I think the majority of us have the problem of spotting airfields when learning and flying to unfamiliar places.
My 'claim to fame' is that I was inside the Leeds/Bradford CTZ and *still* couldn't see the airfield
Fortunately I had my instructor on board. Once I was told what to look for from a distance it was a doddle. Until I was on my Dual QXC and couldn't find Sywell for looking - until I was almost overhead.
Interestingly I've since taken family and friends for flights over very familiar landmarks over Yorkshire. Pointing out a whole town (e.g. Malton) or major landmark (e.g. Castle Howard) is missed on my passengers. I was really surprised: "Look there: the dual carriageway, the road that splits from it, it leads to a town with a river...", "Over there?" - pointing way off the mark - "No, there, on your right, I'll have to bank now we are so close", "No, I still can't see it", "Aaaarrrrggghhhhh - There. Big Town. Church. River. Railway Line...", "No, don't know where you mean".
A couple of minutes later as we make a lazy turn... "Oh look, that must be xxxx town down there - I can recognise the pubs on the high street"... So I learned from this that as pilots we are trained to look at the world in a different way. Most people wouldn't know how a river or railway line meanders through a town.
As you do more flying you will get to know what to look for and what to expect. Ben C. - yes, I've used Google and Microsoft Live to look at airstrips and local features, especially large fields and roads / rivers / railway lines nearby. But not for approaches as at that angle it doesn't really work for me.