Street Smarts...literally

Living in suburbia for the past six years has taught me that life begins at sixteen when the fateful day you pass your driver's exam. Being miles away from the nearest mall or movie theater forces kids to get their creative juices flowing and create "cool chill spots" out of Wawas and street corners. Being tossed into the midst of one of the busiest metropolitan cities in the United States came as quite a shock, needless to say. The endless maze of street names, numbers, buses, subways, trains and a new need for walking shoes ignited a part of my brain that had remained dormant for quite some time. Living in the city put my sense of direction into use in every way possible. In addition to memorizing street names and numbers, I need to remember the locations of commercial landmarks and specific areas such as the shopping and housing districts. From a psychological point of view, my growing sense of direction has exponentially expanded my cognitive map. Also, figuring out the public transportation system was a challenge in itself. Once I defeated my initial fear of the subway and train, learning to operate each respective system and mastering the art of tokens and tickets has improved my general "street smarts". These street smarts may in turn create a more intelligent and aware appearance to others and boost their opinions of me because of my effective way of communicating directions.