In a new town, walk around with no destination for an afternoon. Getting a little lost is how a map turns into a home.

Following directions teaches you a route and nothing else. Wandering with no destination teaches you how the place is put together: which streets connect, where the hill is, what is behind the station, how long it really takes to get anywhere. That is the difference between holding instructions and holding a map.

So give a Saturday afternoon to walking with your phone in your pocket. Turn down things because they look interesting rather than because they go anywhere. Get mildly lost, work your way out, and notice how much less foreign the place is by evening.