Me....Mistaken for a local?

Today I had a bizarre experience. With my ipod nestled firmly in my ears and my feet planted on the ground, a middle-aged woman and her husband, map in hand, stopped me in my tracks.

"Excuse me! Excuse me! Could you please tell me where the old farm road is?"

(Pretty impressive, already being mistaken for a regular. I think it was the powerwalking and sense of direction that tipped her off).

"I think you need to go down to the next road. This one here is a dead end, so it won't lead you anywhere."

"Thank you so much! Appreciate it!" she replied warmly.

Only my 2nd day here, and already, tourists were asking me for directions. The thing about Cambridge is....it's a bit like Harvard Square. During 10-6pm, there are TONS of people around from all over the country and even the world. You cannot even walk down the street without seeing lots of middle aged people with maps, fanny packs, or tourists in total and utter confusion. The town itself is almost an L-shaped, so it is actually not that difficult to become lost or need to ask for help.

And anyway, what does it mean to be a local? Isn't Cambridge just another transient college town? There are people who reside in Cambridge year round, but in the summer, they take off, and college students and tourists flock to the city. My favorite time of day is actually early morning (8-9:30am). It is wonderful to take a walk at this time, since the sidewalks are nearly empty and the buildings stand in their picturesque, early morning beauty. So maybe Cambridge is slightly confusing to get around....that's probably why I'm even more flattered for being mistaken as a local.