long way

devious labyrinthine meandering rambling tortuous

ambagious back road by way of circular collateral complicated long way around oblique roundabout winding around

direct straight straightforward

in line

meander

aberrate depart divagate drift ramble roam swerve veer wander

be diffuse beat about the bush circumlocute excurse get off the point get off the subject get sidetracked go by way of go off on a tangent turn aside wander away

go direct stay

be direct