L.O.S.T

I’m bad at directions.

People who know me can account many stories to prove how factual that is.

 And people who don’t, can conclude that immediately once they asked me the “where” questions.

 It’s just that, even I tried so hard to pay attention to street names and numbers, landmarks and any other signage, I just can’t. I have this kind of stupidity, a rare kind in which I can be lost a few times in places that I’d already been. And I have this experience that I’ve been in different time zone because of no-sense-of-direction-thing (please, I’m just exaggerating, really!)

Actually, when I was still thinking of creating a blog, I did ask my friends what should I blog about, what the blog name would be., and ideas like “the girl who can’t be found” and “until I find my way” popped. And they suggested sarcastically that my blog would be about experiences of being lost. LOST. Literally. And of course, I did not entertain the idea of humiliating myself and the idea that I’d have to write about directions to redeem myself and be humiliated again because of giving the wrong directions. (Oh, I love my friends!)

But I can’t blame them. They usually receive unexpected text messages from me. Asking things like these:

April: Anong pede kong masakyan para makarating ako sa Ayala?

Friend 1: Sakay ka sa *jargon* (when they say too many places and too many landmarks, I feel that they are speaking in a different language)

April: Yung pinaka madali na yung sabihin mo.

Friend 1: Madali na yun. Mag-taxi ka na nga lang.

And these:

April: Pag sumakay ako sa Taytay Estrella, san ako bababa para makarating ng Angono?

Friend 2: Sa junction ka bumaba bago kumanan. Hehehe

Yes, whenever I ask for direction, I have to accept the fact that there are unheard laughter behind the text messages. And sometimes, those laughter though unheard are well received in their replies which may  include :D, J, =)), hehehe, LOL.

And one time a friend asked me…

Friend 3: Asan kayo? San ang Pepper Lunch sa Mega?

And I, having this know-it-all attitude gave her the direction, and she realized what a mistake she’d done in asking me by seeing herself strolling the mall for nearly an hour.

Let’s just stop with those anecdotes, I have hundreds of stories and don’t make me tell you the stories about Vicente Cruz and Tagaytay escapade. And to those who already knew, I beg you, don’t tell other people. Please.

But in my defense, and I always say these things.  I’m smart; my resume can tell you that (ehem). I think I just choose this kind of weakness. Hehe, kidding aside, I don’t remember places because I treasure every moment of being in these places. I enjoy the view, no matter how simple, no matter how familiar, no matter how unwelcoming. I enjoy every scenes, the noise, the daydreaming.

At the end of the day, the journey is what that matters, not the destination.

And no matter how many times I say these things, nobody believes me. 

Nevertheless, I consider myself brave enough to explore different places without me knowing how to get there and how to find my way back. I have good friends, I’m surrounded with good people that will always lead me back home. Never in my experiences that I have been left unanswered, never in my experiences that I felt alone wherever I am.

So be in the places you want to be. Explore. When you are lost, when you can’t find your way back, when you don’t have a penny for a ride home.., don’t be afraid because there is always someone who will find you no matter what and you’ll suddenly realize… “I’m home”.