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This is a sponsored post. What that means is American Express and Hilton HHonors approached us with a proposal. Get in touch with a friend you haven’t seen in years and go have an adventure. But what came out of this opportunity was more than simply catching up or going fishing. What happened was a weaving soaring conversation across four days about life the universe and everything in between. A lot of that was about being a man and what that meant.
For many of us, losing touch with an old friend from years ago is the price we pay for doing our jobs, raising our kids, meeting our obligations, and yes, even loving our spouses. Life happens. We check in via phone once a year, cross paths at weddings. We don’t or can’t make time to be together.
If I could snap my fingers and have every man in America get a trip with a good friend they haven’t seen in a while, I would do it. So, I have to offer an honest and heartfelt thank you to American Express and Hilton HHonors for this opportunity.
I just flew back from four days with my buddy Todd Gogulski and I’m feeling like a lucky man.
The trip itself was glorious. The renewed friendship with Todd was extraordinary. And the Hilton HHonors™ Surpass® Card from American Express made it easy.
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First, let’s note that the hotel we stayed at in Miami is astonishingly beautiful. The Vintro Hotel South Beach, Curio Collection by Hilton is a modern yet classic art deco hotel. The place was literally like walking into a design magazine!
We were wowed as we entered the lobby, I dropped my Hilton HHonors AMEX Surpass Card on the counter, and Todd and I checked into a suite with separate bedrooms and baths. Our main room had sliding doors leading out onto the pool area. Yes. I know. But there you have it.
And then we started talking. On the first night, we talked about big picture stuff. “So, you live where exactly?” and “whatever happened to so and so?” So many years have gone by and we simply haven’t spoken. Dating, marriage, divorce, life, death, kids and so on. Todd has no kids. I have one. Todd has been divorced. I have, too. I’m married. Todd is not. We have a long list of common friends. Guys we have known for 30 or more years, many of whom we never hear from.
We went to dinner, and the conversation turned to work. Todd is in transition. Up until last year, he was a working sports commentator. He’d been doing it for years. His bike racing career had resulted in over 100 victories. Then his network went out of business. So, he’s moving into real estate in Boulder, Colorado. He’s moving on. The next hill.
For men, there’s not typically any way to process the kind of battering we take when a job suddenly is gone. Because although we might say, “yeah, that sucks” we rarely go any deeper to acknowledge the repercussions. You lose your job, you lose part of the story you tell about yourself. It can be a spiral that can be very hard on men—especially if we don’t have a friend to talk to about it.
So, Todd and I talked about our work. About the ways that people look at us based on our jobs and our titles. About what it feels like to simply not know what the next 10 years are going to look like. We keep it light. He’s talking about the work he’s doing to become a real estate broker. This is how we do this, right? We just move forward. Heck, I’m a freelance writer. Next 10 years? How about knowing what’s coming in the next two months?
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The Boat
The central adventure of the trip was a day of deep sea fishing. We hooked up with Captain Jimmy and his crew at L&H Sportfishing out of Key Biscayne. Once again—the Hilton HHonors™ Surpass® Card from American Express makes it a breeze. And presto! Hilton HHonors Points. Not only did I get 12X Bonus Points for every dollar spent directly at our hotel, but I also got 3X Bonus Points for my fishing expenses (and everything else).
As for Captain Jimmy and his crew—these guys were great. The boat was a 46′ Hatteras. The first thing Todd did was climb to the crow’s nest where Captain Jimmy was navigating the boat high above the deck. We started hooking these big fish and reeling them in over the course of the day. Mostly Tuna and Bonita. One big Kingfish. The Bonita are amazing to fish for. They are essentially giant bait fish but very important to Captain Jimmy’s business. He was glad to see us pulling them on board. When the Bonita take the bait, they quickly reel off 200 feet of line, the reel singing it out. Then they fight like hell, diving deep under the boat and swinging far out to the right and the left. It’s a challenge fighting these guys.
Captain Jimmy’s son James explained to us how they use the Bonita. They cut the skin and meat into strips of bait, folding neat rectangular stacks of it into aluminum foil and freezing it. They grind up the rest to make chum. Not an ounce of the fish goes to waste.
James explained how it took him about 30 minutes to process each Bonita. I asked him how it is to work for his dad. “It’s good,” he told me, gaffing a big tuna and pulling it over the side. It’s obvious his father is proud of him. James and Travis run the deck like a well-oiled machine. They hardly need to speak except to bark out when a big fish hits on one of the trailing lines or to respond to the captain’s calls from above.
Fighting one after another big fish was exciting. It made for an amazing day.
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Todd and I spent four days swimming, hanging out, moving seamlessly back and forth from serious life discussions to laughing like high school kids.
For men, the relationships we have with our spouses and our children are magical and life giving. They are central to who we are. But it’s important to maintain our long-term friendships, which are a different and equally crucial part of who we are. My time with Todd over the last four days will be one of our greatest memories for years to come. It cannot be understated that the lifelong friendships we have are crucial to how we view ourselves as men.
If you haven’t gone on an adventure with a guy friend, I don’t just highly suggest it—I want you to understand how essential it is. And don’t forget how the Hilton HHonors AMEX Surpass Card can turn it into an even more valuable adventure of a lifetime.
With more than 54 million members, Hilton HHonors offers hundreds of ways to earn and redeem Points. Members can redeem their Points for free nights, premium merchandise, charitable contributions, or unique events through the Hilton HHonors auction platform (hhonors.com/auctions). And with more than 4,660 hotels and resorts worldwide from 13 unique brands, you now have more options than ever.
Hilton HHonors members who book directly with Hilton save time and money and gain instant access to the benefits they care about most like a guaranteed discount, free Wi-Fi and the ability to earn Hilton HHonors Points, which I was able to maximize by charging all my expenses on my Hilton HHonors Amex.
This is a sponsored post, however all ideas and experiences are my own.