One of the best things about Halloween is the way it rings in the holiday season. Getting caught up in festivities makes it easy to say goodbye to summer. This was my first Halloween as an employee at PMI and I was shocked by how seriously my co-workers take this particular holiday. At other companies I’ve worked for, the receptionist is usually the only one that dresses up, and even then the effort they put into dressing up is minimal. I elected not to wear a costume this year because I assumed I’d be the odd person out if I did. I was very wrong. My decision to forgo the costume put me squarely in the minority on the day of the Halloween party. Throughout the day, co-workers would drop by to show off their costumes: rock stars, hippies, superheroes, and a particularly convincing Sid Vicious. Later in the day people started bringing their kids by to get a head start on trick or treating.

The party started at five and quickly took off. There was a pumpkin coloring contest, trick or treating, a scavenger hunt, and “Halloween survival” activities put on by the coaching team. Before the kids made their rounds for candy they learned how to knock witches off of their brooms (by throwing candy at them), how to appease a ghoul (by carefully returning it’s eyes…which tend to pop out and roll away), and how to say the words “trick or treat” in a way that ensures maximum candy returns. Whenever the kids needed a break from bat hunting, witch incapacitating, or trick or treating, they could head back to home base and listen to scary stories. The party went off without a hitch and now that I know how fun Halloween is at PMI, I’m already planning my costume for next year.