Halloween Costumes For Travel Lovers

Is your love of travel part of your identity? Have you trawled every Southeast Asian backwater, and explored the twisting streets and alleyways of little-known European cities? Whether your adventurous spirit takes you abroad for work or pleasure, chances are you’ve seen enough of the planet to know that certain stereotypes exist for a reason.

This year, Gadling decided to come up with some Halloween costume ideas based upon our collective experience as world travelers. Don’t take offense: We’ve all been guilty of travel crimes or attire that make our country of origin painfully obvious. Just remember, there’s a fine line between funny and racist. Don’t cross it.

Trustafarian Backpacker in Southeast Asia (gender-neutral)
Your costume consists of dreadlocks, “indigenous” necklace and bracelet, Lao beer T-shirt, Thai fisherman’s pants, and at least one tribal/Chinese character tattoo (mistranslation optional). This is my variation on Pam Mandel’s “Chiang Mai Blogger,” which includes “a MacBook Air, Nikon DX000 (one-year old, bought at bugout time), fully-stocked 401k, and crumpled-up absentee ballot, because ‘it hardly matters.'”

Euro Trash Guy
Super pointy, expensive leather shoes, douchey scarf, and tight pants n’ high thread-count tee are de riguer. Style a fashion mullet, don your trendy shades, and talk about your last holiday on Ibiza. Chain smoke, and offer mints to fellow partygoers, telling them it’s Ecstasy. Eek!

Harajuku Girl
Striped thigh-high socks, baby-doll dress or plaid school girl skirt, choppy blond or colored wig, outlandish eye makeup (or try mega-size false lashes), and crazy-high platform shoes. Don’t forget the “Hello Kitty” accessories.

Las Vegas Bachelorette Party Chick
“A sash, saying, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” says McLean Robbins. I suggest adding a tiara, and perhaps some type of phallic paraphernalia as accessory.

Travel Writer (gender neutral)
Do not shower for several days prior. Wear whatever clothes you can find crumpled up in your dirty laundry, and carry an overstuffed daypack filled with coffee- and -wine-stained notebook, decrepit laptop, tattered guide book, and much-abused passport. Look stressed. Mutter about deadlines and bus schedules. Feign confusion, and ask partygoers what city/country you’re in. Scary.

Hawaiian Honeymooners
An easy costume for couples: just wear matching his n’ hers outfits, leis, sparkly wedding bands, and big smiles. Carry a camera and mai tais garnished with orchids. For a group, go as “Midwestern Family on Hawaiian Vacation,” and have everyone wear matching Hilo Hattie attire and leis. Before I get angry comments, allow me to note that I’ve lived on Maui twice and yes, these are both a thing.

Ashram Girl
Yoga pants, kurti blouse, hemp necklace, handmade sandals (barefoot optional), bindi, and glazed eyes. Refer to your spiritual leader by name, often. Cue ghostly sounds.

Canadian (gender neutral)
Sew the national flag on a backpack, deploy lots of “eh’s” and “aboots” in conversation, and you’re good to go. Ask partygoers if they can spare a loonie.

Ugly American (gender neutral)
If under 30, wear Greek letters/house party shirt of choice, or opt for a tee with an obnoxious saying (“Diva,” “Princess,” “Where’s the Beer?” “I’m with Stupid”). Add inappropriately short-shorts (if female) or saggy pants (male). Carry a copy of a Let’s Go guidebook, spendy tennis shoes, and spanking new backpack. Talk loudly about how hungover you are, how much all of your material goods cost (the more expensive, the better), and complain about how no one speaks any English. Shudder.

Older folks can wear a favorite sports team or logo T-shirt (baseball cap optional) or something comparably lacking in style, with khaki shorts, dark socks, and sandals. Carry a map and camera, and in your “outdoor” voice, ask where you can find the nearest McDonald’s, or “why no one in this goddamn country wears deodorant.” Spooky!

Aussie-on-holiday Guy
Bring lots of beer (not Fosters!), a wandering eye, and a good attitude.

Happy Halloween, fellow travelers!

[Photo credits: Harajuku Girl, Flick user Leishangthem; hippie, Flickr user madaboutasia; with Stupid, OneHorseShy.com]

Roller skates and Halloween

I used to have a pair of roller skates with metal clamps that fastened to my shoes. No matter how I tightened them, they wouldn’t stay put. Finding out about Halloween roller skating events has made me nostalgic. Around the world people don costumes and roller skates this time of year for organized Halloween skates. These are not at a skating rink, but out on the town. I was in a Halloween run at midnight once, but roller skating sounds a lot more fun.

If you agree, then check out this list of places around the world you can skate in honor of the ghoulish holiday:

  • Pari Roller happens on Friday nights in Paris, France. This Friday, is Randoween when people dress up. This section of the Web site is in French and I don’t know how to read French all that well, so if you show up on Friday in a costume and no one else does–sorry.
  • If you read Dutch, here’s the Halloween skate event in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Part of the Web site is in English so you could probably find out where this is taking place.
  • London’s event, London Skate is this Sunday. After the skating, there’s a party.
  • Philadelphia might have the least attractive people (I don’t believe that, by the way) but they sure know how to have fun. There are two Halloween skating events mentioned on its skating club Web site.
  • The Beach Bladers in South Florida had three different Halloween skates according to its calendar.
  • In San Francisco, The Midnight Rollers‘ Halloween themed skating event is tomorrow night, Oct. 26.
  • New York City, as you might expect, also has a Halloween Skate, and it’s on Halloween. This one is a parade that starts at Union Square and heads through Greenwich Village. The photo, thanks to Edward Sudenta, was taken at a Halloween skate in Central Park in 2005. I love the dreamy quality. Check out his others.

Here’s a Web site devoted to roller skating Halloween events. The dates are last year’s, but I’ve checked links and they go to this year’s. There are even costume suggestions and other Halloween tidbits.