Having arrived in Medicine Hat and Alberta less than a month ago, I don't feel qualified to jump in and pontificate on most topics.
But if there's one thing I've become an expert on since moving here, it's getting lost.
It's easy for a newcomer to get twisted and turned around here, what with the coulees ruining any predictable grid-pattern and the unraveling, winding roads of suburbia.
Thankfully I've managed to get "unlost" each time — and discovered where the city landfill site is. I'm sure that information will come in handy some day.
Yet as I settle in, I find myself continually frustrated and flummoxed by the size of Medicine Hat's street signs.
They're tiny.
So tiny that by the time I reach a point where they're readable, it's often too late to safely switch lanes and make the needed turn — unless I become "that driver" who slows to a crawl at every single intersection.
I'm sure Hatters are used to navigating around the city with ease and with landmarks — a skill I'm slowly learning. But for a newcomer it can be nerve-wracking to be on the lookout for a street, all while trying to be mindful of traffic and drive safely.
It's not all bad — I enjoy the arrow signs at each intersection telling me which lane goes where. That was a great help when I arrived when the roads were covered in snow.
But Hatters probably take for granted that they could drive to the exhibition and stampede grounds in their sleep. Not that they should do that, for obvious safety reasons.
After misplacing my tourist information centre map, I relied upon a popular online map service to direct me to the stampede grounds for the first time.
It was wrong.
Thank you to the random Hatter who pointed me in the right direction after noticing my look of utter confusion upon arriving at the incorrect location.
One part of his directions was to "look for the sign."
I did eventually make it to the grounds. After driving past the sign, going around a few loops, getting lost (again), pulling over and calling a coworker for help.
I discovered the infamous sign the next day when driving down Dunmore. In the dark, it had appeared like a circle with tiny writing and a graphic blob. It's more readable in the day, but not by much.
Part of what makes a city welcoming and friendly to newcomers and tourists is ensuring that street signs and signs pointing to important locations are ridiculously obvious.
Assume we're stupid, lost and confused.
Or maybe I could just stop being stubborn and get GPS.
(Peggy Revell is a reporter with the Medicine Hat News. You can comment on this and other editorials online at www.medicinehatnews.com/opinions)