Charlotte and my GPS

On Friday I had to drive to Charlotte for a business trip. I started my new job in August of last year and am still working my way through various training courses. I sell first aid supplies, safety equipment, AED's and any and all safety training (including CPR, First Aid, Blood Borne Pathogen, AED, etc) you can fathom.  Our company is a van based delivery system, therefore I drive a 2008 Chevrolet Express Van...a very long one. I was so nervous and intimidated by this van when I first drove it. I mean, it's huge! The only time I had ever driven a van similar to this was when I worked for Enterprise Rent A Car over 13 years ago, and I hated it, I avoided them as much as I could. 


Therefore, I was even more nervous about being entrusted with my own extended version. However, as I usually do, I adapted. I found it to be quite easy to drive and adapt to and now I find it quite easy to drive, even in downtown Charleston. However, when I arrived in Charlotte, during "rush hour" on Friday I found myself once again quite nervous behind the wheel. I guess partly due to the traffic, the unfamiliar highway, not knowing which lane I should be in or where I was going. My palms were sweaty and my heart was racing. 

I made it to my hotel, started getting settled and realized I needed to go out and get some beer groceries for the week. Back in the van. I also thought I'd try to find my office so I wouldn't get lost the next morning. I hopped in the van, brought up the GPS on my Blackberry and discovered that was in an opposite direction from my office, at least according to my GPS. One look at the traffic and I decided I could certainly find the office in the morning and headed out to Target.


There is one problem with using GPS on your Blackberry. If you get a phone call you no longer haver your GPS in front of you. This is what happened to me. Twice. Therefore I passed my destination. Twice. Finally I found a Target. Only I decided it looked so old and not very "Targetish". I had spotted a BRAND spanking new, enormous Walmart pretty close by so I headed over there.  Took care of the grocery shopping and headed back to the hotel.



The next day I discovered I have a pretty darn good sense of direction. My GPS kept sending me back on the interstate to get to my office that I was pretty confident was within shouting distance. So I went rogue. Off with the GPS and on with my gut. Ha. I found the office. Take that GPS.

I was then brave enough to venture out and do a little exploring after my meeting on Saturday. Low and behold I found a Super Target-without the help of my GPS. It was amazing. I don't know why we don't have these in Charleston, but I can tell you if we did, Walmart would seldom see the likes of me! Only this store was so big, I failed to realize I had gone in one door and exited out another one (perhaps I was distracted by the great deals I found). Luckily my van is so large I was able to spot it, or I might have needed my GPS to locate it!

By the time my husband visited Saturday night I didn't even need my GPS to guide us to dinner or back to the hotel. Which is probably a good thing, as hubby fell in love with the area. He asked me again before going to bed, how soon I could get promoted and we could move up here! Guess I better be a very good student during my training this week because it will take more than a GPS to make sales and be a "promotable" employee in this economy!