Map-a-licious

Downtown Seattle, as seen from Bainbridge Island, circa 2000

Back in the day, I had quite a collection of Lonely Planet travel guide books. I love reading up on places I'm planning to visit. Notice I use the word planning - I never actually made it to South America or Thailand (unless you count changing planes at Bangkok Airport). I carried these books around from home to home for many years, and only recently parted with most of them when I accepted that the information - being over a decade old - was largely out of date. I had to let go.

My copies were well-thumbed. I may have mentioned in the past that I have a 'thing' for maps. I really do - no map will fall into my hands without being submitted to intense scrutiny. I am a map nerd. Lately, I've been relying on Google Maps for much of my information and navigation, and I think my neck and shoulders are beginning to rebel against my use of my iPhone and laptop and so last night, for the first time in far too long, I dug out my Times Atlas of the World. I'd forgotten how satisfying it is to sit with that large, heavy book on my lap and flip through the detailed pages. I'd forgotten how good those pages smell, too.

Technology has been great in terms of instant information at our fingertips, but sadly (for me) it's meant that I'm not taking the time out to pick up actual, physical books any more. You know, those things with paper pages?

So, the other day I decided to treat myself and order a real book, which just arrived today. It's NFT - Not For Tourists Guide to Seattle. It looks like we'll be spending some time there at some stage this year, so I figured, what the hell. Let's order a proper book and give my neck and shoulders a break from reading up about Seattle on the laptop and phone.

I chose this book because a few weeks before we moved to Los Angeles, some good (clever) friends gave us a copy of NFT Los Angeles as a farewell gift. It wasn't long before it became an invaluable resource. It's brilliant because the first (main) section of the book divides the city and surrounding areas into sectional maps, and repeats each map twice. One version has a key for 'sundries/entertainment', such as restaurants, bars, gyms. The second version has a key for 'essentials' - supermarkets, coffee shops, petrol stations, schools and landmarks. The second half of the book is devoted to the standard travel guide fare: parks, hotels, shopping centres, tourist attractions, hospitals, public transport and more.

Who needs the internet, right? This is the kind of book you can have in your bag, and not go into panic mode if your phone's batteries start to run low. When we first moved to LA, I didn't have an iPhone that I could pick up at any given moment while on the go. It was strictly wi-fi in our hotel room with our laptop, or NFT when we were out and about. It was also my bed time reading.

I'm looking forward to reading up on Seattle, and seeing how things compare with my memories from my very brief visit back in 2000... then, organising our next adventure. Bring it on.

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My bum got the kicking it needed to write motivation for this post was brought to you by MamaKat'sLosin'It. The first prompt for this week's writer's workshop is: "What are you reading?"

(Click here for more prompts)

East, west, what?

(Click here for source)

A funny thing happened when we moved to the US.

I began to confuse east from west. This is actually a big deal for me, because I have a reputation amongst my friends and family as possessing superior map reading and navigation skills. My sense of direction has meant that I rarely get lost (but it has happened). People who need to turn the map each time they turn corners? I laugh and feel a little smug when I see others doing this (sorry, but I do). I think I've mentioned before that I love maps.

I've even been told I'd make an excellent rally navigator, which I'll take as a compliment.

Of course, north and south have never been confusing and for thirty odd years, I found east and west equally polarised in my mind... but some kind of malfunction has happened to the hardwiring of my brain recently. Only with east and west.

They were never mixed up when I lived in London or Melbourne.

After giving it some thought, I've decided that it must be down to the fact that I've gone from living on the east coast of Australia (Sydney), to the west coast of the US (LA). In Sydney, heading west meant going inland and heading east meant going to the beach. It's the opposite here in LA - is it any wonder that my poor brain gets a little addled? When discussing locations here and I want to mention somewhere nearer the coast from us, it comes out of my mouth as 'east'. Wrong. Likewise when we talk about inland from where we live. It comes out of my mouth as 'west'. The only thing that anchors the correct usage is if I think about where the sun rises and sets.

I always feel like such a goose when I mix them up. It's an effort that requires some mental gymnastics for me to stop and think before opening my mouth, so that I can get it right.

It feels backwards, and I can feel the same part of my brain twisting when I look at the short date here (or even worse, have to write it)... but that, I blame on the stupidly illogical American date format. Not my fault. East and west? I shouldn't be mixing those up.

Our drive back to LA from San Diego last week just confirmed how screwed up my brain is at the moment with this east/west business, when the job of navigation fell to me (happily, as I prefer that to driving).

I wonder if there is a term for people mixing their terminology for directions, when their frame of reference has been shifted... Chartis dysphoria? Because I just made that up, and it has a pretty cool ring to it, yes?

Just don't ask me where Santa Monica is in relation to the San Fernando Valley. I can find it in a flash on a map, but getting my mouth to say it correctly is another matter altogether...

(Click here for source)