I'm marking my five month anniversary in New Orleans just as Carnival season ramps up. Only 3 weeks or so until Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras day.

Sometimes it seems that this town exists just for the season of Carnival, at that the rest of the year is just spent in one long exhalation. During my time here, the whole thing has been described to me elaborately and exhuberantly by many folks who represent many different experiences. But for some reason, I feel like nothing can prepare me for Mardi Gras except my own experience, since it's so uniquely meaningful to every person. Differently.