On knowing the roads where you live

It took three years, but I finally have it.

Facing an unusual destination—not my regular commute or typical errand—I can now think (without needing to think):

I know how to get there.

Or, better:

I know multiple ways to get there.

I find this magical.

This thought may sound absurd to people who live where they grew up—the road network of your childhood neighborhoods is hardly something you put effort into knowing. You just know the roads like you know the hallways of your high school.

But this doesn’t happen when you move somewhere as a grown-up.

First off, we have a lot less going for us: our brains are less pliable, we don’t get to stare out car windows the way we used to, we have adult thoughts to think.

We don’t pay attention anymore.

Also: there’s Google Maps.

Living in an era where we have outsourced our orienteering skills to our smartphones, it’s harder than ever to get a handle of where we are.

Too often, I turn on Google Maps looking for an escape route from commute traffic…but then I leave the app on for the entire drive home, following the familiar directions out of the corner of my eye.

There’s more to learn, of course. But it’s a good start—the confidence that I can identify at least three ways to get to my local Home Depot.