I have always been a walker. Given the possibility and practicality, I would walk to most of my destinations. And living in New York, a city for walkers, I often forget that a route is not always as easy when I’m not on familiar ground. This was brought home to me on a short stay in downtown Los Angeles recently. I had checked the distance on Google Maps between my hotel and somewhere I needed to go. The map assured me the trip was a little over a mile. “I’ll just walk,” I thought.
Halfway through, having crossed multi-lane roads, tiptoed under a bypass and reached the end of the street I was supposed to follow, I’d somehow missed my turning. Retracing my steps, I realised the map hadn’t accounted for having to climb a set of steps to cross a highway via an overpass that was way too close to traffic for my liking. Only then could I make that supposedly simple turn. It was a frustrating and time-consuming experience, but what stood out was how it felt to get lost along the way. Once I realised I’d lost my bearings and hadn’t yet figured out the right way forward, my heart suddenly started beating a little faster and a sense of panic crept in. I began looking around intently for any street signs and someone to ask for directions. But everyone was zooming by in cars.
