To Map or Not to Map?

Last weekend, I let myself enjoy a lazy Sunday. I stayed in my PJs and watched bad movies on TV. I can't even admit what I watched. By lunchtime, I'd had enough and needed to just move around a bit. I decided I'd take a 10-15 minute "run" around the neighborhood.

Usually, if I decide to go for a long walk or walk/run, I take my U-bahn pass or money with me in addition to my phone and keys. The U-bahn pass is mostly in the off-chance I'm hit by a bus and my body needs to be identified. Morbid, but this is how my mind works. But it could also come in handy if I strike a patch a laziness.

Since I was only going around the neighborhood, I brought neither the pass or the money. Well, wouldn't you know, I made a lovely wrong turn and ended up much further than I intended. And it would be been very useful to have just hopped on the U-bahn to come home.

I experienced only 5 seconds of terror when I realized I really didn't know where I was. But I quickly realized I could just scope out a city map or a map at a bus station. This confirmed that I was really quite far away from where I needed to go. Once I got myself into an area I was semi-familiar with (as in last week), I waited a few minutes at the corner so I could follow the bus and make sure I was heading in the proper direction. Crisis averted. The moment I knew everything would be ok was also the exact moment my iPod died. Thankfully it was not the moment when it started to pour.

You'd think I'd learn my lesson about knowing where I'm going, right?

Well, sort of. On Monday, I had plans to meet up with some of my new, very fun girlfriends. As per usual, I scoured over Googlemaps for much longer than necessary, checked HVV to plan my route and familiarize myself with the times the transpo was running, and made some printouts.

Too bad, I cleaned out my purse right before I left and managed to take out my visual aids. Not only, did I not have my map, but I also didn't even have the address or the unfamiliar last name to ring at the apartment. Oops. I sent Yvonne a text saying I was off the bus and 99% sure I knew the way. I made it down one street until I realized I was 100% sure I was confused. Unfortunately, Yvonne didn't hear my phone call for help as she was vacuuming, but I managed to dig deep in my memory and I actually found the apartment.

I really need to get my iPhone up and running.