Get Lost!

Warning: Do not attempt this activity if you have a poor sense of direction, do not know how to read maps, the idea of this activity makes you nervous, or all three.

Ran a few too many errands and missed the chance to get your baby home for his/her nap? Intentionally taking a driving nap? Why don't you try to get lost?

I've done this several times now, and I have quite enjoyed it. Start out from a place you know, like a shopping center or your neighborhood, and venture out further than you have before. Take a road that you've always wanted to explore.

The point is to make yourself more familiar with your surroundings and learn new ways to navigate your town and neighboring communities. Ideally, this would also be a pretty drive for you to look at as well. It challenges your brain to "upload" more "maps" to your current repertoire.

If you don't have confidence that you can retrace your steps (figuratively), make sure you have maps or a driving guide in your car so you can pull over and get un-lost once you've had enough fun getting lost.

Try streets with names like "Hillcrest," "Sea View," "Mountain Road," or "Ridge." Any street with "view" or "canyon" in the name is promising. Streets that are names of trees, like "Pine," and "Spruce," can also be scenic.

Go see what you can see! Maybe there's some beautiful lookout or views that you've never realized are close to you because you were afraid to get lost.

Also make sure you have your cell phone, and don't drive out any further than you're comfortable with. Make sure to turn around after a half an hour (more or less, or half the length of baby's estimated nap), so that you can find your way home -- or make a loop that begins and ends near your house -- so that baby doesn't wake up in the middle of nowhere near close to home.

You want to have an enjoyable drive, add some street maps to the GPS in your brain, and get baby a little more sleep.

Let me know if you try it!