April 28, 2025: The Map Guy

The nerves kicked in.

Before starting middle school, I was worried. The enormous building dwarfed my cozy elementary school. My biggest fear? Getting lost. Middle school meant racing from class to class, room to room.

Luckily, an older friend had already mastered the maze. He sketched a detailed map of the entire structure, and I memorized every corner like my life depended on it.

And my plan worked. On day one, I strut through those hallways with confidence. Classmates looked on in awe. For that first week, I ruled the sixth graders.

But not all maps work so well.

Yesterday, we picked a new trail at a nearby park. The website advertised an “easy circular path,” roughly a mile long. Sounded perfect.

Except it wasn’t.

Steep inclines never ended, and after 1.5 miles with no loop in sight, we checked Google Maps. The promised circle became a straight line into nowhere.

So we turned around and trudged back the way we came. Another 30 minutes on tired legs. Whoever wrote those directions clearly had some issues.

Next time, I’m bringing my middle school map guy.