Never getting lost again

Where's that GPS?!

My getting lost is no more. Or more accurately Love of My Life's (LOML) days of rubbish direction has gone, hopefully soon to be forgotten.  I have, not before time, or again I should say, LOML's time, that we have at last entered (though be it 10 years too late) the laid back and stress free map side of driving and got ourselves a GPS.
It would be an understatement to say that having lived here 12 years LOML's driving and direction skills are still the same as the day he arrived.

Which takes me back 10 years (almost to the day) of the worst direction and driving ever.... The day Little M was born.  Living in Rome we were very used to hectic traffic, crazy drivers and endless narrow busy streets and much honking of horns and impatience on the roads.  But November 5th 2000 was beyond the expectation.  It was just after lunch when I knew that our little baby was on her way.  A Sunday...  when neither Roma or Lazio were playing football at home, which we truly should be thankful considering the journey that was ahead of us.  We lived in a village called Olgiata, 30 minutes north of the city and the hospital was slap bang in the chaos that is Rome.  Getting things together and the pain getting stronger we decided to make our way to Villa Anna Maria where Little M was to be born.

On entering the car the first question asked by LOML was "Which way then?" of which I was doubled up in  to much pain for him to hear my expletives.  He gingerly set off, with very little knowledge of where he was going.  My gasps of pain and counting contractions was of little comfort either.  Having left the Ring Road and hoping for the best he crossed junctions, kept reversing having entered one way streets, down narrow alleyways only to find ourselves back where we had previously been.  Throughout this I was trying to shout directions to somebody who should have known his way to Villa Anna Maria - and shouting I was!  The exasperation of the situation and labour too much to bear.  LOML seemed very unconcerned, nor neither flapping with worry which made things worse.  I really didn't want Little M being born in the middle of a one way narrow Roman street with my blood fearful  husband as the midwife!

After what seemed like a lifetime, we reached there in time.  My nerves of course now jangling and my contractions stronger.  Thank God everything, otherwise, went according to plan and soon after, our beautiful Little M entered this world.

So it's not without irony that with Little M turning 10 on Friday and there are absolutely no "Little" other's from A-Z , on their way again, that we eventually get a GPS.
 Having survived that epic, LOML could never get THAT lost again - but there are times where he doesn't listen and tunes out, so maybe I shouldn't hold my breath!

Happy driving,

Beth