I have a horrifying sense of direction....

[Silverobama]

I remember when I first came to the neighborhood where I now live in, I often lost my way because the place is like a maze. Streets crisscross each other and small and tall buildings intersect each other. Even shopping malls are interconnecting each others. However, for most of the people there, even new people, they don't lose ways but I did.

I had a horrifying sense of direction; I got lost seven times when I first here.

Is my italic sentence okay? How would you phrase this idea?

 

[Skrej]

To begin with, you are missing a verb in that 'when' clause.

On top of that, I think you probably mean 'horrible', not 'horrifying'. Was your sense of direction just really bad, or did it actually scare you?

 

[Silverobama]

To begin with, you are missing a verb in that 'when' clause.

On top of that, I think you probably mean 'horrible', not 'horrifying'. Was your sense of direction just really bad, or did it actually scare you?

I had a horrifying sense of direction; I got lost seven times when I was first here.

My sense of direction was just really bad.

Please help me with a natural expression, teacher Skrej.

Much appreciated.

 

[emsr2d2]

You mean "horrible" (meaning "terrible/awful/very bad"). I wouldn't use the simple past there. Most people either have a good sense of direction or they don't so use the present simple if you generally have a bad sense of direction. If it was just this one particular city/town that confused you, it's nothing to do with sense of direction. Simply say "When I first moved here, I got lost seven times because it's like a maze!"