A personal reflection on the fear of getting lost while travelling — and why some wrong turns become the stories that stay with you.
There was a comment on one of my recent videos that made me smile.
It was on my solo travel fears series — specifically the episode about getting lost.
And the comment simply said:
“But how do you get lost when there’s Google Maps?”
At first, I had a brief moment of feeling slightly ridiculous.
A sort of oh goodness… perhaps this is just a me problem.
And then I laughed.
Because I spent many years travelling solo before smartphones existed.
Before Google Maps.
Before internet access in our pockets.
Back when all we had was a fold-out paper map that somehow never went back together properly.
And even now, despite all the technology supposedly designed to stop these things happening… I still manage to get lost fairly regularly.
It has almost become part of the experience.
Sometimes it’s mildly inconvenient.
Sometimes unexpectedly wonderful.
And occasionally, genuinely frightening.
One moment that still stays with me happened on a solo hike in South Australia..
I’d been happily following the trail markers until suddenly… nothing.
No sign.
No obvious route.
No reassuring arrow pointing me onwards.
Just that creeping feeling that perhaps I had missed something important.
I spent fifteen minutes searching, trying to stay rational while feeling that very particular kind of panic that comes when you’re alone and not entirely sure where you are.
There was a path ahead that almost looked like it might be right.
And I remember standing there, debating whether to keep going.
It would have been easy to convince myself that “close enough” was probably fine.
But something in me said no.
Wait.
Check again.
Trust your instinct.
And eventually, there it was.
The arrow.
Slightly hidden. Easily missed.
The relief was enormous.
Other times, getting lost has felt much less dramatic.
A wrong turning in a city.
An unexpected wander that becomes part of the day.
The kind of getting lost where you know you have options if needed, but you’re curious enough to keep exploring.
And then there have been the more chaotic adventures.
Like driving alone in the Dominican Republic before I had fully mastered Google Maps.
No road signs.
Questionable navigation confidence.
And directions I had manually written down because I suspected signal might disappear.
At one point, I remember driving for what felt like an eternity, trying to calculate whether I should have passed a football stadium by now.
It all felt gloriously imprecise.
And yet… I got there.
Eventually.
Which, perhaps, is the point.
Because the fear of getting lost while travelling is often much bigger before it happens than it feels afterwards.
Not because it’s enjoyable in the moment.
Not because I’d recommend remote hiking panic as a personal growth strategy.
But because those moments teach you things.
You slow down.
You problem solve.
You ask for help.
You pay attention.
You trust your instincts.
And sometimes, you stumble into something you would never have discovered if everything had gone neatly to plan.
I’ve come to think getting lost is something of a rite of passage for travellers.
Especially independent ones.
Because travel isn’t really about moving efficiently from one destination to the next.
It’s about discovery.
And discovery rarely happens in perfectly controlled straight lines.
Which is why that comment about Google Maps stayed with me.
Because yes — technology helps.
Until your battery dies.
Or you lose signal.
Or the route isn’t clearly marked.
Or you accidentally enter the wrong destination.
Or life simply unfolds differently than expected.
And if we’re honest…
that feels true beyond travel too.
We love certainty.
We like plans.
We tell ourselves that if we prepare properly enough, use the right tools, and think things through carefully, we won’t lose our way.
But perhaps losing the way is sometimes exactly where growth begins.
Not because uncertainty is comfortable.
But because it asks something of us.
Resilience.
Trust.
Adaptability.
And perhaps even a little courage.
Because getting lost doesn’t always mean you’re doing something wrong.
Sometimes it simply means you’re somewhere new.
So, when was the last time getting a little lost led you somewhere unexpectedly good? Leave a Comment below to let me know.
This Week on YouTube
The solo travel fears series continues this week with another big question:
Because alongside getting lost, this is another fear that sits quietly in the background for many women considering travelling alone.
What happens if you get sick, injured, stranded, or something simply doesn’t go to plan? Follow the link above to watch this one or CLICK HERE for all the short videos I’ve shared so far.
And if you’re in the mood for something longer, I’ve also shared one of my more personal travel stories — six months in the Caribbean with no fixed plan.
Starting with a flight to the Dominican Republic and allowing the rest of the journey to unfold from there.
No carefully mapped route.
No itinerary pinned to the fridge.
Just instinct, connection, freedom, and the willingness to see what happened next.
Looking back, it became far more than a trip.
It became part of my healing.
And perhaps that’s another reminder that not every meaningful journey begins with certainty. You can check it out as it unfolded HERE.
Thank you for being here — whether you read every word or just dip in now and then.
Until next time,
Safe travels,
Sue x
This may contain affiliate links. If you choose to use them, I may receive a small commission — thank you. You’ll never pay more, and my opinions are always my own.
P.S. Helpful travel resources I genuinely use can always be found below:
🏠 For accommodation, I use Expedia and Booking.com primarily. They have their own loyalty schemes which is easy to progress through the levels for better discounts and inclusions.
🚍 For tours and activities, my preferred supplier is Get Your Guide.
🗺️ For multi day or week tours, check out G Adventures. I used them for trips in Costa Rica, Peru, and Galapagos.
🧳 For luggage storage on your travels, I recommend the service by Bounce.
