Lost without GPS

This evening I found myself slightly distracted driving to my Mother's house, which lead me to turn down the wrong road.  Quickly I found myself in unfamiliar territory, which I shrugged off as I had grown up in the area and really how much could it have changed in the last 11 years.  I soon was figuratively smacking myself in the head as I was surrounded by new housing developments.  Belting out the theme song to Weeds (little boxes on a hillside...ticky tacky and they all look just the same) I happily decided to just wander until I either ran into a main road I recognized or gave up and turned on my GPS.  In fact Caroline and I had actually made getting lost into an art form; created on a bored Sunday afternoon we hopped into my car and just drove with a general direction in mind, all the while knowing that GPS would always lead us home.  Each adventure always lead to laughs, ridiculous arguments, food, further confirmation that if you take the lake away from me I'm rubbish at directions, and a great day out.


Soon my stomach reminded me that I didn't have time to dawdle and it threatened to begin eating itself if I did not feed it quickly.  "Simmer down now" I scolded my stomach and reached for my phone, only to realize that I had killed the battery by playing Angry Birds (I can't be blamed...it's like crack for fingers)!  [insert classic horror scream here] What was formally a classic suburban night suddenly turned into a setting for a creepy Hitchcock film.  From darkened houses seeped a sinister yellowish glow warning passersby to approach with caution...thick evergreens hugged the street's sharp curves concealing prying eyes!  Gulp!


What was a technology geek like myself supposed to do!  I continued to turn down random roads while searching my brain for a way out of the situation I found myself in.  I had already considered and discarded the idea of backtracking, I was pretty sure I was moving in the general direction I needed to go in and the stubborn German in me wouldn't allow me to turn back.  Suddenly I thought..."What would Sherlock do?"  Smoke a pipe?  Call for Watson (ack...my Watson was unavailable and so was google)?  Play the violin?  Logic!!!!  Just then a car pulled away from one of the many creepy houses that lined the block and I quickly made the decision to "Follow that car"!  I reasoned that any car pulling out of a driveway had a good chance of heading for a main road.  Hoping desperately that they were not dumping a body or anything equally horrific I followed.  And followed.  Now I was beginning to feel like a creep as I continued to follow.  I then began to practice my police tailing moves, then switched it up to creepy mimic car, just around the time I ran out of ways to amuse myself my unknowing friend lead to me a street I was very familiar with and I soon found myself in my Mom's driveway.


In hindsight, getting lost without my trusty tech to lead me home, was an even greater adventure.  Perhaps on the next bored Sunday afternoon I'll leave the tech at home, get lost, and let the universe lead me home.

What's your favorite lost story?  Do you have any great tips for getting your bearings when lost?  Leave your response in the comment section below.

Can't wait for more?  Then check out my Weekly Blog:  Veggie Girl Eats Out for my review of Sweet Art in St. Louis, MO.  Click here to view Veggie Girl Eats Out! 

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