Tags
Cajun, Claire, dancing in the streets, king cake, Mardi Gras, New Orleans, NOLA, NYC, second line
Here’s to you, my whimsical friends: I wish I could dance beside you in NOLA!
Y’all know what the New Orleans Mardi Gras looks like: lots of costumes, beer cans, half open eye lids, dancing in the streets, beads (maybe flashing for said beads), and some stumbling.
Everyone does it a little differently, though, so you probably haven’t seen the beautiful gowns and opulence at the various Mardi Gras balls, nor the gritty fun of the small town “parades” (the whole community joins together to chase down chickens across the town).
But no matter what tourists or bystanders see in the festivities, I see such a unique spirit in Louisiana that I just can’t help but ache for dancing in the streets at this time of year. Also, having off of work and school wouldn’t hurt.
And while there are so many things I could tell you about what’s going on back home during Mardi Gras, I think one of the coolest things is that people in the spirit are just living in one big party where you’re surrounded by friends and strangers alike, unaware of the outside world right now. I, on the other hand, have to settle for wearing purple and green (don’t worry, it’s tasteful) to work today and listening to a Mardi Gras playlist on Spotify.
PS. Whoever brought the King Cake to work and didn’t send out an email: for shame. It was crushing to be greeted by an empty box that read “Happy Mardi Gras.”
Into the City 