The Art of Getting Lost

“So you see, imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering.” - Brenda Ueland

Last week, I decided it was time for a day trip. I had spent most of the prior two weeks inside either reading, working at my computer, or completing some late spring cleaning. While getting dressed, I decided to drive to the San Jacinto Monument just outside of Houston. I hadn’t been there since my parents took our family many years ago. I knew it was on the east side of Houston near Galveston Bay, but didn’t know the exact roads to get to it. So, I quickly look at my road atlas and took mental notes on the route. Well, I got close and then, got lost – I took a right when I should have taken a left. No problem. I found myself at a dead end road, so I made a U-turn, pulled into the first gas station I could find and got the road atlas out again. I found that I could either go back to the main highway and take the correct turn or take a series of local roads – the first of which was just up from where I was parked – that would put me out at just west of the monument park. Being the adventurous type, I chose the local roads. (Even though I have a 2010 road atlas, many of the roads weren’t accurate. Another fun twist!) There wasn’t much to see except some very up close views of the many oil refineries that can be found around the bay and Houston Ship Channel. Actually, it was very fascinating. I grew up in South Houston and Pasadena (or, for the locals, “Stink-a-dena”) and my father had worked for a refinery at one time, but I had never seen one that close. It would be great to take a tour of one, sometime.

Anyway, I made it to the monument and also paid a visit to Battleship Texas. Very enjoyable day. Now, it was time to head home…or so I thought. Being summer, there was still plenty of daylight, so I decided to drive to Baytown – again, just curious. I won’t spend too much time on the details, but, in the end, after another side trip to the town of Anahuac, some more wrong turns, a few correct turns and a ferry ride, I found myself in Galveston at the end of the day. I’ll save that story for another time.

This little adventure should tell you a little about me. First, I don’t mind getting lost (and sometimes do it on purpose!) and second, my curiosity sometimes gets the better of me. But that’s OK. I think in our rush-a-day world, we ask for too many assurances and accept the same old, tried-and-true routes that get us through the day. For many, the thought of having only a tentative destination in mind, taking roads not found on the map, and getting lost is very scary. So often when back at work on a Monday after a weekend road trip, I would answer the inevitable question, “So, how was your weekend?” with tales of aimless wandering. My co-workers would often look at me with puzzled faces and say, “But didn’t you know where you were going?” “Were you visiting family?” “What’s in that place?” To which I would reply, “No. No. And quite a lot, if you look.” Again, blank, puzzled looks. I might as well have told them I flew to the moon and back.

In the future, you’ll hear me talk a lot about curiosity, but, for now, here are a few suggestions for practicing the art of getting lost:

Develop a healthy curiosity.* There is so much to see whether near your home, in another state or in another country. Just because someone has been there before you shouldn’t diminish the adventure and thrill of discovering it yourself. If you need to start out small, that’s OK. Take a walk down your street. Take a different route to work. Shop at a different grocery store. Then, try it for a day. Take a road trip out one of the interstates or state highways and take off on the road marked ‘Business’. These are usually the routes that take you into the old (and sometimes historic) business districts of small towns. Here again, don’t stay on the main street. Turn and drive through the older neighborhoods. You’ll probably find historic homes, parks and unique shops that would otherwise go undiscovered.

*I have to say that being curious does not mean being reckless or unsafe. Even in small towns, some neighborhoods can be a little dangerous. And you want to make sure you have enough gas and a well-maintained car, lessening the risk of being put in a compromising or unsafe position. Use your best judgment at all times.

Put down the map. Turn off the GPS. You can, and most of the time, should check your map before you start out and have it and/or your GPS handy in case you get really turned around. But, for the most part, when you “get lost,” you’re not really that lost. Most likely, you’re still in the same state or at least the U.S., so with a quick map or GPS reference, you can always find your way back to a main road.

Learn to find your way. Some might call this orienteering, but I’m thinking of skills much more fundamental. Too often, I hear people say they can’t determine the cardinal points – north, south, east and west – from their present location. (It’s usually women who say this. I’m not sure if there is any scientific proof of that women are less capable of orienting themselves.) There are two fairly easy ways to find your way in relation to the cardinal points. First, orient yourself to a major interstate or highway. Most of them generally run in either a north-south or east-west route. If you were driving on, say, Interstate 10 (an east-west route), exited and turned right, you would be heading south. And until you re-enter the interstate in one direction or the other or cross it, you will always be generally south of it. The second way is truly ancient – locate the position of the sun. Granted this is much easier to do in early morning or late afternoon than during mid-day, but it can be done. Let’s say it’s about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. You’re driving and the sun is coming in mostly through the driver’s side window. You can know that you’re driving generally north. Failing these techniques, buy a small compass and keep it in your car. (A compass can also keep kids occupied for a time.)

Relax and enjoy the ride. Unless you have reservations for dinner or people are expecting you to arrive at a certain time, ignore the clock, let go and enjoy the ride. Again, this can be scary for some, but I guarantee that if you’ll try it, you’ll be hooked.

What do you think? Have you turned getting lost into an art form? Does this all seem a little too scary?