One of the best parts of moving abroad is just stepping outside. When you live in Amsterdam, and you want to go to a trendy, new European restaurant, you can get there in 15 minutes (that is, if bicycle traffic isn’t bad). No eight-hour plane trip overnight. No bumpy Uber to the hotel with all your luggage. Just a quick bike ride because you’re already there!

But even being this close, I sometimes fall into the same habit as when I lived in the States. The KPop Demon Hunters were right: sometimes couch is best. That’s why on some days when I’m internally chanting couch couch couch couch couch, I pause and ask myself if I actually want to go out and experience all that this wonderful city has to offer.

And that spontaneous, adventurous, dare I say YOLO voice has been winning out more and more. And part of that is thanks to a Google Maps renaissance.

(Sorry, Apple Maps, I’m breaking up with you.)

Saved lists = future adventures

Curating your custom list

While living abroad, I’ve used Google Maps in new ways that have made getting out of the house genuinely more fun and easier to do. My favorite newly discovered feature? Saved lists.

I’ve lived here for about a year, and at first, getting anywhere felt so overwhelming. I was still figuring out how to get to all the bureaucratic buildings, let alone the fun places that would become lifelong memories. Saved lists on Google Maps were the answer. For example, my partner and I have slightly different outlooks on eating out. Since I am a fan of the couch, I’m also a fan of takeout.

But I know that going out to eat at a restaurant or café and ordering something delicious together will make my partner’s night. So I’ll let you in on my little secret of how I always have a new place for us to try.

1. First, pull up Google Maps on your phone.
2. Tap You in the bottom navigation.
3. Find Your saves.
4. Tap + New list.
5. Give this new list a name and description (I chose Restaurant Picks for Mijn Schattje, a Dutch pet name literally translating to my little treasure).
6. Private is fine, but select Shared if you’re planning on sharing it.
7. Tap Create, and you’re off to the races! (Or wherever you’re actually going.)

Need recommendations to fill up your list? Here’s what I do.

I start with my city’s subreddit. For me, that’s r/Amsterdam. Anytime there’s a food thread with a recommendation that has a lot of upvotes, I check it out on Google Maps. My partner and I don’t eat the same food, so when I find a place that has yummy-sounding dishes, interesting drinks (with mocktails for bonus points), and a vegan option or two, I immediately save it to our list.

Reddit is not the only way to find cool places. Consider adding pins based on:

• Your friends
• Local publications
• Neighborhood groups
• What you see in person

Now that you’ve discovered some interesting places, you’ll need to add them to your list:

1. Search for or open a place in Google Maps.
2. Tap Save (or the little bookmark symbol).
3. Select the new list.
4. Tap Done.

Google Maps saved lists are useful for more than dinner; I pin whatever helps organize my life. We have lists of pharmacies that we like, a list that helps us remember where our dentist and doctor are, and a very practical list showing where the municipal offices are, so that we’re never late for an immigration appointment.

Whether we’re taking the bus or biking around, we use Google Maps for directions. When I pull out Google Maps, I see my (rather cluttered) saved list of things nearby. If we’re heading home from an official appointment or just figuring out what to do next, it has become second nature to survey my pins and see what’s nearby. Perhaps a market we like, a park we’ve been to, or a spot for a quick snack.

Built-in backup options

When your first choice is closed

Just a few weeks ago, after an especially tough and busy week, we were heading out to have a special dinner at our favorite Japanese ramen restaurant. We had biked 25 minutes to get there, locked up our bicycles, brushed out our helmet hair, and walked to the front of the restaurant, only to find a sign that read “Gesloten.” The restaurant was closed for the night.

All of this Google Maps usage, and I still haven’t perfected the art of checking open and closed hours. Now, we’re in trouble. We’re thirsty, hungry, and ready to sit down and talk about everything we accomplished this week over an appetizer. Just before I proposed grabbing groceries and heading back home, I remembered the savior to seemingly so many problems of living abroad: my saved lists on Google Maps. As I was looking at directions back home, I saw one place I saved under date night restaurants—open and serving mocktails and even a vegan entrée.

I could be spontaneous and adventurous, and I showed up as the cool, easy-going partner who just happened to know another place nearby, just like in a movie. We didn’t even have to unlock our bikes; we just walked right over.

Saved lists work wherever you live

Start with one list that you’ll actually use

Why didn’t I save lists in the States? I grew up in Colorado and stayed in Denver after graduating from college. There weren’t a lot of moments where the city or state felt brand new with endless things to do. I knew where our favorite coffee shops were; I knew where date night restaurants were, and I knew where the Ogden Theatre was.

But after discovering so many surprising places through my saved lists, if I moved back to Colorado, I think I’d still keep up this habit.

I once assumed it was easier to stay home and hang out on the couch. But now I realize that Google Maps can help me get out and have fun. Saved lists help me find cool restaurants, keep track of important appointment locations, and notice places I might otherwise have missed.

Start with one list for nearby places you want to visit, and the next time you’re ready to leave the couch, you’ll already have options.