This past weekend, I was lucky enough to sneak out of town with three of my closest friends for a long-overdue guys’ trip. The four of us all went to Bryant University—a great school in many ways, but it doesn’t exactly offer the southern college football experience you see on TV. For years, we’ve joked that someday we’d go experience a real SEC game together. This year, thanks to a very supportive wife (thank you, Ashley!) and a lot of calendar flexibility, we finally made it happen.
Our destination: New Orleans.
From the moment we landed, the city delivered. Incredible food, unforgettable cocktails, tailgates straight out of a movie, and a football stadium that ranks as the 7th largest in the world. We covered just about every highlight you could ask for—and a few I didn’t even know I needed.
Let’s start with the food. If you’ve never had a beignet from Café Du Monde, imagine a fried cloud covered in enough powdered sugar to coat your entire car—and somehow, it’s perfect. Add in a hot cup of chicory coffee and you’re instantly a local. Later, we had lunch at Commander’s Palace, where Emeril Lagasse (an MA native) launched his career. Hard to beat a place that’s helped put both chefs and New Orleans cuisine on the map.
But the real reason for the trip was the LSU football game. And let me tell you—it lived up to every bit of the hype.
We tailgated with what felt like the entire state of Louisiana. The lots were packed with over 100,000 people of all ages—college kids, families, grandparents, newborns in purple and gold onesies. We were handed cups, bowls, and plates from strangers who treated us like lifelong friends. At one point, I tried chili from a giant steel pot that looked like it had seen three wars and four presidencies—and it was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.
Inside the stadium, it only got better. Over 107,000 fans packed into steel bench seats, every single one of them on their feet, screaming like the national championship was on the line. The energy wasn’t just intense—it was contagious. It’s one thing to watch a game on TV. It’s another to feel it in your chest.
This was a trip I’d been wanting to take for years. And like anything worth doing, it took planning, coordination, and a little disruption to everyday life. There’s never a perfect time. There are always reasons to push it off. But with the right support system—and a little intentionality—you can make it happen.
And that goes for more than football games. Whether it’s a family trip, a new home, a legacy investment, or funding the big life experiences you’ve always talked about—it takes planning to turn a “someday” into a reality.
The clock doesn’t stop. So book the trip. Make the memory. And when it comes to planning the financial side of those life milestones, give our team a call. We’ll help you build the plan that makes them possible—without needing a tailgate miracle.
