Honestly, it felt like being blindfolded in your own neighborhood. You don't realize how much you rely on that 'blue dot' until it disappears.
During those days, my walking paths were dictated by what I could see at the next intersection rather than what an app told me. You start looking for alternative cues—smoke, the sound of sirens, or just the 'vibe' of a crowd. Local shopkeepers basically became my offline Waze; I’d ask them which streets were blocked or where the 'hot zones' were.
It’s a weird, stressful way to navigate a city you’ve lived in your whole life. You’re basically forced to build a mental map in real-time based on word-of-mouth. It really hits home how fragile our 'smart' lives are when the plug is pulled