Lost & found—My sense of direction (or lack thereof)

I grew up in Chandigarh, arguably the most well-planned city in India. Designed by a French architect in the 1950s, it's an urban planner’s dream—straight roads, neat grids, roundabouts that make sense, and zero chaotic alleyways that lead to nowhere.

Back then, I had a scooter and rode all over the city with zero effort. 🛵 No Google Maps. No GPS. Just me, my wheels, and a mental map that worked flawlessly. Home to college, grocery shopping, movie nights, dropping my grandmother off at her very frequent social visits—no road felt unfamiliar. I even played part-time tour guide for our visiting aunts and uncles from the U.S., confidently zipping them around like a pro.

I had a sense of direction. Or at least, I thought I did.

Fast forward to today…

Now, when we travel as a family, my husband figures out a new place in one day. By Day 2, he’s practically a local, confidently leading us through shortcuts and side streets like he was born there. Meanwhile, I’m still clutching my phone, anxiously zooming in and out of Google Maps, trying to figure out which way is north.

It’s the same when we move to a new neighborhood. A new city. A new country. He adapts like a GPS in human form. I, on the other hand, get lost trying to find the nearest grocery store.

Which led me to wonder:

Are some people just born with a great sense of direction while others (ahem, me) are doomed to wander in confusion forever?

So, I did some digging. Turns out, there’s some fascinating science behind it. ⬇️

Is it in the brain?

Yes, and it’s got everything to do with two key areas:

🧠 Hippocampus – The brain’s navigation center, responsible for spatial memory. Think of it as your internal map storage.

🧭 Entorhinal Cortex – Works with the hippocampus to track movement and orientation. It’s like the GPS chip in your brain.

Scientists discovered something fascinating: "place cells" in the hippocampus fire when you navigate, creating a mental map. When you move, these cells light up in patterns, helping you remember where things are.

So why do some people build better mental maps than others?

Biology meets environment

🔹 City design matters: If you grew up in a place like London or Delhi—where roads twist unpredictably and landmarks are crucial—you’ve been training your navigation skills since childhood. In contrast, people from grid-like cities like Chicago (and ahem, Chandigarh) never had to work that hard.

🔹 Practice makes perfect: London cab drivers, who memorize every street, actually have larger hippocampi than the average person. Years of navigating without relying on GPS literally reshaped their brains!

🔹 Cultural differences: Some Indigenous Australian tribes have an insane sense of direction because their language and lifestyle demand it. They don’t use "left" or "right"—they say things like “Move your cup a bit north-east.” 😀Imagine living like that!

🔹 Anxiety and confidence matter: High anxiety can mess with your sense of direction, making it harder to form mental maps. But perception plays a role too—people who believe they’re good navigators actually perform better! This is where gender comes in: studies show women tend to rate their navigation skills lower, which affects confidence and, in turn, performance. Low confidence → weaker navigation skills.

Can you improve your sense of direction?

Good news: YES. It’s a skill, like learning a language. Easier when you’re young, but totally doable at any age.

So how to get better at navigation?

1️⃣ Study the map first📍

Before heading out, get a bird’s-eye view. On our last trip, our Airbnb was on a high floor, giving us a great view of the neighborhood. Just by looking out the window, I got a sense of where things were—mall in that direction, main road over there. Whether it’s Google Maps, a paper map, or a high vantage point, taking a moment to orient yourself makes a big difference.

2️⃣ Walk more, drive less 🚶

When you’re on foot, you notice landmarks, street names, and turns more than when you’re zooming by in a car. Explore, get lost, and find your way back.

3️⃣ Pay attention to landmarks 🏛

Instead of memorizing street names, try noting big landmarks. “The café is left of that giant red building.” Your brain remembers visuals better.

4️⃣ Use GPS less 📵

Don’t rely on turn-by-turn navigation all the time. Try to guess your way around first, then check the map only when needed.

5️⃣ Mentally track directions 🧠

Every once in a while, ask yourself, “Which way is north?” The more you engage your brain, the better your spatial awareness becomes.

6️⃣ Stay curious and take charge 🔄

Don’t just follow your travel partner blindly (guilty). Next time, take the lead in figuring out the route!

---

One of the best perks of having a good sense of direction is that you can actually experience a place instead of just following the little blue dot on your screen. You can wander without fear, stumble upon hidden gems, and, as my husband puts it every time we travel, "You haven’t truly explored a place until you’ve gotten lost in it."

Plus, it’s a great workout for your brain—sharpening memory, attention, and overall cognitive skills.

I’ll admit, I’ve been the person who walks out of a mall bathroom and immediately forgets which way I came from. That has to change. For those sailing in the same boat as me, let's start figuring out on our own where we're headed—without over-relying on phone GPS or partners with built-in navigation systems. 😜

Let’s make a conscious effort to be more present, improve our navigation skills, and build our own mental maps. After all, getting lost should be part of the adventure—not just a recurring theme in life.

What about you? Do you have a great sense of direction, or are you working on it like me?