I went to Mardi Gras and it was crazier than I thought it would be

This year marked my fourth time as one of the over 1.2 million people at the hottest free party in the country: Mardi Gras.

But even though I've gone to New Orleans to celebrate the epic festival for the past several years, each year it surprises me with just how crazy it is. Mardi Gras truly is the wildest party of the year.

Today marks Ash Wednesday, the last day of Mardi Gras, so I thought I'd share my "Mardi Pardi" experience.

I arrived on February 10, the week before Fat Tuesday, to find that Mardi Gras festivities were already well underway. There had been regular parades since January, and there were daily parades in the week leading up to Fat Tuesday.

Mali Wiederkehr

Some of the parade floats.

I started out at The Boot, one of the best college bars in America, which is a haven for Tulane and Loyola students as well as other visiting college kids. I found that the area was flooded with campers and Winnebagos parked outside the landmark bar. I even saw a police officer help some fraternity brothers get a keg on top of their camper

Facebook/Ted Poulton

Fraternity brothers posted up outside The Boot.

And then I headed to the parades. This is when the trees become filled with beads while the streets become filled with - well, I'd rather not know. In the future I'll be sure to wear closed-toe shoes.

Throughout the week my friends and I found ourselves walking most places because many of the streets were blocked off and cabs were scarce (Uber, please come to New Orleans).

Mali Wiederkehr

People camp out for hours along St. Charles Street, which is where the majority of parades take place, to secure a prime viewing spot. However, my friends and I managed to find great parade spots and score lots of swag despite arriving just minutes before the parades reached us.

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Lauren Browning/Business Insider

Showing off our purses after the Krewe of Nyx parade.

Lauren Browning/Business Insider

Note the plungers in hand.

On my last day we went to the infamous Bourbon Street. We were greeted with signs saying "Mardi On!" and people dressed in all sorts of costumes. I donned a purple tutu. First we headed to Pat O'Brien's bar, a popular spot for 20-somethings, to meet up with friends and get some hurricanes, a signature Mardi Gras drink.

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There were Christian protesters everywhere, but this year I found their messages to be much nicer than they had been in previous years.

Facebook/Emily Wallach

We ended our day on one of Bourbon Street's balconies, the best place to be in my opinion. We sipped hurricanes and tossed beads to people in the street below.

Facebook/Laura K.