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COINTEST For Christmas, 3 Prizes


Dr. Whoever

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Geocaching has given us health, both mental and physical. It has allowed us to find and explore places only local's know in each state we traveled to. It has brought us into a family of close friends, some we have never laid eyes on (yet). It allows us to give back by bringing others into this enjoyable sport. Do we need to mention geocoins? :) Merry XMAS all!

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As I get older and a little more lamed up, I may not be hiking all the summits as I once did. I may not be able to lug my kayak through the woods to a pretty, hidden pond, and I may not be able to snowshoe with all the gusto I once had, but there is still geocaching, taking me to awesome places in our beautiful State and earthcaches which provide new knowledge and understanding of our natural world.

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I was laid off from my job in January of last year which really put me in a tail spin in my personal life. I spent 10 months unemployed looking for work that did not need a degree and would pay the bills. Pretty much everything I ran into wanted that degree. I went back to school to remedy that while I was still job searching. I spent many hours online between job hunting and school and pretty much got used to just staying in the house. Then I ran across Geocaching. It gave me a reason again to be outside and enjoy the outdoors like I once did. I already had a GPS from when I take the Jeep out so out the door I went. Because of Geocaching it has brought me closer to nature and opened up my world to a group of people that are the nicest and most giving bunch that I have ever met. The coin people go way above that. The friendliness drew me in and here I stayed. I will never forget the thrill of finding my first cache to receiving my first coin. This community is AWESOME!

 

Merry Christmas All!!!! :)

Edited by Dolfy
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Geocaching has taken me to places I would have never been otherwize. I have met in person and in the forums many wonderful and caring people. I have also become more aware of the wildlife and wild plants out there and enjoy being in the woods more and more. I've learned to actually know how to read a compass, and understand topo maps.

But now, I look at storage containers like... "that would make a great cache!!" :)

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Geocaching...man, what can I say.

 

Whew... I have become something of a recluse. Not exactly a hermit, but I definitely don't get out much, and it's mainly to do with where I live. When I lived in the US I was out and about a fair bit. I went to friends' homes and work, if I wanted to go out of town, I went, things like that. I was married to a trucker, so I had a lot of time to myself, and I used it and enjoyed it, going on road trips, to the movies alone or with friends. I worked full time and also volunteered about 15 to 20 hours a month when I could and really loved it.

 

Then I moved here. All of a sudden I got out less and less - we didn't have a car the first 5 years I lived here, and in time I got a bit agoraphobic, I knew noone here and just became more and more a homebody with my kids and Micke, and spent almost all my time on the net.

 

Micke spent a lot of time on the net, and as embarassing as it is to say it, a lot of times we'd actually IM each other even though we were in the same room! Hanna, our oldest, was suffering from a lack of attention from mamma and pappa, and I think that he and I were also suffering, not spending time together and becoming more and more withdrawn, even from each other.

 

We discovered Geocaching earlier in the summer, we had heard about it a while back, but didn't get the GPS'r until this year. I figured, what the heck, and I found that there were a number of caches in our area, much to my surprise! I asked Micke if he'd consider giving it a chance, I figured he'd say no since he is on the net as much as me, actually, he's a gamer, but he agreed! We packed up the kids and the car and took a couple of little toys we had around, just in case we found something, and we went!

 

WOW! We loved it! It was like someone lit a fire under us! We were out caching every day of his vacation and the weekends, before we knew it we had a swag bag and caching supplies, lol! Then we discovered our first geocoin and the beginnings of an addiction were born! I got involved in the forums here and we kept caching when we were able to, and sometimes when we shouldn't, hehee, and we found ourselves out of the house, out from behind the computers, out from behind the tv's, and doing things as a family, together! Our fitness levels improved, our confidence levels improved. Watching Hanna find the cache and her triumphant look on her face was worth her weight in gold! For me, always been dumpy, lousy condition, soft... for me there was nothing like the feeling of getting to the top of a physically demanding trail, no matter how much it felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest and like I couldn't take another step. The challenges gave me a whole new strength! Watching Micke hone his orienteering skills and seeing him interract with our girls has been like magic. Our whole family has benefitted so much from this, there are just no words to describe my gratitude for geocaching! In addition to everything else that it's given me, the forum here, the geocoin forum in particular, has given me an outlet for my creativity in designing my fantasy coins, and it's given me a social network that I've really needed, and it's enabled me to be able to give of myself in ways that I haven't been able to do since moving here. I love that I can be supportive of people here and help in my own way, and I just love the whole community.

