Can you tell me how to get to…?
I love it when people stop me on the street to ask for directions.
It gives me such an undeserved sense of accomplishment. “Wow! They must think I don’t look lost, because they’re asking ME for help!”
A map visually pops into my head when someone asks me for directions. I see street names and major landmarks. I can tell them to walk three blocks south (or “that way”), that it will take about 5 minutes, and that they’ll pass a funny orange sculpture on the way there.
When I lived in Rome, people would ask me for directions a lot. I felt really proud of myself for knowing where so many (tourist) destinations were.
But what I don’t know, is if the people ever get there based on what I tell them! Ha ha!
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Today’s Idiom: to take down a peg – to take the conceit out of a braggart
I think I took her down a peg or two when I marked up her drawing with so many corrections.
Themocracy
that’s awesome that you’re excellent with directions!! i’ve lived in this town my whole life and can’t give directions to save my life, just last week i managed to get lost downtown!! it’s an ongoing joke at work about how good i am with directions!!
🙂
On our honeymoon, while in Germany, I was stopped and asked for directions CONSTANTLY! It was a lot of fun, because it made me feel like I didn’t stick out as an American tourist – I look like a real German! Most of the time they were tourists, who either attempted German or just stuck with English, but a few times a real German person would ask me something. I don’t speak German, so I’m not sure what they said exactly, but usually with hand gestures I figured it was for the time or directions. Unfortunately I could never really help, as I didn’t know where I was going any more than they did.
People in my area, including me, are really bad about saying something like, “You turn right op there where the old dry cleaners used to be.”
People who are asking directions don’t know or care what used to be there. They just want to get from Point A to Point B. 🙂
It always takes me a second to spit out directions whenever a tourist or whomever asks me. I actually have to stop, think a minute, then spit it out. I just want to make sure I’m not going to get them lost somewhere in NYC.
I love that feeling as well! I got stopped a couple of times while I was in NYC and it just made me thankful I didn’t stick out as a redneck from the South. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the faintest idea where I was going but at least I looked the part!
You changed your header, it’s funny! Love the pic you chose for this post as well. The first thing I thought of when I read the title to this post was, post title + “get, how to get to Sesame Street, how to get to Sesame Street..” and it gave me a chuckle. Me, not so good at directions, usually end up confusing someone more…
I am so awful when I try to give directions that when anyone asks, I usually refer them to someone else even if I am pretty sure I would be able to do it. I have a horrible sense of where anything is, and if I didn’t have my navigation system in my car, I probably wouldn’t go anywhere.
But good for you for being good at it! I wish I was!
I can get lost in my living room. It’s a talent, I just haven’t figured out how to make it work for me yet.
Yeah for oozing localness, wherever you may live! (And yes, you can add that word to your dictionary!)
love the map pix!
CourtneyInControl – I think that when you LIVE in a town from birth, you know your way around intrinsically, rather than by cardinal directions! You can use that as an excuse if you want 😉
Jenn – I can’t imagine that! That would make me feel really special though 🙂 I don’t think I look like any ethnicity…
ajooja – Ha ha! Does anyone ever ask “Okay… but what is there NOW?”
Gina (Mannyed) – It would probably be very easy to get people lost in NYC! Right now, I just stick to giving people directions in the Loop!
Emma – That was my thought too – “Hey, they must not think I’M a tourist, because they’re asking ME for directions!”
javaqueen14 – Thanks! I am trying to find a good photo for the header. Funny, I had “Winnie the Pooh” stuck in my head today! I never though of Sesame street. Duh!
tori – If it involves driving in the Chicagoland area, I always get my husband involved. He’s been out here a lot longer than I have!
Kyra – You must have a big living room! 🙂
Nilsa S. – Oozing? I like it 🙂 I’d like to use it in a non-medical way. Ha ha.
Wani – Thanks… I stole it… off the net… 🙂