In my family we don’t really care about New Year’s Eve. That’s a great night to go to bed early, look forward with prospect, and let the local drunks hold down all the spots we don’t make it to anymore anyway. Mardi Gras season is a different story. Having family from New Orleans, we LOVE Mardi Gras season and live it up to its fullest. This was my first MG as a parent which meant I couldn’t stay out on Bourbon Street til 4am because someone had to be level headed enough to drive from both Galveston and New Orleans on 2 Sundays in a row back to our quiet little home in the country. Oh yeah, and then there’s taking the baby home and getting her in bed at a decent hour…
All that said, this was the best MG I’ve ever experienced!
What was once a few weeks of “Hey Mista’!” and “Giiirrrrrrrrllllll, what’s up?” has transformed into this fun teaching experience where the whole family can enjoy great food and collect mardi gras beads to bring home for a little girl that’s not even old enough to register them yet anyway. Most importantly, its become a time for us to travel and enjoy new things together. My fiancé hadn’t been to MG either until we met.
Today marks the 1st day after Mardi Gras season. Its the day after Fat Tuesday. It has much historical relevance in relation to history and religion (which I won’t go into) as the beginning of Lent. I get to look back on the things I’ve learned this year, clean up after the carnivals, and look forward to Easter with my beautiful family. Of the most important things I’ve learned this year: I can survive a carnival sober and without watching the sun rise, my baby girl loves red beans & rice with sweet cornbread in it, maybe I should walk into that art museum I’ve been past a thousand times (I did and it was great), and despite what everyone says…you don’t HAVE to finish every king cake on the store shelves.
On top of all the wonderful experience that’s been this year so far…I got a new GoPro for Christmas and this is the first real video I’ve made of my girl. It just so happen to be at MG 🙂