Got lost in NYC before i knew my way around. walked from one side of manhattan to the other. found a cool shop on Houston that sold coffee beans wholesale, straight from the burlap bags. turned out to be a fun day.

I enjoy being lost anywhere I’m at. Routine is my enemy.

I got lost on an island in croatia – i had a fight with my mum and stormed off on her with the intention of getting lost. Unfortunalty i did and it took me 4 hours to get back to the bus so we could go home.

I found my mum sitting on a rock crying hysterically with a broken high heel 5 mintues before the bus was due to leave to go back to the mainland.

I still feel disgustingly guilty for that – But it was a very beautiful place to get lost…

Wow. Define lost.

Once I found this little dirt road through some wild prairie in Nebraska or Colorado or something. We drove and drove, and there was nothing but fields and fences, and it seemed like the road might go on forever, and we’d never get anywhere.

ANother time, we decided to try to find this little dirt road that lead for miles through woods and over a mountain towards Center Sandwich, NH. It was night time, and we drove for what seemed like hours, and never saw a house or a car. Then, every once in a while, we’d see a house with lights on, and if felt like being in one of those horror movies. Eventually, we came out exactly where we wanted to come out (even though there were a lot of unmarked turns at the end). So, while it felt like we were lost, we really weren’t.

What I would give to be truly lost. Just once. Geographically speaking, of course.

Today I got lost while driving, of all places, to my regular beach spot. (I’ve gone there a gazillion times) I finally realized I had missed my exit 20+ miles later, but discovered a BEAUTIFUL beach with minimal people and lots of free parking niches.

I think I’ve got a new regular beach!!

(this lost thing happens to me quite a lot. I like to use the experience to find new roads.

Rory and I got lost in Los Angeles. We had no paper maps and my iPhone had just died (I forgot my car charger), and we had to go into the city to find a bathroom. We were lost for about half an hour. I’m pretty good with geography, but we were definitely lost. I kept trying to find “Vermont Avenue” and I just couldn’t find it. I think we came close to it once, but we just didn’t get to it. It was fun, we saw some really interesting areas, a lot of old houses and palm-tree lined streets along with big houses. It was so cool looking; I love L.A. It also made me want to go to UCLA again. :)

Finally, we found a gas station and bought a map. It was $8. Waste of money, but it served its purpose of getting us out of there. :P

@DominicX….Might that have been Highland Avenue with beautiful large old homes on a palm-tree lined street (its got a center island down it as well)? See ya…Gary aka wtf

What the hell? Being lost sucks ass. In any situation. It’s terrifying.
Once, I had to drive to a friend’s house, and I got so fucking insanely lost. It’s like a 13 minute drive and it took me about 45 minutes to get there. I was just randomly turning and not knowing where I was going, might have went in circles without realizing, or just completely drove in the wrong direction several times. Fuck if I knew. I started becoming overcome by insane behavior like crying and laughing at the same time as I cluelessly drove down some one way service road that may or may not have been the complete opposite way of where I wanted to be. Eventually, I knew I was in the vicinity, but couldn’t find her damn development and had no idea which direction to go. So I pulled into this office building parking lot and just sobbed uncontrollably for several minutes before i finally pulled myself together enough to call my parents and ask where the hell I was. They were annoyed and impatient with my incompetence. My horrific directional sense has grown beyond the point of pity, and is now nothing more than a burden to everyone involved.

It was probably one of the most pathetic displays of my life.

@le_inferno Hahah i can be Direction Disabled as well sometimes… Lurve.

SW Wisconsin. There are roads in that part of the country that DO NOT appear on any map. And the roads that do appear ramble all over, like the cartographers were either drunk or following drunken snakes. The time we were lost up there, I had no idea where I was, but the scenery was phenomenal. I’d love to go back just to wander around there again.

I used to roadtrip across several states each year with a relative and we’d purposefully look for roads not on the map and go check it out. There are too many great spots to count.

