First Trip on the Metro

Most of my family knows that I am directionally challenged. I knew that the metro station was just right around the corner from our apartment. We'd driven past it on our way to the apartment. Here's my problem. If I haven't driven somewhere myself, I have a difficult time finding a place again. So, the kids and I head off walking to the metro for our first trip to downtown D.C. I told them it's not far, just around the corner. So, we walk and walk and walk and walk some more. At this point I'm getting confused. The kids are tired, we're dripping with sweat, and still have not reached the metro station. Finally we see a bus stop, so we wait. I have no idea where we are or where this bus will take us. A nice lady helped us. She lied to the bus driver and said that Chantz was 5 so we didn't have to pay for him. We finally make it to the metro center. A very nice attendant helped us get our tickets and told us exactly which stops we needed. We made it to our destination and the rest of the day went well.
When we got back to the metro station we were going to get on the bus to take us back home. None of us paid any attention to the bus we got there on, so we had no idea which one to take back. We went to the information booth, the guy there said he had no idea, and said to ask a bus driver. The drive told us the 18 bus would get us to the apartment. So we waited and waited and waited. Finally, Mike calls to tell us he's on his way home asking where we were. When I told him we were waiting for a bus, he laughed. He told us to start walking south. As I mentioned before, I am extremely directionally challenged. I don't know which way is south. I know turn right or left. I told Mike he might just have to come get us.
A gentlemen sitting on the bench near us, is listening to this exchange and just chuckling to himself. Finally we start walking, I guess south and realize that we are so close to the apartment, about a block away. I knew that the metro was right around the corner, I had just picked the wrong corner that morning!! We got home safe and sound.
To top it all off, a couple days later when we were on the metro again. The same guy that was laughing at us at the bus stop was sitting a couple seats away from us he looks up, sees me and starts chuckling again!