For those that think of Mardi Gras as a big street party, think again. It is a way of being. Over the two week period in February that culminates in Mardi Gras, the population of New Orleans swells from some three hundred thousand to close to two million souls. It is a celebration of life and all who come are welcome. From every part of the city, from every parish. From every part of the country, from every state. From every part of the world, from every country. The youngest, the oldest, the affluent and the marginalized, the believer, the skeptic, those that work and those that play, the musician, the dancer, the costumed and the unadorned. All are welcomed and none refused. This was my first experience of Mardi Gras and everything I did and everyone I met was an adventure.