So it’s no secret that I’m in the middle of a move. Still. (Swear to god, this move just will not end.) And since this gongshow just keeps going (and going…and going…), I’m a little discombobulated.
Seriously, my brain will not compute a damn thing.
This is…not necessarily a good thing. I’m disoriented, I don’t know where I am, I don’t know my way around the city, blah blah blah. I’m guessing this is pretty normal for someone who’s just arrived in a new city and is still finding their way around.
That’s all well and good now, in the pre-apocalypse. But after the world ends? Not so much.
Think about it: in those early days, we will all be wandering around the desert (or whatever the planet becomes) trying to find food, shelter, and allies. All this wandering around is really just a series of moves. (Kinda like what I’m doing now, only less annoying and more life-and-death.)
If you’re discombobulated while doing all this wandering, you will die.
For reals.
In other words, you will either be a zombie’s lunch, or you will be some other survivor’s meal ticket. (By this I mean that another survivor will see you for the target you are, then kill you and steal your food–hence the whole “survivor” part.)
Clearly, it’s a terrible idea to allow yourself to become disoriented and out of sorts in the post-apocalypse. After all, the name of the game is survival, and if you can’t tell the difference between “zombie” and “potential ally” because your brain is spinning from all the wandering you’re doing, you’re not going to survive for long.
I guess the only piece of advice I can give you for all this post-apocalyptic disorientation is this: suck it up, buttercup. Learn to roll with the punches. And DO NOT let yourself get disoriented, discombobulated, what have you. You CANNOT let your guard down, and you CANNOT wander around looking like a lost puppy.
Why? Because I guarantee you someone somewhere likes to kick puppies. And if you look like one–especially a lost one–well, you’re going to have a few more bruises and a lot less food pretty quick. Which would really put a damper on that whole “survival” thing. I’m just saying.
You could get a large map of the county and plot out such things as the major government offices, etcetera.
Google maps with streetview, and Bing Map’s Birds Eye View can greatly speed up the process.
Getting out in your local area and walking it will also help you discover a lot of non-obvious details.
Oh, I already know where the major offices are. I’m a new resident to the city, but I’ve been here before. Urban sprawl makes it a little difficult to walk everywhere, but I’m walking around downtown and making that my starting point.