Don't stop me now

It was 2005 and my last Halloween while in college, so I knew I needed to make it one to remember. We celebrated two nights in a row. For the first night, the four of us were characters from Sin City. Lane was Kevin, Jeremy was Jackie Boy (complete with slit throat), Samir was Dwight, and I was an American Miho. The costumes were slightly accurate, but the reaction was phenomenal. For the second night, we wanted to change it up, do something different and creative. Around 6:30, Lane texted me with his idea. "How about the four seasons?" I replied, "The band?" Apparently not. He wanted us to actually be the seasons. So, after getting home from an eight hour shift at the bookstore, I started assembling an outfit for autumn.

We attended four parties that night. Four parties where we knew a minimal amount of guests, but just the right people. The first party was put on by a friend who worked at the campus movie theatre. There, we were at home with like minded dorks. We discussed films, video games. We took pictures. We drank. At the next party, we knew the host and that was it. Lin joined us, wearing a slimming backless shirt, costumed as a disco ball. We danced, not caring what others thought or if we ever saw them again. The third party was a theatre party. Their costumes were better, but we brought the party. Pumped full of energy (and alcohol by that time), we mingled. We saw old friends and met some new ones. But we all stuck together, always sticking together. The last party brought us to an apartment complex, where two floors of apartments were open for festivities. We were lost in the tangle and mob of attendants. A friend, Aaron, grabbed my hand and led me around. I reached for the others, but found my hand empty. I stayed with Aaron for a bit, and I knew what he wanted that night, so I left him in the crowd of people. I came with my friends and planned on leaving with them. We danced and we, ultimately, smiled.

The parties led to hunger, so we stopped by our local campus diner around four a.m. Still energized, we laughed and ate until the early morning. I discarded various accessories from my costume and traded them for Jeremy's warm jacket. At five in the morning, I didn't care about style. I came home to find my bed, unmade, and begging for me to sleep in it.

At one point during the night, in a parking garage, we took this picture.



Today, Lin and I reminisced and mentioned the picture. Where words fail, I think it accurately describes the night. For that night, we were blurry, out of the control, crazy, and had no clue nor care what the next day would bring. Our lives at the time were out of focus, we lived for the moment. And although I enjoy my life now, as it's more crisp, more detailed, I still remember and sometimes yearn for those crazy nights. When stress from jobs and deadlines didn't matter, only passing a test that week. And as many memories fade away with time, I know that night will too. But not this picture. If nothing else, this picture reminds me of what it was like to, for one moment, feel free.