thr0w4w4y4g00d

Damn, I forgot about games, too.

I play only occasionally, and never the competitive sorts. I play CoD, Factorio, Age of Empires, etc. Played some Vice City, GTA-V back in the day.

In VC, GTA-V, I could never remember even the most common roads.

I always found myself looking at the map at the corner much more than the main screen when I needed to get anywhere.

If I played the competitive sorts, maybe I would discovered that I suck at those, too.

But when navigating IRL, I am a responsible driver, an alert "walker". Yet I never comprehend directions.

In the city, I always end up using the longer route than the shorter one, through more common and active places, because I know them more. I end up using the longer route most of the time. I have some "anchor points" in the city, and I always navigate through them, because I know those routes more. I don't risk other routes.

Today, I could not even recognize the route I just went through- when making the return trip (two hours stay). I had to ask around for directions. (Not my city)

Yet, besides this, my life is totally normal. Weird.

Yes. Same goes with me.

My partner and parents know that I have this. I don't tell it to others.

I also go to the same location through many roads, but only once I have one etched into my mind.

I have to use G-Maps 7-8 times for visiting the same location if there are even days-wide gaps.

I am also bad at getting directions in maps. I have to orient and reorient one multiple times to figure out where I am, which way I am looking, amd which way I need to go.

I often just walk 10-20 meters to figure out which way I am looking or need to go.

Yeah, I am missing the "location module", too.

I have had this long before I had access to any sort of digital maps or GPS.

And, for me, Google Maps has been a lifesaver.

If I go with the help of it 8-10 times, I never ever forget the road again.

This is so weird for me given I have so good memory since my childhood. I could always memorize things real fast, without any superficial tools like mnemonics, flash cards, etc.

Not OP, but I have faced this same problem since long before GPS became ubiquitous and I had access to it in any form.