When I was checked in at Heathrow Airport by a woman whose daughter was godfathered by the late Ligier and Ferrari Formula 1 star Didier Pironi, I knew this was going to be a trip to remember.
After holding up the check-in desk for about 15 minutes, talking about 'Rush'-era F1 drivers with this American Airlines attendant, I headed off to find my flight to Florida.
I'd been invited to contest the opening round of the Florida Winter Series, a new, four-round single-seater racing initiative created by the Ferrari Driver Academy, the young-driver development arm of Ferrari's F1 team.