Confusion in a parking lot

A few days ago, when I parked my car at my 2nd job, I couldn't park in the same part of the parking lot that I usually do, so I had to park somewhere else. After working my four-hour shift, I did remember where it was parked, so that was good. What was strange was when I turned the key and was ready to drive out of the parking lot, I had to sit there for a few seconds or more to just get my bearings.

I had to figure out how to get out of the parking lot and that was strange for me. Once I had it figured out, everything was fine and I was able to make it home.

I guess this is just one example of how I try to make it easier for me to function while living with a memory impairment. Whenever I go to either of my jobs, I park in the same general area. I also do this whenever I go shopping at stores or the mall. I think that I've been doing this for so long, that it is just something that I do without really thinking about it. I think that I now know how important it is to just keep things in my life as consistent as possible. Before this happened, I don't think that I realized how something so simple like parking a vehicle in a particular area has on my cognition.

I know that this was just a little problem, but I didn't expect to feel so lost, just because I parked in a different location. I guess this is an example of how living with a memory impairment doesn't just affect your memory, but rather your cognition. I wish that people who weren't dealing with this could understand that. The thing is, I didn't have any problems finding my vehicle. The problem was figuring out how to drive out of the parking lot. I usually plan everything which helps a lot. I don't do very well with abrupt changes in my day!