If your five-year-old comments on your way home from her day camp that this is the way they went on their field trip that morning, you could ask her if she remembers which way they went and if she'd like to show you before heading home for dinner.
This will make her year.
She'll start by saying they went to the end of the road and turned left.
She'll then recognize a variety of landmarks, assuring all passengers regularly that we are definitely going the right way.
She'll continue to do this, and you'll dismiss the feeling that she's doing so to convince herself that she remembers it all.
She'll begin to mention "landmarks" that have no clear navigational use.
Like when she says that there was a part that was very cold.
Or a part that was very hot.
Or a part that was very stoppy.
Or a part that was very bumpy and loud.
Or a part that was very turny.
Or a part that was very up and down and tickled her tummy, so she'll call it the part that was very laughy instead.
Which is when you'll start getting very skeptical, since the cold (aka shady) parts are now the hot parts, everything is bumpy on a bus, and sorting what from what is no longer making this experimental adventure much fun anymore.
Especially not fun when the five-year-old and her older sibling start complaining about being hungry.
And then you will realize that you are two towns away and wonder if the school would really have taken a load of five-year-olds this far away.
And this is when it is a very good idea to stop for a moment and Google the destination, not because you don't trust your child's memory, but because you want to make sure you were following her directions correctly.
Because you really want to see this cool park she visited.
And she really wants to lead you there.
But the hungry is competing, now joined with your sudden and intense desire to drink something very strong.
Of course it's easier to look up the place if the five-year-old remembers the name, which she probably will, though she may not pronounce it quite right.
And when you finally figure out where the field trip went that morning, all you will be able to do at that point is laugh.
Because she started by saying they went to the end of the road and turned left.
But she meant the other left.
