I returned to Massachusetts on Sunday from a weekend of herfing in conjunction with the Ybor City Cigar Heritage Festival in Tampa. I’ve been doing a great deal of thinking about herfs in general since I’ve been back, and while a lot of the inmates in the asylum have been around the block on this topic a few times, I’m writing this from the perspective of a relative noob.

I attended my first big herf – NERF – in Boston earlier this year, but that was more a fundraiser than a true herf. I also hosted a couple BBQ herfs this summer at my house, but nothing – NOTHING – prepared me for what lay in store during the weekend in Tampa. Maybe it was because I was too busy organizing and cooking during my own herfs to notice, or maybe it was because I already had met a lot of the guys I had invited, but travelling to Tampa to hang with a bunch of people I only knew through posts, PMs and the occasional phone call was a mind-bending experience in a lot of ways.

It had nothing to do with the festival and really, very little to do with the cigars. It was finally meeting some of the guys and gal (Hi SailKat!) whom I’ve had the opportunity to interact with through posts and PMs, bombs and trades, phone calls and e-mails that really made this special. There are people on this site whom I referred to as friends though I had never met them – guys like TripleF, awsmith4, ir13, av8tor152nd, rck70 and goodfella. Having now met them, spent time with them, laughed with them and shared cigars with them, well, those friendships have been cemented for me. Going forward, it’s going to be so much more fun to interact with them on and off CA.

Then there were the guys I was a little intimated by … in Tampa, SailChaser fell into this category. I don’t know why, but I was always hesitant to really interact with him in any significant way prior to the Tampa herf. Call it what you will. Intimated by his reputation, knowledge, etc. I don’t know, but I was a little nervous about meeting the guy. Turns out, I’m a big stupid head for thinking that way. Chris was one of the friendliest down to earth guys you could hope to meet. It was a true pleasure to get to know him and his wife (Hi again, SailKat!) better.

Finally there were the guys who I see around the site, and for whatever reason, I just never had the opportunity to get to know that well or perhaps at all. From ucubed to Barbourjay to S0leful0ne to ScottishSmoker, CBI_2, Rizzle, landhoney, wolfgang, joetownhound, jbonnefsc, Tenor CS and Mikepd – all these guys were there, and I had the wonderful opportunity to hang with them and get to know them. Some of them I still don’t know as well as I would like, but with others I formed the beginnings of some friendships.

I smoked some rockin’ sticks during the weekend. No doubt about it. But I came away from the experience not so much remembering the cigars, but the people.
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why ask why, try herf mouth dry
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Herfing rocks, plain and simple. I met some of my best friends herfing. :-)
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Herfs are boring! :-)


j/k!

I can't wait to meet more people when I fly to Cali and Fla for my yearly family visits!
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CA can wait. I promise. :-)
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Great post brother! It basically sums up why most of us are here.... we came for the cigars, and stayed for the friendships :-)
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ouch brother..ouch!
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Smoking cigars with BOTL/SOTL is the best way I can think of to spend the day doing what I love. The drinks and/or BBQ that often erupt during the herf are strictly bonuses :-)
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Is it just me, or do cigars actually taste BETTER at a herf?
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Yes they do!!! I also found that I can smoke much more without the Vitamin N overdose too.
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Totally agree with you on this one Vin.
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The point of discussing cigars like at the Asylum is you get to talk about what you love second most in the world (Cigars). When you say something there is a level of anonymity where unless it is obvious you don't know what you are talking about, you may get away with saying it. But when you meet the guys you only know as Bigal5578 then there is a name Joe and a face that you will associate as having a good time with. There is something to be said about getting together with a BOTL and swap stories and cigars that just can't be beat. :-):-):-)
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great post brother!!
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Every herf I have attended has been very nice. Alas, getting the Desert Herf Crew together is sometimes rather difficult.
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The Monte Especial's sure are older at these herfs, new I should have saved some up for later when I turned four.
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Yeah!
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I really think so!!! So it isn't just you!!!

Vin, Nicely stated!!!
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For those who have never herfed its kind of hard to understand. But after you go to your first your life will change. It's really amazing to interact with people who you dont know except by a screen name. I attended my first herf just over a year ago. To see how much I have learned and grown is just amazing. The friends I have made over a simple bit of rolled tobacco are truly some of my closest in the world. The prospect of meeting more in the future always keeps me herfing whenever I can. Reading about some of the legendary herfs has me yearning to attend. MOB might be kind of far away, but SoCal is close and the Shack seems closer than ever. The coming years vacations will be planned around herfing and meeting new friends and putting more faces together with their names. Herfing is living!:-):-):-)
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Great post, Vin. :-)

That says it all, Brother. :-)

They absolutely do. :-)

Just do it. :-) :-)
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herfs are great, but like stated "its the friendships" that last
I've been herfing in FL, MD, IL, NO and now Afghan..........the friendships I have made at these herfs and here @ CA will stand the test of time (with a little work & a few cigars).........for those I've not yet herfed with, hope to see ya in FL next year
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