My mom told me when I was getting my license that she wasn’t going to let me drive on my own until I could recite the street names in my town, and “actually know where I was driving.” She knew this was my weak point.

I am the type of person who gets around by landmarks. I may not know the difference in names between Route 24 and College Avenue, but I know you turn right at the McDonald’s to get to Route 24.

When I told my mother this, the whole “landmark direction” philosophy, she didn’t buy it. “Kailey Anne,” she said. “If you break down, or God forbid get in an accident, then you won’t know where you are. How am I or anyone else supposed to get to you and help?”

I told her I would describe the restaurants and environment around me, which didn’t help my cause. Thanks to this lack of direction, the Maps app is like my Bible. My life depends on that little piece of technology.

The only problem with mixing not knowing the street names and using the Maps app (besides it using a ton of data) is that I have strain my eyes looking far ahead to find the street signs the woman’s voice directs me to. Usually, with my luck, I don’t see the street sign until the last possible second. I slam on my brakes, and everything in the car including myself flies forward, as she screams, “Turn here! Turn here!” And the sad part is that the more I rely on the app, the less I learn about the area I’m in.

For example, I’m living in Wilmington, North Carolina for the summer and for the first few days, I used my phone to get me to my internship and around the area. Well, I finally had to cut myself off and test myself, trying to get to and from my internship using just my memory. After a few days of not giving in to the technology, I found my way. And now, after a month of living here (approximately 30 days), I can comfortably travel without Maps (sometimes).

My direction disability doesn’t just apply to driving. If I’m in a city, then let’s pray I’m with a group because I will just follow whoever is leading. If I’m by myself, then all bets are off. I’ll most likely walk in circles without realizing it until I’ve passed the same buildings five times and they begin to look a little familiar.

I’m hoping my sense of direction will improve as I grow older. However, I’m not holding my breath because my mom used to be really good at directions, and as she grew up, her talent faded. So, I guess I will be using the Maps app for the rest of my life.