How good are you at giving directions? If a stranger in your town needed to get somewhere, would you be able to tell them how?

[Katlyne120806]

I have always been "directionally challenged" as my friends put it. I just can't give or remember directions. If I have to go somewhere I've not driven myself, I have to have written directions and I have to have some landmarks to look for. Even though I've lived within the same 35 mile radius my entire life, I have gotten lost numerous times. I've also called my Dad, my DH and my sister to ask how to get places. My sister tried to help by taking new routes every time we went places, so I'd be aware of the various short cuts and such. That just confused me even more. I'm almost 30 years old and I can get lost in a minute. I used to call my Dad and say, "I'm looking at this and this and I'm trying to go here...what do I do now?" He'd always be able to tell me exactly how to get where I needed to go. I have anxiety as part of my bipolar disorder, so when I'm thinking I'm lost, I panic and call. I've been able to figure it out myself lately, as I try to stay calm and tell myself I can find the place. I found my sister's new house no problem. I thought I was doing good, because I stopped going the long way to get to different streets, since I know what streets intersect where. Now just as I start getting confident that I can navigate my whole town by myself, there is so much road construction I will probably get lost next time I go to Walmart. There are roads that were 2 way for 40 years that now are only one way. Exits off the interstate are gone when they've also been there for 40 years or so. I've gone in circles and missed exits trying to figure out how to get here and there. All the barricades and barrels are confusing, especially at night! They CHANGED them a few times from day to night! So one night I was not sure if the exit I needed to take was open until I got right on top of it! Signs that should be helpful aren't! They tell me which exit# 333 is closed going East on interstate...I don't know which direction I'm going much less what the exit# is that I take! There are numbers?! I've always taken the exit that has a ginormous WAL-MART sticker on the sign! So, crossing my fingers and muttering some swear words, I floored the gas and made a mad dash to get off interstate hoping I wasn't about to run over a thousand big orange barrels. I will always tell a stranger that they should ask someone else how to get where they need to go. I used to be embarassed, but hey, I embrace it now. I cannot tell a lie....I CAN get you lost though!

[Ewadun]

Nov. 19, 2009 at 6:42 AM

I used to be the same way. I also used to look for landmarks, until my hubby asked me "What happens when they get torn down?" Now I've learned to look at the numbers, i.e., State Street is 0, Halsted is 800 South, Western is 1200 West, etc. I look for the mains, like what streets are the dividing lines for south/north, east/west? From that point, it's easier to know how far north, how far south, how far east and how far west. Does that make sense?

[Katlyne120806]

Nov. 19, 2009 at 4:52 PM

Yes, but once they get these roads done, it will be much easier to navigate. LOL.

(Original Poster)