[US] Advice to a redditor who has never traveled before on how to navigate a massive airport

I'd love to travel to new places, but I've never actually been to a real airport before. That's why I'm posting here; I need information that you'll probably find really obvious. I've only ever taken one flight in my life to Florida from the US Midwest, and that was so long ago, I can't even remember the airport I left from (I was quite young). I also don't drive, so that's out of the question unfortunately.<br><br>A little history: Last year, I impulsively bought a ticket to a European city I'd never been to that was super on sale. I had massive regret later. The flights got screwed up, and I had to cancel. It was a real mess trying to find the airline office to get a refund to a second airline office to get a refund. I know it sounds crazy, but this is actually the first time I had been to a major airport in years. The airport really didn't look how I remembered airports looking. This time, I have a single airline I'm flying with, and I made that flight just fine. It was a very long flight with a huge layover, that was hard on my body.<br><br>Now, I'd like to visit the same place again but now with only the quick, layover free option. The problem is, I'm second guessing myself because I'm afraid of airports. I'm so anxious about the experience. For reference, this airport in particular is O'Hare, and it's by far the busiest airport I've ever seen. Here are some questions I have:<br><br>1. **How do I navigate such a massive airport? I have a lot of trouble reading maps**, and I hate to ask for help. Each terminal usually has a bunch of gates, but how do I know which gate my flight is out of? If I have a layover, how do I find the gate to my next flight? I know you can figure it out using the airport's website, but I'd rather not think about getting on a flight until I'm in the airport if that makes sense. <br><br>2. **How do I know which airport entrance to take? I've never paid attention to this before, but how do I know which entrance to use?** In O'Hare, the airport is divided into terminals, but for some reason, they have a very narrow entrance with a huge exit. I had a really hard time figuring out where the entrance was. If I take the wrong one, will I still be able to get to the airline office?<br><br>2. **Where is security usually located?** I hate asking for directions, so I usually don't. Where is security located in an airport? Is it in a corner or is it by the gates? Once I get through security, can I still go back to the entrance to a store or something if it's on the entrance side?<br><br>3. **If I have a layover, is it really that easy to just go through security again?** So, I've heard mixed things about layovers. Some people say it's really easy, and some people say it's a nightmare. I don't understand layovers. How do you simply get from one gate to the other? If you go to the gate, and it's the wrong gate, do you have to go back through security? If you leave the airport, is there a place you can go to before your next flight that's by the gate you're leaving from? A layover in Chicago is going to be a nightmare. I had a really hard time navigating the airport.<br><br>4. **How do I get my luggage at baggage claim?** Where is the baggage claim located? Is it the same as the check-in/baggage drop off? I'm also really anxious about trying to carry my bags with me while I'm trying to find my gate or whatever. It's a huge pain trying to find a cart.<br><br>5. **What do I do with a second flight if I'm doing a layover?** I've never done a layover before. If I have a layover, do I need to check in with the airline office for my next flight? Should I print my boarding pass immediately? Do I ever need to drop off a second bag? Also, how do I know if I need to recheck my bag for my next flight? Do I just carry it with me the whole time or do I drop it off? I know this might sound really obvious, but I don't really know what to do. I have a lot of anxiety about trying to find the airport office for the second flight.<br><br>6. **How do I find the AirTrain so I can get to the hotel?** I've heard horror stories about using cabs, so that option's out of the question. I also don't drive, so that's out of the question. I usually just stay in an airport hotel for the night if I have a layover, especially because I have an early morning flight.<br><br>EDIT: Wow, thank you guys for the helpful responses. I need to chill out and not stress so much. I'm going to start imagining worst case scenarios that are unlikely, and that's a bad habit of mine. I'm going to take your advice on bringing a powerbank to charge my phone, and I'll try to ask people for directions. I'll also practice reading the signs in airports. I'll follow some of the advice and print a copy of my boarding pass and also get a map of the airport. You've all been really helpful, and I now feel a lot more confident navigating airports.