The Pros and Cons of Getting Lost in an Unfamiliar City

It is not a complete unknown fact that I do not always have the best sense of direction. By the time I was in Heidelberg for not even 48 hours, I managed to get lost 4-5 times. Here is what I learned in the times I found myself lost. If you get lost by yourself because of a tram or bus stop confusion, do NOT panic. It can be really easy to panic when you are in an unfamiliar setting but the best thing to do is it stay calm and keep your wits about you. If you accidentally get off at the wrong stop, either stay at the stop you get off of (more likely then not, another tram will be heading where you want to go in 2-10 minutes) or, if you are feeling a little more adventurous, walk around and see what your surroundings are. If you choose to walk around, go into a store to ask for directions, most likely someone in the store will speak enough English to help point you in the right direction. If there are no stores around, or they are super busy, if you see someone in a business suit or more of a professional dress they are most likely also going to know a tiny bit of English to help you. In order to not get lost, make sure you know what stop is the closest to your living accommodations and what stop is the one that you were traveling from. Also another helpful tip in case you do not remember the name of the stop you are trying to get back to or go to is to remember the name of a store, park, or another building/landmark that can help someone point you in the right direction.  On the first say here I accidentally got off about three stops early because I thought I had already passed my stop. Of course as soon as I got off of the tram and started walking a bit, I realized how far away I was from where I actually wanted to go. Luckily I remembered the name of a store that was across the street from the tram stop that was right by where I am staying. I found a very nice young man dressed in a suit and asked if he knew any English.  To my luck he knew a little bit. I told him about where I was trying to go to (I gave him the name of the store I remembered) and he helped point in the right direction. I learned that by staying calm, I was able to get home quicker than had I panicked. It can be very scary/unnerving when you get lost somewhere that is new to you and there is a language barrier as well. However, if I can somehow negvigate my way and get back okay, anyone can as long as they stay calm and think rationally.