This is so timely. My wife and I have recently been talking about this very thing, and taking action. A few days ago we took a walk in an unfamiliar town just by looking at a map ahead of time and then leaving our phones behind, using our memory and our wits to get to our destination and back. Just yesterday I decided to drive to a place in a nearby large city without using GPS. It just.... felt better. More connected and engaged with where I was and what I was doing. I think we're going to continue to relegate GPS to "only when necessary" status going forward, with a pretty high standard for what is considered "necessary".
I'm absolutely horrendous with directions. I was raised in a very suburban area and started driving right when GPS was launched. I feel like everything you're saying is spot on, and this makes me excited to start to pay more attention and orient myself more in the world. Thanks!!
So glad you enjoyed this one! I have been meaning to get the trail maps near our vacation home printed up as wall art--maybe this is the motivation I need!
I wonder how this applies to aphantasia. My GPS is the number one thing that keeps me tied to my smartphone, and I'd love to reduce my dependence on it. At the same time, my aphantasia has a very real impact on my ability to navigate. I was an adult before smartphones, so had plenty of experience trying to navigate with only maps and analog directions, and I can honestly say that there is no technology that has had as big an impact on my life as GPS in terms of the freedom it's given me. Pre-snartphone, if I wanted to go somewhere that required more than... oh, three turns or so, I basically had to find someone else to drive me. At a certain point it's reasonable to think of it as assistive technology, but dang it, I don't WANT to need the stupid phone 😂
(Anyone out there who also has aphantasia and has found a method of navigation that works for you, by any chance?...)
This is so timely. My wife and I have recently been talking about this very thing, and taking action. A few days ago we took a walk in an unfamiliar town just by looking at a map ahead of time and then leaving our phones behind, using our memory and our wits to get to our destination and back. Just yesterday I decided to drive to a place in a nearby large city without using GPS. It just.... felt better. More connected and engaged with where I was and what I was doing. I think we're going to continue to relegate GPS to "only when necessary" status going forward, with a pretty high standard for what is considered "necessary".
I'm absolutely horrendous with directions. I was raised in a very suburban area and started driving right when GPS was launched. I feel like everything you're saying is spot on, and this makes me excited to start to pay more attention and orient myself more in the world. Thanks!!
You're literally writing what he wrote in his book?
My older kid loves reading maps and navigating. This is so helpful for honing the skill, thank you.
So glad you enjoyed this one! I have been meaning to get the trail maps near our vacation home printed up as wall art--maybe this is the motivation I need!
I wonder how this applies to aphantasia. My GPS is the number one thing that keeps me tied to my smartphone, and I'd love to reduce my dependence on it. At the same time, my aphantasia has a very real impact on my ability to navigate. I was an adult before smartphones, so had plenty of experience trying to navigate with only maps and analog directions, and I can honestly say that there is no technology that has had as big an impact on my life as GPS in terms of the freedom it's given me. Pre-snartphone, if I wanted to go somewhere that required more than... oh, three turns or so, I basically had to find someone else to drive me. At a certain point it's reasonable to think of it as assistive technology, but dang it, I don't WANT to need the stupid phone 😂
(Anyone out there who also has aphantasia and has found a method of navigation that works for you, by any chance?...)