I am directionally challenged. If you know me, this does not come as a surprise.  

  To those of you that grew up using maps to get from one location to the next, that’s wonderful! I honestly have a lot of respect for that ability. But, I am not gifted with that skill. 

  I always said, give me a map with landmarks and I’m on it. Notice the pink mailbox? Take a left. See the house with the llamas on your right? Go straight. See? I’d rock it. 

  But alas, that is not how the world works. 

  I’m a late-90’s baby and grew up on the tail end of fold-up maps being used. Directions could be printed out from online and Garmin just made her debut.

  But, as a young one having no need for Garmin or directions, I operated in relative bliss, riding along in the backseat without a care in the world. For a while.

  When I joined the Army, however, it was a rude awakening. They spent so much time painstakingly drilling into me how to use a map and grid coordinates to find a location on a topographic map.

  Over many months, I spent a fair share of my time lost in the dark woods, falling into large holes and missing my coordinate by hundreds of feet. But now, give me a protractor, a compass and a six-digit grid coordinate and I am on it!

  After graduating from the military, it was time for college. It was an hour and 45 minutes away from home and 90% back- roads driving. 

  I could only travel on I-75 for so long until it was time to get off the highway and complete my trip on backroads. I had no cell service on those roads so, if I got lost, I was done for. [Enter multiple murder-like scenarios from Criminal Minds].

  To save my life, I cannot remember street names. I can get from one place to the next just fine, but I cannot tell you the road names that I took to get there. So, if I got lost and did have cell service and needed to tell someone where I was located, I’d still be pretty hopeless. 

  In the 18 years that I have lived in this area, I am still not familiar with all of the backroads and where they ultimately end up or what roads are near major areas of commerce.

  But, through it all, GPS has been my saving grace. 

  However, even GPS has its confusions. 

  I am so thankful that iPhone has recently updated their Maps app with the streetlight image to let you know that you should turn at the light.

  I always overshoot the “in 300 feet, turn right” suggestion. It is hard for me to gauge feet when I am driving a motor vehicle! The feet disappear rapidly and, next thing you know, it is rerouting and I’m making some crazy turn in the middle of an intersection to avoid adding five minutes to my trip. 

  Waze, however, in its effort to help you avoid traffic, gets me even more lost than I get on my own. I’m driving on a soon-to-be-congested highway and, next thing I know, I’m staring at a cow and rows of corn. 

  I am trying to get better, but I guess that I am too focused on singing at the top of my lungs in the car and having such a good time by myself that street names and directions just slip past unnoticed. 

  All of this to say, if anyone calls the office to ask directions, I am immediately stumped. I generally rely on my very knowledgeable co-workers to jump in and save the day. 

  So, if you call the office and are asking for directions and I answer the phone, I do apologize. I will try my darndest to help you, but just know that we both just might be lost somewhere together. But, at least we’ll have each other! 

 Erin Lopez recently graduated from Georgia College & State University with a Mass Communication major and too many minors. She loves to read, binge Netflix shows, and spend lots of time with her five cats.