Ever since I received that email alerting me that my Santa marked my gift as shipped (yesterday), I've been on the edge of my seat, checking the mailbox, and squirming with delighted anticipation. My brain, in an attempt to logic with me, says, "You do know that it takes at least a few days for mail to process and ship, right? So calm yourself and wait." But my inner child thinks, "Pfft, this is Reddit Santa. Reddit Santa can make anything happen," and so I make that trek to the post office anyway.

Mind you, it's a gorgeous day for an October afternoon. The leaves lining the path are a vibrant red and the air has a light hint of humidity and warmth. (Bare with me, I'm setting the scene.) So I get to the post office and check my box. I see the usual junk mail, grocery flyers for the week, and a single yellow slip. That yellow slip is the ultimate symbol for excitement. It means that you've received something that for some reason, doesn't fit in your mailbox. I patiently wait in line to exchange my yellow slip, like currency, for my mystery parcel. Bloop. The scanner goes off and I'm free to take my parcel, a slightly weighty cardboard box, home.

I hug my package tightly with a gigantic grin plastered on my face and let out a tiny squeal as I make the trek home. Do know that I resisted the urge to tear open the package in the post office lobby. But I didn't. Be proud. Once in the confines of my humble abode I grab my box cutter and my slightly broken, yet somehow still functional, digital camera (since I know how much Reddit loves visual documentation and all). I carefully slice open the cardboard exterior and see a smaller box inside wrapped in royal blue packaging paper, a canary yellow ribbon, and a small white card. I flop open the card and read, "Happy Halloween from your reddit secret santa!" Excitement bubbles up. (Can you tell how much I love surprises wrapped in pretty paper?)

It's time.

Royal blue paper pieces fly everywhere, scattered like DIY chunks of confetti until all that's left is a large orange box with the familiar script and "Reese's" etched across the center. Except this time there was something different. These weren't just standard Reese's peanut butter cups you all know and love. These were Reese's peanut butter cups taken to an entirely different level. Take that condensed peanut buttery patty wrapped in milk chocolate and strip off the milk chocolate. Then carefully coat that peanut buttery goodness in a heavenly exterior of creamy, rich dark chocolate. But wait, there's more! (Literally 24 more.) Yeah, that's right. My Santa went and got me 2 pounds of these things. If you didn't know, I happen to love chocolate. And I love dark chocolate even more. I also love peanut butter cups. What I didn't know was that my two loves could be combined into the ultimate marriage of nostalgia and chocolate snobbery. I won't admit how many peanut butter cups I've scarfed down already.

So even though I'll be spending my Halloween cooped up studying for my exam Monday and wishing I could parade around town in costume garnering free candy, I'll (maybe--if I don't eat them all by then) have the rest of my dark chocolate Reese's peanut butter cups to accompany me. Thank you, Santa Tyler. You've made my Halloween a happy one.

TL;DR: My Secret Santa is the best.