I’m tired. Not just from getting five hours of sleep the past three weeks. No, I’m tired of the looks of disapproval I get smiling on the doorstep of a stranger on Halloween. And the same phrase, “Aren’t you a little old to be Trick-or-Treating?” I’ll admit it. I’m Peter Panning hard. I don’t want to grow up. I want to Trick-or-Treat. I’m a 17 year-old girl who wants to Trick-or-Treat.

Why is is so frowned upon now? When did Trick-or-Treating get, “labeled kids” only? Being out on Halloween is just fun. It’s like staying in a hotel. There’s an overall feeling that’s unique to All Hallow’s Eve. I’m filled with energy and absolutely thrilled. Something in the air fuels me. Maybe it’s because I’m an October baby.

Obviously I’m not condoning kids to leave the house in jeans and a hoodie (as many try to do) and think you’ll get candy. Or tacky “This is my costume” shirts. You give us all bad reps. Trick-or-Treating is a participate to win kind of game.

If you’re a social introvert and socially awkward (like me), you don’t get invited to parties. Like Halloween parties. I put months into planning my costumes and am always overly proud of the end result. Now I have no place to show off my creations. Part of the fun of Trick-or-Treating is getting to off your costume. Walk around and play in character. It’s like Comic-Con, but in the dark of night and you’re not bleeding out your entire life savings for a shirt.

One of the more obvious reasons. FREE CANDY. COME ON, PEOPLE, YOU HAVE BRAINS NOW USE THEM. Who doesn’t want free candy? To have the feeling of carrying around a treasure trove of cavities. That’s a really nice feeling. I may have the metabolism of some of my middle-aged counterparts, but I like the weight of processed and packaged loot in my hands.

Some of my best memories came from Trick-or-Treating and the Halloween season. It’s not something I want to grow out of. I don’t want to get too old for my favorite time of year. Aging may take away my creativity and imagination, but I’m not going to let it take away my chance to dress like a favorite character and get candy while doing it.