Photo by Tony Gonzales
by Chimdi Chekwa
Thursday, September 25, 2014
My first trip to London:
The thought of going to London for the first time is exciting. Having the opportunity to play the game I love in a different country is great, but figuring out how to manage game week in London is a different task all together. But so far it's turning out to be a trip of many firsts for me.
It's the first time I've flown to Europe. It's also the first time my plane seat could convert to a bed. This is important since the six hours spent on the flight was the only rest for the night because when we landed in London it was day time. I was advised by those who have played out here before to fight off taking a nap so I could get my body on a London time schedule. That night would be the first time I've fallen asleep in a cafeteria while eating dinner. Managing my sleep schedule with the eight hour time difference has been the No. 1 challenge so far this trip.
I was given the opportunity to participate in the NFL Play 60 camp for the kids. This is the first NFL Play 60 I've been involved with where the majority of kids were not too familiar with the NFL. But the great thing about kids is no matter where you are they usually have a pretty good grasp on play. Although all of them did not know a lot about the game, they could all appreciate big athletic guys in a jersey teaching them how to play a fun game.
Another first for me is the cars driving on the left side of the road and steering wheels being on the right. I don't know this for certain but I believe this is the first time I've been on the road multiple times in high traffic areas without seeing a Ford, Chevy, or Chrysler. So far Audi has won most popular vehicle.
After spending a couple of days in the UK I feel like I'm speaking with a slight English accent. And by the time I head back to the states it may be the first in a long time I speak proper English.
We are staying in a hotel about an hour away from London right now and we will move to one in central London on Friday. I haven't gotten a chance to see the city yet because this is a business trip, so I am somewhat limited in that regard. But I am looking forward to getting closer to the city of London and encountering more new experiences.
