I had actually never needed a GPS before. It’s not that I didn’t find them innovative – it’s just that I had lived in Massachusetts for 23 years and had never had a use for one. Whenever I need to go somewhere new, there was a generous chance I already knew most of the route. Having lived in the Bay State my entire life, I knew all the main highways. I’d look up the way online and either print out or jot down the directions. It was easy.
You can imagine my panic when I accepted a job in North Carolina. I had never driven south of New Jersey. In fact, none of my family members had either. I realized I was about to venture into the great unknown with not a single person to accompany me. I had 48 hours to travel the 900 miles from Boston to Charlotte. I wouldn’t have a travel companion, and for once if I got lost, I couldn’t rely on my intuition to help me find my way.
I wasn’t eager to buy a GPS. I took a kind of sophomoric pride in the fact that I had never needed one before. Plus, I wasn’t looking forward to shelling out several hundred dollars. I didn’t have a smartphone, either. I poked around the Internet at GPS ads and the occasional Geico Review and later found an affordable model. Now that I’m happily settled in Charlotte, I still use it all the time. It’s one purchase that I’ll never regret.