Madrid: Getting used to getting lost

Hi! My name is Emily, and I’m directionally challenged. I’m the girl whose eyes are constantly glued to my phone turning in circles trying to orient Google Maps. As a passenger in the car I’ll arrive at a destination with no idea how to return back to my starting point if I was asked to take the wheel. Struggling to navigate my way through American cities like New York or Los Angeles, I was slightly concerned about getting around in a foreign city where I don’t even speak the language fluently.

Before I left for Madrid, I asked my mom, who had studied abroad in London as junior in college, how she could possibly navigate through Europe without an iPhone. Apparently, a sense of direction and paper maps were all she needed. It completely boggled my mind how she not only found her way through London, but also traversed through Europe on a backpacking trip without Google Maps planning her every move.

Yet, four weeks into my semester abroad and most of my navigational qualms have been suppressed. I know each different neighborhood in the center of Madrid and the best route to each from my apartment. I know how to get to school and back taking the Metro or walking. Much to my surprise, finding my way across the city through Madrid’s public transit system has been a piece of cake.

While I still have to turn in circles sometimes when I walk out of the Metro station slightly disoriented, it’s never long before I’m off to my destination. Even if I will always remain a little directionally challenged, Madrid is teaching me to become more comfortable with getting lost. I can meander the city freely knowing that I will always find my way home (with a little help from Google Maps here and there of course), or hop in a Metro station if my legs get tired and figure out my best route home.

There was something about getting lost that used to scare me. After a month in Madrid I’ve learned (through trial and error) that getting “lost” is nothing to be afraid of. It’s even kind of fun. If I didn’t let myself get lost every now and then I wouldn’t have found half of my favorite restaurants and stores.

In fact, getting lost has been the best way for me to learn the city.