Not many footballers can drive four hours to play for a team rock-bottom of the National League and remember it fondly for the rest of their lives.
Rob Atkinson may only be 23 but the centre-back has already learned the core principles of being a professional footballer, away from the glitz and glamour that can ultimately be part of the job.
Atkinson could have settled into a cushy existence in the Fulham academy, taking advantage of the top facilities on offer biding his time until a sniff of an opportunity arose in the first-team. But he wasn't prepared to sit on the periphery, playing matches where nothing was at stake which made him slowly fall out of love with the game.
Atkinson would have preferred to drive himself in rush hour on the M25, playing football in front of paying supporters against part-time players who will do their best to make him aware he has been in a proper football game.
It was a six-month loan at Braintree that made Atkinson reignite the passion he had lost during his spell with Fulham.
Speaking a couple of weeks ago, he said of his time at Fulham: "I didn't see it as proper football, I thought it was quite artificial and fake and as a result, I didn't enjoy it as much. Hence why I didn't have a successful spell."
Atkinson has done things the hard way, in his own pursuit of happiness which has ultimately rewarded him with the position he is in now.
"I rediscovered what it meant to play football and what it was like," he added.
"If I can find enjoyment in playing for a team in a relegation battle, rock-bottom for a team with no money and every game you have new people coming in - taking me four hours to get there on the M25 rush hour traffic...
"It was a special time and something I will remember fondly for the rest of my life - the time I rediscovered my passion for the game."
Atkinson's rise to Bristol City's first-team has been nothing short of unusual. He moved to Cannes at the age of five, joining the academy as a striker and learning French for five years which he still maintains by talking to Han-Noah Massengo and coaching staff member Khalifa Cisse.
Upon his return to England, Atkinson would play for Meadow Sports until the age of 16 and later join his village team Knaphill where he tried to forge out a career as a midfielder - including scoring four goals in a 4-3 victory over Met Police's Under-18 side.
He eventually joined Basingstoke Town for a season before earning a £30,000 move to Fulham at the age of 19 where his ever-changing body saw him adapt to becoming a centre-back.
A successful year at Eastleigh upon his release then saw him move to Oxford where he made the step up like a duck to water, being named in the League One Team of the Season during the 2020/21 campaign - and ultimately earning a £1.6million move to Ashton Gate.
The fee may seem relatively risk-free, but during a time when City's financials were ravaged by Covid, he was the only player the club spent significant money on during the summer window - a further endorsement that Nigel Pearson felt Atkinson would be a success in BS3.
Perhaps the step up in quality, season upon season also just goes to highlight the potential Atkinson possesses. When he signed at Bristol City, he said: "It’s another step up and I’ve done plenty of those in my career. I’ll be attacking it the same as I always have - that’s head on, working hard and hopefully it will go just as well as my previous step-ups."
The meteoric rise from the National League to the Championship in two years is likely to plateau this summer and that's only going to be to the benefit of the Reds.
Atkinson started the season brightly before a serious illness picked up in October, probably downplayed at the time, had a serious impact on his health and form.
"It was getting worse and worse and even in training I was struggling to get going and felt lethargic and heavy," he said when speaking to the media. "Ultimately it led to me being injured because I'd put on quite a lot of weight without really knowing that I had."
It was only in March when Atkinson felt comfortable enough to make his return to action following his illness, a 45-minute cameo in the defeat against Birmingham City.
Since then, he has played the full 90 minutes in every game cementing his spot on the left side of the back three and gaining the plaudits having shown the form that convinced Pearson to risk spending seven figures in the first place.
Back-to-back goals away at Bournemouth and then at home to Peterborough have highlighted Atkinson's ability in the air, another string to City's bow. He also looks more comfortable bringing the ball out of defence and picking out a pass - an attribute undoubtedly learned during his time in the middle of the park.
The defence has been a problem position throughout the season and none of the back line will need reminding of the 75 goals shipped in. It's no secret Pearson's priority will be fixing a leaky defence this summer on a stringent budget, leaving doubts over the futures of the likes of Nathan Baker, Timm Klose, Tomas Kalas and Robbie Cundy.
Despite all the uncertainty approaching the summer, Atkinson can rest assured he can enjoy a rare summer without the extra pressure of joining a new club and confident that his place in the team remains firmly in his hands.
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