THE JOY OF GETTING LOST

I don’t like or own a satnav. Call me a technophobe or a Luddite if you like, but I prefer map books. On a bike, I prefer to keep my handlebars clear. If I get lost, I prefer to be able to work out where I’m lost, rather than blindly following instructions.
Because there is a certain pleasure specific to the uncertainty principle: I might not know where I am, exactly, but I do know what I’m doing.

Generally, I plan a route before I go. Sometimes I make notes. But then I put the mapping tools away, tuck any notes into a back pocket, and go. If I miss a turn or get diverted, I have a general idea of where I’m heading – which direction, which place names to look out for. So I can enjoy to diversion as an opportunity to find fun roads and good pubs I would never have spotted otherwise. And I usually reach my original destination, approximately when I planned to arrive. Yes, I have a decent sense of direction, and these rules apply to places where I have some idea of the general geography. I’d probably be more pro-satnav if I didn’t have these things. But as long as I do, I’ll continue to relax and enjoy getting a little bit lost.