@hungryhungryhortence

I do that on my bike. I went into Washoe Meadows State Park once and just winged it. I hadn’t seen a map or anything and there were tons of trails. Luckily, I didn’t really get lost because there were two mountains in the distance that were not far from the park and I knew where they were on the map, so I used them as a guide.

One time, in that same area a while ago, my mom and I were on a road called Sawmill Road and I really wanted to go on it (I had no idea where it went and neither did she) and we were on it for a while and it curved in the words and all that and finally, my mom got freaked out and turned around. Later, we looked on a map and we were only a few yards from the end!

Best place? It was probably London. Thank God for the little gangs of Japanese tourists. They always know where they’re going, so you can just follow them and you will get somewhere. (In that case it was the British Museum.)

But getting lost is a horrible, panicky experience, with no joy or pleasure in it. The stuff of nightmares. There are no good places to be lost, only bad places and worse places.

I get lost all. the. time. I do not enjoy it. I seem to be improving though. I’ve been slightly lost a few times recently and found my own way out. You would not believe how ridiculously proud of myself I was!

Istanbul, Turkey. We had just completed a seven day cruise of the Mediterranean which had been preceeded by a couple of days in Athens, Greece. I had a spinal tap just prior to flying to Athens so I was ill and unable to take advantage of much that Athens had to offer, but felt good for the few days in Instanbul prior to the flight back to the USA.
And I was fully aware that if this was not my final trip, it was certainly my final one where I would not be substantially confined to a wheelchair. I still had some walk in my legs, very slow and tiring and subject to severe cramping and pain, but the suckers still worked. And with the assistance of a cane for stability, I worked the hell out of them, I would head out by myself and would just walk and walk, away from the tourist crap, deep into the city.
I spoke no Turkish, but communication was easy. I had a huge smile on my face and was enjoying myself immensely. And the residents picked up on that and my difficulties and there was what seemed a welcome mat put out for me at every turn. At a tobacco shop, I bought some mini-cigarillos and was offered a chair for a rest. Several men were playing a card game and were very animated. I didn’t understand the game or what they were saying but I found myself laughing with them. One of the men went into the back of the shop and returned followed by another man who poured me a cup of strong Turkish coffee as a token of friendship I was told by the second man who spoke a bit of English. I, in turn, shared with them the German cigarillos I had purchased in Athens. I enjoyed the coffee and a smoke as Turkish music played on their radio and announced that I had more walking yet to do. I thanked them for their hospitality , shook hands with all and hit the roads again, deeper into the city, with no idea where the hell I was or where I was going or even giving a damn…this was a walk I was determined to continue and wished would never end.
Istanbul is a beautiful city, the people warm and friendly and the food marvelous. My walk took me to a coffee shop, an art gallery, a restaurant and another coffee shop. I collapsed into a chair on the sidewalk at that last cofee bar. They were concerned and wanted to get me some medical attention. I convinced them I was fine and ordered a Turkish coffee, very strong. And strong it was, sweet and darn near chewy. The gentleman that had expressed concern brought me an ashtray, lit my cigarillo and accepted the one I offered him and sat next to me. I expressed how much I loved his city and the people. I’m not sure he understood what I was saying but he smiled back at me and we shared a laugh watching some kids at play near-by.
I was very buzzed by all that wonderful strong coffee, but that buzz did not transfer to my legs. They were done and had it. As I rose my knees buckled and I collapsed back into the chair. Before anyone got excited, I announced that I was fine but that I would appreciate it if they could arrange a taxi for me. I don’t know how they got that taxi. I saw one of the guys that was in the shop hop on a bike and ride quickly down the street out of sight and figured he must have gone to do it. But the owner had gone back into the shop and may have phoned, but did return with one more coffee, which I hardly needed but enjoyed nonetheless.
It would be several minutes, but there it was, a taxi as requested. I got up slowly to find the shop owner on one arm and the driver on the other. I shook hands with the owner. He clasped my hand with both of his and said something in Turkish. The driver asked where I was headed, to which I responded The Hilton. My walk was over. It would be the last meaningful walk of my life.

