Las Fallas– a rather intricate Valencian tradition that capitalizes on art, satire, and an overall feeling of togetherness. In theory, a festival such as this sounds fun, enlightening, and educational. However, when you are standing in an alley with a giant paper-mache doll being burned to the ground as local children dance around it’s ashes, the Spanish custom seems a bit more baffling than brilliant.

When I went to Valencia I solely wanted to experience Las Fallas, the festival that I had spent weeks hearing about from Spanish locals (who all seemed to struggle when it came to explaining its origins and purpose.) I hopped into a rideshare with one friend and two Spanish chainsmokers and spent 7 hours driving to Valencia to meet up with a strange girl whose apartment we were about to stay in.

Exhausted from travelling, we were excited for a night’s sleep only to be…