The delights of getting lost.

Anyone who has traveled with me, lived with me, or ridden in my car when I'm driving might say I have a tendency of getting "lost". Some people (ahem--not the most unbiased of sources: Sibs and friends) might tell you I have a "bad" sense of direction. I would like to dispute this claim..granted according to conventional standards of being lost--technically unable to "find one's way" I get lost everyday all the time.

Perhaps its my intense commitment to alone time or self-reflection but when my mind wanders and I end up at an unfamiliar street I prefer to see my instincts through and keep on keeping on. My "bad sense of direction" is relative to what one considers to be "bad". Maybe I don't always end up where I intended to go but I see things and discover places I wouldn't have otherwise and eventually I get where I wanted to go. I love to pick out random people to ask where I could get a good coffee or which way to the nearest metro. You never know who you will end up meeting or what little treasures of cafes or plazas you might encounter.

It might take me twice as long to get from one place to the next but I enjoy every minute of the journey. The nice thing is you know you can always find your way eventually. The paths I take might not be the most efficient or direct--but nonetheless I get where I'm going. To me the journey is more than half the fun! So next time you worry about "getting lost" relish the opportunity to take the route less traveled! Getting lost is relative and I would encourage others to get "lost" more often.

"I never stopped dawdling like an eight-year-old on a spring morning on his way to school. Anything can make me stop and look and wonder, and sometimes learn. I am a very happy man." -Kurt Vonnegut