Some trips are about sightseeing. Some trips are about being in the middle of the action. Festivals are the latter. I’ve chased a few. Here’s what stuck with me.

1. Rio Carnival, Brazil
   I stood in the middle of Rio. Samba music everywhere. People dancing. Glitter on their costumes. Everyone smiling. I just watched, but it felt like I was part of it too.

2. Diwali, India
   Tiny lamps everywhere. Fireworks cracking in the night sky. The smell of sweets and incense. Families laughing, kids running. Walking through a town during Diwali felt magical.

3. Oktoberfest, Germany
   Long tables. Beer mugs clinking. Music and laughter all around. People in Lederhosen and Dirndls. Even if you don’t drink, you want to join in. The energy is infectious.

4. La Tomatina, Spain
   Tomatoes flying everywhere. People screaming and laughing. I was soaked, sticky, red from head to toe. Messy chaos, but ridiculously fun. I couldn’t stop laughing.

5. Chinese New Year, China
   Red lanterns swaying. Dragons twisting through the streets. Fireworks popping constantly. I felt dizzy. Amazed. Part of something centuries old, yet alive right in front of me.

6. Mardi Gras, New Orleans, USA
   Jazz on every corner. Beads flying. Costumes everywhere. I wandered without a plan. Grabbed a beignet. Jumped into a parade. Pure chaos. Pure fun.

7. Holi, India
   Colors flying. Music blasting. People laughing. By the end, I was pink, green, yellow—completely covered. I didn’t care. Just joined in. Pure joy.

8. Gion Matsuri, Japan
   Kyoto in July. Streets buzzing. Giant floats. Traditional music. People in historic clothes. Watching it felt like stepping into history. Every corner had a story.

9. Carnival of Venice, Italy
   Masks everywhere. Gondolas gliding. Costumes so elaborate. Venice already feels magical, but Carnival… it’s like a dream. I wandered, got lost, loved it.

10. Songkran, Thailand
    Water fights everywhere. Everyone spraying everyone. Soaked. Laughing. Meeting strangers mid-fight. By the end, drenched and grinning. Already thinking of next year.

Festivals like these aren’t just events. They’re moments. You feel them. You live them. And you remember them forever.