Whoever thought up diagonal roads anyway?

they are the root of all evil. Ok, maybe not all evil, but they are really bad

I am getting pretty decent at getting myself around South Bend and Mishawaka but all the road construction and diagonal roads have me wishing I had a teleporter to transport me home after work.

My first week on the job in June I took the long way to work, mostly cause it was the only way I knew. Then, someone informed me of an easier route. So the next day I tried that. DETOUR. Road construction had, apparently, just began on one of the roads I needed to take. I laughed to myself cause only these kinds of things happen to me. "Can't they wait until I know my way around before they post detours and do road construction". But, I did find a way to get around it and I continue to "get around it" everyday when I come to work.

Well, now I have began attending numerous meetings around the community, mostly in the downtown area. Usually I can get there, but getting home or getting back to the office is always an adventure because of the one-way streets, streets that just end all-of-a-sudden and streets that change names.

Yesterday me and the SR-23 went round and round. The State Road 23, also called South Bend Ave (every road here has like 5 names and I am not kidding. Mostly it happens when they switch from S.B. to Mishawaka, but sometimes it seems like it is for no apparent reason but to confuse new people from Kansas). Anyway, the SR-23 is a diagonal road that stretches from downtown S.B. clear to north Mishawaka. This road is tricky with several 5 point intersections and weird turn lanes and I ALWAYS seem to end up on it after a meeting as I try to get home. Many times I have missed turns and end up taking it all the way to the north end of Mishawaka and then have to backtrack to our apartment. FRUSTRATING. Well, I told myself I wasn't going to let it get the best of me again :)

Yesterday, I took the correct turn off of SR-23 to take me to Edison Road, which comes out right by our apartment. Just when I am thinking to myself "Yes, I outsmarted you SR-23!!!! HAHAHA", I see orange and black signs "Road Closed - Detour". Guess where the detour takes me folks? BACK TO SR-23, where I ended up at the north end of Mishawaka and had to backtrack back to my apartment.

I guess sometimes it's just easier to take the longer route :)