I am unfortunately a person who is what I like to call "directionally challenged". I am hopeless at translating maps to my current location, confuse right from left (I'm aware that this is not normal at this stage in my life), have an almost opposite sense of direction (sadly not opposite enough to be reliable) and get distracted by my surroundings while simultaneously ignoring them for later use as landmarks. Needless to say, a new city in a new country, mapped completely differently from the United States, poses a problem.
The night before my very first day of class, I had mapped out which metro lines I was going to take, which direction, their titles, etc. The university was a block away from the stop. My plan was foolproof. Or so I thought.
Issues began immediately when I left the house. I had explicitly asked my host mother which direction I should turn upon exiting the building, knowing that if I didn't, it could be a terrible start to a journey of doom which had no end. However, in the morning, even though I was thinking about 5 minutes before I walked out the door, "turnleftturnleftturnleft," I turned right. I then turned the correct direction, but since I was going the wrong way, I went even further from my destination. When I got to the river, I figured that something was wrong. Luckily, I was miraculously able to find the house again and started over, this time in the right direction. Once I was on the main street, I had no trouble finding the metro station. This was it! I would get on the train, make my change, and walk to school. All was well in the world. But of course, I discovered upon arrival that I could only pay in coins for an individual ticket. My useless American credit card would not work, as we're about 10 years behind in card technology and don't use the right kind of sensor. I ran back out of the station, and into a cafe where I frantically asked the waitress for change (although I didn't know the word for change). She understood what I wanted, however, as I was pathetically waving a 5 euro bill/almost crying, and gave me change and a smile. For the record, change in French is "monnaie." Good to know, friends. I ran out of the cafe and back into the metro, where I boarded the right train, going in the right direction (a miracle). I rode one stop, and then made the correct line change (another miracle). I rode three more stops, and arrived at my correct destination that would take me to school. Found exit (yet another miracle) and walked up the stairs onto the street, confident that today was really going to be a great and successful day.
Once on the street, I had absolutely no idea which way to turn. I started walking in a completely random direction, hoping that the school would somehow appear. It was a University, how hard could it be to find? If it was at all like Mizzou, there would be signs, a campus, gardens in the shape of the school logo, etc. The map I'd looked at showed a straight line to where it was, so as long as I walked in a straight line, one out of the 4 ways I could go would be right. Sadly, I was already late, so walking turned into running, and I was running in what turned out to be the direction away from the University. I eventually realized this, and went another direction. Also wrong. Decided to backtrack and go to a gas station and ask for directions. In yet more pathetic French, missing many crucial words, I asked/mimed the man in the gas station where the Manufacture des Tabacs (name of the building, which I wrongly thought was one of many at Lyon III) was. He had no idea what I was talking about. I then broadened my search to "Lyon III", which drew more blank stares (a crowd had gathered around the counter at this point). Finally, when I asked where "the university" was, he understood, and gave me directions which I did not understand but pointed to a direction in which I had not yet ran and said to turn left at the McDonalds. I thanked him and bolted out of the station, ran down the street, and saw the glorious McDonalds in the distance. Never have I been so happy to see a McDonalds (this is kind of a lie, sometimes I really need a small fry). I managed to get to my session before anything really crucial had started, without loss of too much dignity or sweat.
Having braved the way there, I should have had no trouble with getting back. Wrong. I went into the wrong metro station, as I wasn't aware there were different stations for different directions but the same line (why) and had to use two tickets. But, after this minor issue, I made it back to my home station. I found my building after walking back and forth on my street only a few times and trying to put my key in the wrong door while people inside were watching me. Overall success, I'd say.
It's been two weeks and now I know my way around, most of the time. But I still make mistakes. I missed my stop today because I was zoning out on the train, and had to walk the rest of the way back, but I see it as more exercise. But after the utter disaster of the first day, I'm not really afraid of getting lost anymore. I did it once, I can do it again. And now I know the word for "change".
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