Why Getting a Little Lost is the Best Thing That Can Happen on Your Travels

NIHAR VISPUTE

LAST UPDATED

July 4, 2025

SHARE

• 
• 
• 

We spend so much of our travel planning trying to avoid it. We plot our routes on Google Maps down to the very last turn. We read dozens of blog posts to find the "best" and most "efficient" way to see a city. We arm ourselves with apps, guides, and itineraries, all in a noble effort to maximize our time and avoid one of travel's greatest perceived failures: getting lost.

Getting lost feels like a mistake. It feels like a waste of precious time, a moment of disorientation and vulnerability in an unfamiliar place. It can be frustrating, confusing, and sometimes, even a little scary.

But what if we reframed it? What if getting lost wasn’t a failure, but an opportunity? What if the moments when our carefully laid plans fall apart are the very moments when the real adventure begins? The truth is, some of the most profound, memorable, and authentic travel experiences happen not when you’re following a map, but when you put it away and allow yourself to wander.

The Tyranny of the Perfect Plan

In our hyper-optimized world, we’ve been conditioned to believe that the best path is always the most direct one. The goal is to get from Point A to Point B as quickly and efficiently as possible. This mindset is great for your daily commute, but it can be the enemy of true discovery when you travel.

When we stick rigidly to a plan, we walk through a city with blinders on. We’re so focused on finding the next designated "point of interest" that we fail to see the magic happening in the spaces in between. We miss the hidden courtyard where a grandfather is teaching his granddaughter to play chess. We walk right past the tiny, unmarked bakery where the smell of freshly baked bread is intoxicating. We ignore the sound of music coming from a side street because it’s not on our route.

A perfect plan can protect you from getting lost, but it can also protect you from the serendipity, spontaneity, and genuine human connection that make travel so transformative.

The Magic of the Detour

Getting lost forces you to break out of this optimized trance. It forces you to lift your head up from your phone, look around, and truly see where you are.

Suddenly, you start to notice the details. The unique architectural style of the doorways. The colors of the laundry hanging from a balcony. The way the light hits a particular street corner. You start to use your senses instead of just your GPS.

This is when the unexpected happens.

• You Discover the Un-Googleable: The best travel stories rarely start with, "So, we followed our itinerary perfectly." They start with, "We took a wrong turn and you'll never guess what we found..." Maybe it’s a tiny, family-run restaurant with no sign, serving the best pasta you’ve ever had. Maybe it’s a beautiful, quiet park that isn't in any guidebook. Maybe it’s a quirky little bookstore run by an eccentric old man who recommends your new favorite author. These are the gems that can't be planned for; they can only be stumbled upon.

   

• You Connect with People: When you're lost, you have to do something that can feel intimidating: you have to ask for help. This simple act of vulnerability can lead to the most wonderful human interactions. You might get a simple set of directions, or you might end up in a 10-minute, gesture-filled conversation with a local shopkeeper who is eager to practice their English and tell you about their neighborhood. These are the moments that bridge cultural divides and remind you of the shared kindness of humanity.

   

• You Learn to Trust Yourself: Navigating your way out of a confusing situation in a foreign city is a powerful confidence booster. It teaches you problem-solving skills, resilience, and self-reliance. You learn that you are more capable and resourceful than you thought. Every time you successfully find your way back, you build a little more trust in your own instincts, a skill that is invaluable not just in travel, but in all aspects of life.

The Modern Way to Get "Safely" Lost

Of course, there’s a difference between a delightful, serendipitous wander and being genuinely, frighteningly lost. In the past, getting lost could be a real problem. Today, we have a digital safety net that gives us the freedom to wander with confidence.

This is the beautiful paradox of modern travel tech. A tool like a Journey eSIM doesn't have to keep you glued to a pre-planned route. Instead, it can be your permission slip to get lost. You can put your phone in your pocket and wander freely for an hour, knowing that if you ever feel truly disoriented, you can pull it out and instantly pinpoint your location and find your way back.

Your data connection isn't a leash that keeps you on the path; it’s a safety net that gives you the courage to step off it. It allows you to say, "Let's see what's down this interesting-looking alley," without the fear of not being able to find your way back to your hotel.

So on your next trip, schedule some time for aimlessness. Pick a neighborhood, put your phone away, and just walk. Follow the sounds, the smells, and your own curiosity. Allow yourself the grace of a wrong turn. You might just find that getting a little lost is the very best way to find exactly what you were looking for.