It’s October, which means one of my most favorite holidays is around the corner and it’s never too early to celebrate. Halloween! 
With it comes cooler weather, where the sun shines on you while a slight chill is in the air- it gives me delightful goosebumps. Halloween also means bringing our inner child out again. We dress up and get silly and eat a lot of treats and candies. The stores are decorated with bright colors and costumes. 
And what better way to bring in the fun than by visiting a pumpkin patch. This year, I decided to visit Vertuccio Farms in Mesa, Arizona. Entry was $15 for adults, and although the layout is smaller compared to the other main pumpkin patch in Arizona (Schnepf Farms)- don’t judge a book by its size. Vertuccio was still brimming with things to do! 
Let’s slide into the fun already with this first stop.
Three Slides and a Big Scream
As the slides were one of the key highlights of the farm, I made a beeline for them, first going to the tube one. As I got nearer, my hands started feeling clammy because the closer I got, the taller it looked. After nervously trying the lower one to warm-up, I climbed back up to try the taller one. The material on the tube was slick, and there was no way to use my sneakers to brake to slow down. I let out a scream on the way down, finally stopping on my back. A lady standing nearby gave a stare and I mumbled abashedly “that slide goes pretty fast” and hurriedly walked off with a “nothing-to-see-here” gait. 
Next were the red-white-blue racer slides. After debating whether to go on, I relented to give it a go. Once again at the top, the slope looked extra steep. When the ride attendant asked “how fast do you want to go?” my answer was - slow, as slow as you can. Even with his cautious push, I felt myself flying down, another scream simultaneously flying out my mouth. By now, you can see I have a love-hate relationship with rollercoasters. But, it was a good feeling afterward to know that I conquered my fears to give all 3 slides at Vertuccio a whirl.
An A-Maze-Ing Finish
Having got the scariest adrenaline activities out of the way, it was time to wind down. I visited the petting zoo. There were mostly goats, sheep, and a llama hanging out in a medium-sized pen. Watching it all from a separate pen was a goofy camel who stuck his head out. Next, I stopped by the corn maze, trying every possible path I could think of and somehow comically walking in circles. Around me, I could hear other people’s confused rumblings about “where is the exit?” and “haven’t we done this turn already?.” The golden sun made the green corn stalks glow and I felt at peace walking around, losing myself in it all. After an hour, I still hadn’t found the exit and proceeded to the entrance. Another group had given up too and forged their own shortcut, bulldozing their way through the corn stalks. It was a humorous sight! 
After trying the games the farm had like mini-golf and the inflated jumping area, thirsty and hungry, I made my way to the exit. After passing the first exit door, there were pumpkins for purchase. The orange ones were huge, but my favorite ones were the white ones- I’d never seen them that color. The sun was starting to make its way down the horizon and its rays gently patted the pumpkins. 
I drove home feeling so much happier than earlier. I felt light, and the time at Vertuccio Farms reminded me to laugh more and have more fun. 
It’s that time of year when the air gets a little crisper, and our inner child comes out to play. The slides and the rollercoasters, even if they made you scream, must have been so much fun - it’s all part of the thrill, right? 
Thank you so much!