Mardi Gras 2015.

I still remember watching my very first Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras at the tender age of nine, having barely any clue as to what the occasion was actually about but thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere and the crowd nonetheless, wide-eyed and mouth gaping.

Two decades later (outrageous! I know),  I decided that it was definitely time to leave my burrow and pay this Sydney tradition another long overdue visit, and yes, twenty years on, it is as if the party never really ended.

Now, for a girl who sticks to a regular daily routine and shuns the crowd, heading into the CBD at 8:30pm (simply to be amongst the crowd) was well, as rare as a blue moon. I was even more horrified when I stepped onto the bus FULL of people, most of them – young! I remember scanning their faces, their chatter a cacophony and thinking to myself "so this is how the young lives it up these days". *chuckles*

As I was waiting at the corner of Hyde Park for my 'bodyguard', I saw waves and waves of people descend from who knows where, in all states of undress and intoxication. I thought "perhaps leaving my burrow was not a great idea". Thankfully, with the arrival of my 'bodyguard', we were able to catch the latter half of the parade.

Colour, glitter, sequins and pure pandemonium.

I was like a child once more, wide-eyed as I struggle to catch a glimpse of the floats beyond a sea of onlookers. I was bedazzled. As my 'bodyguard' lifted me onto his shoulders so I could get an obstructed view, I felt I was truly a part of the crowd, a part of the celebration, cheering the parade on and the appearance of 'Kim Jong Un' (yes, at a gay and lesbian parade).

So now I somehow come to understand why people would gather in such large numbers for events, often braving the elements, the sweat, the traffic – atmosphere.