The regular season has come to an end which means that so has Adam's amazing journey. Four months, 38 games and a crap load of money later, he is back in London and starting to put it all together and get back to life as normal. For those of you new to CSC and not familiar with Adam's Football Trip, be sure to check out his website as well as all of my posts from our time together in London and in New Orleans.
I caught up with Adam one more time to check in, see how he was doing and get some final thoughts and stats on his record-breaking trip of all trips.
CSC: So you are finally finished with your journey?
Adam: I am finished with the journey and I landed back in London this morning, though I am trying to put together a package so I can at least go back for the Superbowl. Even just for the tailgate alone! Hopefully some rich sponsor will send me!
CSC: Do you regret doing it? Or anything else on your trip?
Adam: I do not regret doing this trip at all. Sure I made some mistakes that have cost me quite a bit of money and I could have been more organized. I only had one week to plan it all! But the challenge of the trip was always fascinating and I am 100% pleased I did it. I am shattered and burnt out but it was a once in a lifetime experience I will never forget!
CSC: What was the total cost of your trip?
Adam: The trip cost around the $70,000 mark. I have yet to add it all up properly. I am dreading my credit card bills! That total includes all my travel, hotel, food, telecommunications, camera equipment, website, food, tickets, merchandise and Adam's football trip t-shirts!
CSC: I know you experienced a lot of technical difficulties and problems. Please give us a rundown of all of the things that broke along the way.
Adam: Ha. Well the first half was pretty smooth. Then the second leg after coming back from London things started spiraling. I broke 2 suitcases and 2 hold-all bags. 1 hard drive. 1 pair of glasses. 1 laptop. 1 camcorder. I lost all my emails at one stage. Problems with the host of the website. 1 lens to my SLR camera. 1 compact camera! So in all quite a lot of things went badly but I still got to all the games and more!
CSC: If you had to pick just one memorable moment, what would it be? Other than your time with me, of course!
Adam: Haha. There are many but it probably had to be when I was driving around the tailgate in Chicago in a London black taxi for the Saints game. The response I got from the fans was a sweet mixture of confusion and fascination!
Also DeAngelo Williams personally signed and then gave me his game day boots when I met him after he ran all over the Bucs on Monday Night Football. What a nice guy and what a season he is having! Although coming back to London to see the game with you and my family was high up on the list! Cheers!
CSC: How did you get the Taxi in Chicago?
Adam: A lovely gentleman got in touch with you because of your site from London-fleet.com and I was in talks with him about doing the whole trip in a London taxi but the schedule was too extreme so he let me have the taxi for the tailgate in Chicago! They have a few London taxis that they use for events. Well worth checking one out!
CSC: What is the plan now? When are you going back? What are you going to do?
Adam: The plan now is to write up the blog which I am very behind on and edit the photography and video. Start looking for a publisher as well as a sponsor for the Superbowl! Then I guess I will be looking for work to pay off my credit card debt! In the future I would like to open up an NFL restaurant in London! The sky is the limit!
CSC: Are you going back to work at your old job or a new one? What do you think you will do?
Adam: Well I hope to have a few classes to teach at my old job and I hope to freelance, drama therapy and photography. But maybe my career may turn more to sports.
CSC: What was your favorite game? Favorite stadium?
Adam: My favorite game?! Well there were a few. Cowboys vs. Eagles in Dallas. Jets vs. Cardinals, Saints vs. Chargers, Saints vs. Packers and the Bears win over the Packers! Best overall atmosphere in a stadium had to be Lambeau Field with Heinz Field second. Nicest stadium was University of Phoenix Stadium.
CSC: Two of your favorite games were Saints games? Are you just saying that because this is a Saints blog?
Adam: No not at all! The London game was great. High scoring end to end stuff! Plus it is always good to see the Packers get crushed and especially with the score being so high!
CSC: What was the best thing you ate on your journey?
Adam: I didn't eat much in the stadiums as the tailgaters often took great care of me but in stadium probably has to be Kansas city food. But that may be because it was -1 degrees out and the hot chili in a bread bowl warmed me up, all be it briefly! Best food at the tailgate was either the Jambalaya in New Orleans (thanks Chef Who Dat) or the amazing ribs in Arizona.
CSC: I am sure your girlfriend Stephanie and your parents are glad to have you back yes?
Adam: Yes Stephanie is glad to be back. She had fun apart from the really cold places! She loved Jacksonville and Tampa Bay. It was great seeing my family today and I can finally sleep in a bed for longer than 3 days despite it being in the box room I grew up in as a child!
CSC: Tell your Dad I said hi.
Adam: I will do Ha ha. He is going for the Steelers now and I am rooting for the Panthers!