Going to Ikea? Take some breadcrumbs

*This is a part of the Thursday rant series, a tongue and cheek look at my life*

The official Ikea map.  Seriously?  I need a map??

I had my first visit to Ikea over the weekend.  A few of my artist friends have mentioned getting some of the art show booth materials (shelving, fabrics, etc.) there, so while I was in Orlando, Florida for other reasons, I decided to stop by and go on a fact finding mission.

Here's a few of my random thoughts from the experience.

• I should have known that it was going to be an exhausting experience when there's a restaurant in the store.
• There was a big "START HERE" sign.  Kinda like a race.  Pace yourself.
• Don't get off the path!!!  There are all sorts of short cuts.  Don't be tempted.  You might want to bypass living rooms only to find yourself making circles for hours.
• Take breadcrumbs.  They will help you find your place and can serve as a food source in the event of the trip taking longer than expected.
• The Swedes must be short people.  That's the only way I can possibly explain why the majority of their furniture is only 3 inches off the ground.
• Just because you can shove a living room, kitchen and two bedrooms into 550 square feet of space doesn't mean that you should.  I would kill somebody by the end of the afternoon.

At the end of the day, I found a few baskets that I liked.  Everything else was just too much.  Can you order online then go pick it up?  That might work.