Quarter-Life Crisis Problems: How Should A 25-Year-Old Celebrate Halloween?
Good question, self. I actually have no idea how I’m supposed to be celebrating Halloween this year.
Good question, self. I actually have no idea how I’m supposed to be celebrating Halloween this year. There was enough confusion the year after I graduated college on when to dress up, how many costumes to have, how slutty to make those costumes, etc… But now that I’m 25, those questions are back at it full force with mass confusion. I’m not a recent grad (right? I mean I graduated over 3 years ago, so I don’t think I am at least) so I can’t act like I’m still in college (or can I?), but I’m still young (I’m not in my LATE twenties) so I want to celebrate the holiday in a big way. How should I do that though? So many questions, so little time.
When Should I Dress Up?
So this year, Halloween is on a Thursday. As a 25 year old living in Boston, any bar I would go to that Thursday would be infested with college students celebrating Thirty Thursday decked head to toe in Miley Cyrus/Robin Thicke attire. I wouldn’t exactly fit in and I like to sleep on Thursdays. But then again, 25 year olds do go out on Thursdays. They aren’t as poor as they were when they just graduated college a few years ago, and they actually know how to drink (well, most of the time). That makes me feel like I should be doing something for Halloween on Thursday… but then again I don’t really want to.
So that leaves me to celebrate on the weekend. But, like, can I still celebrate the weekend after? Or was I supposed to celebrate the weekend before? The weekend after is so much closer to Halloween, but it’s November. And so many people dressed up last weekend. The solution to this problem in college would have been to dress up both weekends – duh. But now, at age 25, I’m not so sure what to do. Am I too old to dedicate two weekends to a holiday catered to dress up and pretend? Am I too old to celebrate TWO nights in ONE weekend alone?! I actually have no idea. If I dress up more than one night I’ll feel like I’m doing too much… and if I don’t celebrate more than one night I’ll feel like I’m not doing enough. I want to feel like I’m still in college but I also want to feel like an adult. UGH. Like, helloooo quarter life crisis problems.
How Many Costumes Should I Have?
If I only celebrate one night, the answer is clear: one costume. But I don’t want to just celebrate one night — that would be lame. So do I have TWO costumes? Do I have more than that if I celebrate more than two nights? Or will that appear as if I’m trying too hard? Because no one wants to look like they’re trying too hard… In college, I would never be caught dead in the same outfit twice if it was already captured in a night full of pictures. Now, I don’t care and will wear the same outfit on repeat. If it looks good, it looks good. And I paid for it. The same should go with a Halloween costume, right? It should, but I can’t think like that yet.
Anyway — I can’t wrap my head around having more than two Halloween costumes, so I’m thinking I’ll have two. But I don’t even have ONE yet and I have no idea when I will have the time to acquire a costume… so like, basically, my mind is in college and my body is in the real world: help.
DIY or Store Bought?
So, like, am I too old to be putting in a massive amount of time and creativity on my own costume? I know one day I will be able to channel my DIY-costume-making ability with my children… but am I getting too old to create crafty and slutty masterpieces for myself? How much effort is too much for a DIY Halloween costume? Am I too old to buy fabric and make myself into a bottle of vodka or an iPod? Or a beer bottle?
Beyond the question of age, do I even have the TIME to create a DIY masterpiece? Yeah I could go the use-what-I-have route and be something less creative… or I could go to American Apparel and splurge on expensive stuff I won’t wear again to create an interesting yet easy-to-put-together costume… but I don’t have the time I did in college to craft. And I don’t have the friends living with me to spend an afternoon doing crafts with because no one has an afternoon free ever… and even if we did have free time, we wouldn’t have the same free time. Oh, and, no one has space in their apartment for crafts so that’s a problem too.
These two problems bring me to the possibility of a store bought costume, which I will never do. They are way too expensive. And… too slutty?
How Slutty Is Too Slutty?
Is there such thing as “too slutty” on Halloween? Maybe not for college students… but what about girls who are, let’s say, 25? How are they supposed to dress? Are we too old to dress in basically nothing? Would it be immature of us to put no thought in our costumes and throw on underwear and a bra and call ourselves Pre-Sex Barbie? Or should we be wearing a costume that we wouldn’t fear be photographed and shown on various social media channels for our co-workers to find? Should we choose a costume that’s more intellectual to show we are grown up and smart? And if we do choose an intellectual costume, should we still have our boobs slightly out — but then slightly covered up to show we are “young adults?”
Should I even be asking these questions? Is there a point to thinking about it? Or should I just go for the gold and dress like I did in college? I have no answers, but I will continue to let these questions cause me great anxiety.
Am I Even Going To Have Anything To Do?
We put all this effort and thought into Halloween costumes, and then when it comes down to it — we don’t even know if we have plans. In college, there was always a party to go. Always a bar to frequent. Always friends to hang out with. But now, there’s usually something to do – but not all the time. Everyone has a different schedule and may have something planned that you aren’t part of. You won’t know who is around and what your weekend options are until that very weekend (or a day or two before), and that doesn’t help for a holiday in which you have to plan in advance. You don’t want to start asking people what they’re doing because it’s way too early (and you want to wait and see what your best option is — IF THERE IS ONE). You could plan a party, but no one your age has an apartment worthy of hosting a party. Like a real party. It’s a problem.
So what the F are you planning for?! Why are you thinking so intensely about a costume when you have no plans?! Because that’s what confused twenty somethings going through a quarter life crisis do. Have absolutely no idea how to celebrate the ridiculous holiday of Halloween. Maybe we should just gather together and run free in a corn maze… or wait… are we too old for that too? 
