautifully pristine country? Are we the only heathens who have to worry about pins in our Tootsie Rolls while the rest of the world carelessly and whimsically picks out naked sweets from a bowl??
The answer is quite simple: Yes.
I mean, I am sure there are parts of Ireland that may require things to be wrapped ... but standing in that doorway with my host mom, watching the kids scoop up as many Mike and Ike's as possible with their little nose-pickin' hands, made me..... happy. And..... at peace.
Forget the boogers .... think: there is a place in this world, my American friends and beyond, where people don't worry about their children being poisoned, because, well.... they are just better people.
One day.... one day very far away from now.... we too may be like the Irish in that beautiful town and throw caution to the wind with unwrapped candy.
A girl can dream, after all.
Happy Halloween, fellow heathens!
Skål xx
Welcome back Bonnie McKee, speaking of 2000s
Credit: Youtube