This past week I joined my suitemates in carving pumpkins. The event took me back to many childhood halloweens spent at the dining room table scooping out pumpkin “guts” and designing a creature to be carved out and lit up for the neighborhood to see. The major difference this time is that I could handle the knife unsupervised!

The four of us split into groups of two and went away at designing and carving. My pumpkin was carved into a haunted house and spooky tree. The others suitemates elected for a cute, crooked-toothed jack-o-lantern which they later named Freddy.

The experience was simple, fun, and very relaxing. Afterward we all reflected on how enjoyable our time was and how important it was to take a step away from studying to enjoy some wholesome, stress-free times together.