<gulp> What a story, @whatthefluther. Very touching and inspiring. I hereby dedicate my next foot-mile to you.

WoW….. Said with tears in my eyes as well as streaming down my face… That is such a wonderful experience. You are such a wonderful and good, such a kind person, WTF. That is why I Love You so very much and So Very Deeply… Everyone who comes in contact with you see’s these same qualities as I. @Kalafatic, My apologies for going off track.

@whatthefluther Indeed if you ever wrote memoirs WTF, i would love to read them. Im hungry to hear more! I almost felt like i was in Turkey with you.

@whatthefluther

That was it! We were mostly south of Wilshire near Olympic Blvd, but I remember Highland.

We were so close to Vermont…lol…it’s basically a grid, it should’ve been easier to get out of there. But it was also starting to get dark, which made it even more confusing.

I’m with Jeruba… getting lost fills me with dread…there is no place for this! let alone a best place..

Milan, Italy without a doubt. We were’t exactly lost, we just couldn’t find what we were looking for! I’m sure, had we have asked somebody to help us with directions (seeing as the little map we had was about as useful as a chocolate fireguard!) we wouldn’t have been lost for quite so long but, to be honest, we actually enjoyed our lostness!

I remember the first time I enjoyed being lost. I was driving with my sister, we were very young, I was probably 17 and she 15, and I took a wrong turn. We were only about 35 minutes from home, but in an area neither of us had been before, After a minute or so I said to her, “I missed the turn, we need to go back.” She replied, “why don’t we just keep driving and see what’s down this road.” I had never before thought to be so adventurous or curious. We drove for almost a half an hour through beautiful countryside, eventually winding up at a road that had a familiar name and we were able to find our way home without having to back track. This moment changed my life, gave me a new perspective about getting lost and enjoying unplanned moments.

@whatthefluther and @sccrowell I am smiling not just because of WTF’s answer – which is a beautiful story – but because of sc’s response to it. Your love and your relationship make me feel wonderful and very hopeful!

@DominicX, when I lived in So Cal I got pretty much everywhere in LA via Highland, I love that street. Heading up toward the Hollywood Bowl and the 101 freeway provides one of the best views of the Hollywood signs there is!

I enjoyed being lost twice.

Once was hiking Mount Boney in Southern California. It was the day of my black belt test and my instructor gave me and one other student the task of hiking to the top of the mountain. We lost the trail very, very early on and ended up following the stream to the top. It took about five times as long as it should have and it was touch and go a couple of times, but we made it to the top and sat for hot tea with our instructor before hiking down for the belt ceremony.

The other time was when Gimmedat and I got lost in Manhattan. We were down at Battery Park after a trip out to the Statue of Liberty and we decided we could walk back to Times Square. We had this little freebie map we got from the MTV store but basically we just wandered around until we made it back to our hotel. It took us hours and hours, we were exhausted when we finally arrived, but it we enjoyed every minute of it.

When i was a kid i got lost at the Miramar Airshow (among thousands of people).
I went straight to the lost and found tent and convinced a very nice young marine seargeant that he should help me find my parents… so he took me all over the base and we skipped ahead of all the lines to get on the different aircraft and simulators and such so i couuld “look” for my parents… we didn’t find them at any of the attractions/displays so we went back to the tent.. they gave me a coke and 5 minutes later my mom shows up saying how worried she was that i got lost… i told her i knew exactly where I was… they were the lost ones. Fun day.

I am sitting at my desk, and I am lost.

@ChazMaz Duuude! You sound so plaintive. Makes me want to send you a teddy bear and a box of chocolates. ;-)

Yessss. It worked!

A teddy bear, a box of chocolates and laying on my couch.

Another day at the office. Being lost can be exciting!

Just give me your address. They’ll be there this afternoon!

daloon – You are all right with me!

