Three years ago I went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. It was my fifth Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and I PRAY that it was not my last.
I love Mardi Gras in New Orleans. LOVE it. Everything about it.
I love the city. There is no place quite like New Orleans.
I love the anticipation of the next parade.
I love the white masks.
I love watching a less-than-sober individual stumble off a float in the hopes of finding a bathroom. Good luck with that.
I love scoring an enormous, light-up, colorful set of beads with a ten-pound medallion hanging from it. In any other setting, this would merely be plastic junk. But at Mardi Gras, the plastic-y-er, the better.
I love the lack of rules and inhibitions. It's nearly impossible to get arrested at Mardi Gras. I haven't tried, but I have SEEN IT ALL. And while I've witnessed some ridiculous debauchery, I've never seen anyone actually get arrested.
I love the casino buffet and bathrooms.
I love waking up to streets lined with broken beads, beer cans, and pop-up chairs. As crazy as this sounds, the trash-filled morning-after sights of Mardi Gras are part of its beautiful atmosphere.
I love beignets and cafe au lait. Heck, I love all the food.
I love watching small children perched atop a ladder in hopes of catching the best loot.
I love it all.
Here I am guarding our goods. Bags and bags and bags full of sacred beads and stuffed animals and cups and coins.
These are my people. Oh, how I miss these people. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Louisiana friends. This picture nearly brings me to tears, I miss them all so much.
This is B-Money (right) with a stranger. Best-friending all strangers is just a part of Mardi Gras. B-Money is brilliant at making new best friends.
One of the HUNDREDS of floats. "Throw me some beads, Mister!"
Don't ask me what is going on in this picture. It's Mardi Gras. Which means nothing makes sense. And I love it.
Honey, when can we go back? Let's take the kids next year, K?!
Mardi Gras, I miss you. I miss you. I miss you.
Let's meet again soon.
