The journal directions in Morrowind are genuinely designed to be read like actual directions, not waypoints. You're not supposed to just wander - you're supposed to follow what NPCs tell you.
So when a journal entry says "go north from the silt strider, past the rocks, until you see the mushroom tower," that's actually a real path. The trick is taking it literally and checking your in-game compass constantly. North means north. "Past the three rocks" means there will be three rocks. It sounds tedious compared to Skyrim's quest markers, but once you get the hang of it, it's way more immersive - you actually feel like you're navigating the world instead of following a GPS.
Also use the paper map. Seriously. Vvardenfell's geography is weird and intentionally confusing at first, but after a few hours it clicks. Mark locations in your head. The Ashlands look like nowhere else, the Grazelands are flat, the West Gash has those distinctive rock formations. Your brain will start pattern-matching.
If you're still struggling, there's nothing wrong with using an external map on your second monitor or phone - a lot of people do that without feeling like they're cheating. It's less intrusive than quest markers and you still have to do the actual navigation yourself. The game rewards you for paying attention to the world, but it doesn't punish you for using tools to help you do it.
