We all have deficits, and one of mine is that I am directionally challenged.

I know how to get to places from rote memory, but when asked to travel somewhere I have never been, I panic.

A few years back, hubby and I flew out to San Diego for a conference he had to attend, and I tagged along to visit a college friend.

In addition to catching up on old times with my friend Beth, I planned to take advantage of her husband Vic who is a fairly well renowned dermatologist.

You know a girl needs a few procedures every now and then.

To my dismay, on the day Vic was going to take care of my face, Beth had to be somewhere with her kids and could not go with me.

Hubby was also tied up in the conference, so if I was going to take advantage my “friend” discount, I would have to navigate my way to the Scripps Clinic all on my own.

With help from the GPS that we had brought from home (the trip was before smart phones), I made it there on time.

Vic was an amazing doctor, and when I left, I knew my skin would be much improved.

I jumped into the rental car feeling like a million bucks and headed back to the hotel.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, I became discombobulated and wound up getting lost.

At first, I tried not to panic and thought that if maybe I kept driving, I would recognize some landmarks that I had passed earlier.

Nothing seemed to be familiar, so I finally pulled into a parking lot.

I tried calling everyone I knew (it had not been that long ago that I did not have a cell phone), but no one was answering. Hubby was apparently still in meetings.

I finally got in touch with one of my daughters, and she walked me through resetting the GPS.

After typing in the address of the hotel where we were staying, I headed back out.

Each time the voice on the GPS asked if I wanted to take the “motorway” route, I opted for the backroads. I was scared the fast traffic on the interstate would exacerbate my state of panic.

Oh, and I probably forgot to mention, I was doing a lot of praying while on the road.

Finally, after an hour and a half of meandering through San Diego’s countryside, I began to come upon some scenery that was familiar, and shortly afterwards I pulled into the hotel.

There were so many emotions rushing through my mind, one of which was a sense of pride. I had gotten lost and had found my way home with the help of the GPS.

For whatever the reason, there are just some limits to my abilities, and for those deficits, I will just rely on help.

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. You may reach her at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.