@wtf Love you, Gary! There’s a whole lot of weeping going on around Fluther. But good weeping, you know? You are such an inspiration. The next long walk in the woods I take, probably tomorrow, I will carry you with my in my heart. I am so inspired by the way you chew each bit of flavor from life every moment.

@sccrowell Gary is a lucky guy to have you, as he well knows and says.

Glastonbury Festival when the sun goes down :-)

Aww, @ChazMaz. This is for you. And this, to put under your feet.

Ahhhhh, you are all so good to me. TY!

Lurve for the change of avatar, @ChazMaz!

I agree with le_inferno
There is nothing fun about being lost

My friend Wendy and I were “lost” in Cornwall and trying to get out of a town that had bad vibes. Some dude and his friends picked us up while we were hitching a ride out of town. I just made a surprise 60th birhday party for my dude whom I’ve been married to for almost 36 years.

@wtf and sccrowell – Lurve you guys!

@whatthefluther You made that last walk come alive for me, and I actually can see the sights you described as if walking beside you. Much love.
@sccrowell You both are my inspiration.

I got lost in Golden Gate Park in SF. It was really quite terrifying because there is a large homeless population that lives there. But still, that park is awesome and gigantic and at the end it meets the beach, and everywhere we went, even though we didn’t want to be there, was beautiful. Except the crowds of homeless on the hillside. I really thought I was about to get mugged.

Heartfelt thanks and much lurve for the kind words. I am pleased my words brought the walk to live for several of you. Istanbul is a beautiful city with marvelous people….a destination I highly recommend, as was the entire cruise (perhaps sometime I will share my walk of the ruins of Ephesus shown here, here, here, here, here, and here…not my photos….these are from this website).
See ya…Gary aka wtf

@whatthefluther, you are kind of my hero. what a wonderful story.

@whatthefluther this wasn’t a Smithsonian cruise was it?
I went on a cruise to Istanbul and Ephesus and a few other locations around Greece on a Smithsonian tour several years ago. One of the most amazing times of my life. I stuck to the maps in Istanbul, but the Grand Bazaar was truly awe inspiring. Thank you for your story, this is what I’m talking about.

Hong Kong

@kalafatic…No, it wasn’t a Smithsonian cruise. It was Renaissance Cruises while they were still around. That part of the world is rich in history, culture and art and very beautiful. The Grand Bazaar is amazing….I picked up a very nice hand carved meerschaum pipe there. See ya….Gary aka wtf

@evelyns_pet_zebra I agree with Wisconsin in general. My husband and I left northern Wisconsin to visit Lake Superior in the UP and I decided to take a backroad. It took us twice as long as it should have and we did get lost for a bit but it was worth it. It is so beautiful up there!

@whatthefluther did the you encounter raki while you were there? I was in Turkey last year, and the hospitality that I encountered was not the coffee I expected, but glass after glass of Raki! =P
thank you for sharing with us, what a wonderful moment in time.

@noelasun they love their Raki in Serbia too and if you refuse they look really offended and promptly say “But this is my grandmother’s Raki, it is the best Raki in Serbia” after going to Serbia often and taking my cousin (who promptly married a Serbian girl) it is clear to me that it is a country of grandmother’s endlessly brewing Raki. Now only if they sold it instead of giving it away they might sort out their economy!

I will add to this that the Serbians are one THE most welcoming and friendly people I have ever met.

What’s raki?

@Jeruba I am wondering if they are talking about reiki. Am I close Rare and Noela?

@SuperMouse Rakia I was spelling it wrong

@noelasun…Thank you for the kind words. No, it was definitely Turkish coffee, very dark, very bold and very thick. I don’t recall encountering rakia in Turkey tho I do recall the Ouzo in Greece, but I had already had some familiarity with that stuff before that trip. See ya….Gary aka wtf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rak%C4%B1
As my only encounter has been my few weeks in turkey, I felt wiki had more to say on the subject.
A very… distinct spirit to be sure. ;)
I can’t believe I went to turkey and missed all the turkish coffee!!!