Do You Know Where You're Going To?

She drove so slowly that I couldn't bear following her, though I had to as she was getting off the highway at my exit. As she moved toward the right lane, I sighed in relief...she was turning right and I left. Then, suddenly, she was back in the left lane, nearly cutting me off. As we turned onto Hamburg Turnpike, she would speed up and slow down, speed up and slow down. Though I kept a safe distance between us, it was distracting and infuriating. Finally, she pulled over to the shoulder and I was able to pass her. I snuck a peek in her window as I did and what did I see?

She was clutching a sheaf of papers, staring at them in confusion. Mapquest. Too many people print out directions from mapquest without actually knowing where those directions send them. Then, as they're driving, they try to read and look for street signs simultaneously. It rarely works well.

I do a lot of driving to strange places for my tutoring. Well, not really strange, but relatively unknown to me. I always look at the directions and the map, familiarize myself with the entire route and the streets near my destination. This way, I have landmarks and "familiar" territory I can compare with where I actually am. I always know if I'm getting close or if something is really out of whack. Then, I print out the directions and several maps: one a detail of the destination area, one an overview of the entire trip, and one on a medium scale covering the last half of the trip. That way, if I get lost, I can figure out where I am and how I got there.

I never cold turkey driving to a new place, especially when I do most of that driving in the dark this time of year. Maybe I'm a bit overprepared, but I rarely get lost these days!