Explore by daylight, preferentially
Exploring new parts of town? Best choose something other than “a dark and stormy night”. Now I know.
I arrived home just in time to get the designated driver position. Forget supper. Get your coat on and go. Educational priorities. Son #2 needed to get to an institution on the other side of the city in less time than the public transit method (anything takes less time than evening bus travel). Not a familiar address; not even a familiar borough.
Google Maps to the rescue. Somewhere near the airport, so we could watch for landing lights in case we got off road. Remember the “dark and stormy” detail? Off road was a real possibility, given my reduced night vision. But, what fun is it to simulate? I’m actually at ease with using a map, even though there is NO possibility of consultation once en route. Best that I memorize from the get-go.
We entered the campus gates of what may be the largest school I’ve ever seen. Too large to visualize in the dark. Wings like a bizarre creature from a badly drawn comic. Fences to protect us from under construction areas. A full athletic complex, with people arriving in a rush for a hockey game. And no idea what door would lead to the goal.
Son #2 went inside and came back. No guidance available. Instead, we drove around the back, using several different routes, in driving rain. He finally spotted a sign (I still haven’t seen it), and I agreed to park and wait. Back, soon, for cash. Who foresaw that detail? Little matter. We could return home, and we were never really lost. I guess.
