Last weekend I had to ferry my daughter and her friend to a conference at National Harbor. I had never been to National Harbor. Knew by the name that it was most likely near water, but that was about it for my location knowledge.
On the first trip, I followed Mapquest. Per usual, it took me along a route which, though it got me there, also took me many other places I did not need to go and wasted a fair amount of time. I made my way back via a couple of construction detours.
On the second trip, I went way out of my way, using familiar routes, but still wasting an enormous block of time. But, at least, I knew where I was the entire time.
On the third– and final– trip, (for which I had a very small window of time) I relied on data I had garnered on my two previous attempts and a half-remembered route I had used to get to that area some twenty years ago; I made the round trip in a third of the time.
As I made my way home, I thought about how much this exercise mirrors my life: I try something new using information I have sought, only to find, as the anvil falls on my head, that experience proves the better teacher.
There ain’t no way but through.
Annemarie
The Daily Cup 
How true! Another piece of wisdom from Annemarie.