Mardi Gras — something I had seen pictures of and heard warnings about from my parents — was so much more than I could have ever imagined or expected. I thought I was prepared, being a lollapalooza-regular, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
These are my tips for making the most out of Mardi Gras:
1. Leave early
Either leave Thursday or early Friday morning so that you can participate in Friday’s festivities.
2. Use Lyft rather than Uber
Everyone and their mother is trying to get an Uber to and from Bourbon Street, so Lyft is a nice way to avoid the 20-minute wait time.
3. Café Du Monde is a must
If you have never been to NOLA, go to Café Du Monde! But, my advice is to skip the line by going in the bathroom line. Call me a horrible person, but I prefer ~resourceful~.
4. Dress up!!
All of the Tulane students dress up in wild and creative outfits, so pull out your costume drawer. It is the one time you can dress in the most ridiculous outfit and actually blend in.
5. Save the unique beads
There are beads EVERYWHERE, but if you are thrown one of the really nice beads (you will know the difference), save them for the next time you find yourself in NOLA, at a Mardi Gras themed party, or just for the memories.
6. Share your location with all of your friends
It is very easy to get separated, so it is important that everyone you are staying with knows your whereabouts for your safety.
7. Dress for both day and night
At Mardi Gras time moves quickly and before you know it, it’s nighttime. This year it was unconventionally cold, so I wore a jacket during the day so that I wouldn’t be cold come nighttime.
8. Only bring the essentials out with you
Leave everything you don’t absolutely need in the hotel/house/etc. The less you have on you, the less likely something of value will get lost or stolen.
9. Reach out to everyone
Chances are many of your friends from various schools, your own school, or even family members will be there.
10. Go with the flow, and HAVE FUN!