If you asked any one of my friends in my classes, in my dorm hall and maybe even my professors, they’ll tell you that I hail from Spooky Town USA, aka, Salem, Massachusetts. Famously known for the Witch Trials, Salem is a town spilling in history and the old looks of New England. The sidewalks are paved with cobble stones, you are never more than 10 minutes from the ocean, and there is a good chance you’ll be asked directions to one of the many witch museums in town. 18 years of this will most likely drive you insane, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll take the first ticket out of town. However, the saying is true, home is where the heart is, and you can never escape your home. Mine just happens to be the witch town of Salem.
Salem was founded in 1626, and it quickly became a provident site for trade and maritime business. However, unless you are a resident in New England, the only history you learn about Salem is the Salem Witch Trials. Many years of maritime success are overshadowed by the 3 months in which 19 people were accused and murdered because they were believed to be witches, and under the influence of the Devil. 18 of these accused were hung to death, and one man was pressed to death with stones.
For 11 months of the year, the people of Salem are sick of their town. However, when October sweeps in, the community is turned into a collectively over-hyped mess. Every day, there is a celebration, a parade, a festival, or a party to attend to. You may say that Salem becomes like the town in that movie A Nightmare Before Christmas.
October begins with the Haunted Happenings Parade, in which every business, school, and random person gathers to walk around the town in costumes and colorful floats. Children dress up and watch the parade with empty candy bags, awaiting people on floats to chuck fun size snickers bars at them. The parade leads the town to the Commons, a park in town, where a DJ awaits to lead the town in dance and excitement. Good luck finding your mom, there is something like 600,000 over hyped people crowding around. May I add that this all takes place on a school night? The next day, Mayor’s Night Out takes place, where local shops await the Mayor and the children of Salem for a sneak peek at trick or treating. However, this is no comparison to Halloween Night.
Oh how lucky you are the year you turn 15, and your parents FINALLY allow you to go downtown Salem with your friends on Halloween Night. More than a million people from all over the world trickle to downtown Salem for a night of dancing, music, food, and scares.
The bane of my existence, the tourists. It’s not their fault, I know. They just want a chance to learn about our history! However, if your house looks older than 30 years, tourists automatically assume that it’s part of a ghost tour. Or maybe a house of one of the people accused of witch craft. They even might think it was built by one of the judges who sentenced innocent people to jail. Spend 18 years of your life shooing people away from your backyard, or asking them to stop taking pictures of your front door, and you’ll hate them just as much. What I will say about the tourists is that they are a great way to pull some pranks. For example, giving false directions and sending them to a random house on the other end of town.
When the time came to apply to colleges, I knew I wanted to get away. Whether it was because I was tired of the same streets, hang out spots, people or problems, I cannot say. I chose Virginia, and I love it. However, something happened that I never expected to. I missed the witch town of Salem, I missed being so close to the ocean that I could take leisurely walks to a beach and collect shells and I missed the older looking homes, no two alike. Honestly, I even missed walking downtown and seeing all the cool witch shops. It’s not the witch town of Salem without all of the witch shops. It takes getting out of a special town to realize just how special it is. I will even say it, I miss the tourists.
A town built upon and made popular by a hectic situation that lasted all of 3 months. It may sound extravagant and unlikely to ever be boring. No place is perfect, but home is home.
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