 

Anyway, that's more than enough, and more than a little embarassing, but that's my story... our story.

 

Naomi, Micke, Hanna and Caitlyn...aka Mousekakat

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I wont bore you with the long version :)

 

Geocaching has:

* Given me new friends that I'd never meet otherwise.

* Showed me places I'd never see without caching, even in my own hometown!

* Given me a reason to get out more. I've went for 1 mile walks or 2 mile bikerides every now and then before caching too, but with a goal it's much easier.

* Given me great sightseeings when abroad or even here in Sweden. While my family spent their time shopping on old, dull mainstreet, I've been caching and seen places they'll never get to see. (Unless they start caching that is :rolleyes:)

* Given me a new way to spend time with friends I already had. For example a friend, that I hadn't seen very much the last years, got a GPSr for graduation gift. I happened to mention that I had a GPSr too, and a few weeks later we were out caching all day long every day for almost a week.

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Geocaching gets me out of the house when I might just sit on the couch and watch TV. It brings me on some interesting adventures, gets me thinking. It combines some of my favorite activities which include the outdoors, hiking, technology and puzzles. It has the thrill of the hunt and exploring. Geocaching has introduced me to some really nice folks. I also love the coin aspect, I have a small currency coin collectionand now am getting addicted to geocoins it combines two activities I really like!

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Nowadays I cache mostly when I travel. Its a wonderful way to force the stops that we all should take on long drives. Even help make I-80 across Wyoming interesting...

 

I love virtuals and the interesting places that they take you (wish people could still place virtual, but that's another thread or two or three...)

 

Met some great people, electronically and for real and electronically who became for real.

 

Its a good life...

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Thanks to geocaching we have met some really great people form all over the world. Geocaching has also showed us that there still is people in this world that cares for others and will actually do things for others without strings. The first time we went to an event, the people we met there made us feel like we've known them all our lives, and thanms to these people, we still enjoy caching today. Not only have we met great people, but we have go to many of places that we never knew existed, some of these places are even in the same state we have lived our whole lives. We look forward to going to the events and while at the events, we hardly get any caching done becuse we enjoy talking to the other cachers and meeting new friends.

 

Merry Christmas to all and thanks for being you!

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Geocaching has given me so many, many friends and great outdoor experiences. I have travel all over the CA and NV to meet folks and test our vehicles endurance. It has introduced me to beautiful little parks and venue right in my own neighborhoods that I didn't know existed and never would have found without geocaching. Merry Christmas to all.

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I discovered geocaching from an article in the newspaper. It sounded fun so I researched it, bought a gpsr and then I was hooked. The discovery of geocaching came at a point in my life when I was coming out of that black pit called depression. It gave me a reason/motivation to get out and get moving. At first getting out was a struggle but then I went to some local events and found a great group of people that I am proud to now call my friends. Because of caching I am becoming much more outgoing and more sociable. I have friends across the country and although the black cloud may make additonal appearances I feel that i now can better handle it and have others to support me. Thanks Geocaching!

 

Merry Christmas!!

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Well, this has been a most wonderful year! We pretty much began in March, and now over 500 caches later we are still loving it.

 

We lost our initial shyness and will now go FTF'ing in our pajamas, we've met many great people at our local pub nights and have just had a great time. We took the kids camping for the first time so we could stay over at an event, and we have found so many 'gems' locally that we didn't know were there. Places of interest, historically, visually as well as mentally. Ghost towns, historic forts, all in our own back yard.

 

We now plan vacations around caching, we've cached in a few countries and hope for more!

 

Most important of all,is what caching has done to our family. We spend so much more time together, walking the trails than ever before, and for that I am truly thankful.

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We read about geocaching online. And we had a old GPS laying around (never used it and didn't even have a cord to connect it to the computer). We started caching and the rest is history.

 

We only go caching as a family and has brought us closer together. We call it treasure hunting. We have come to know some really great, caring people (most we would have called crazy). We have found many great places we would have never found or stopped to look at.

 

Now, no matter where we are or what time, we can always go geocaching together.

 

Thanks for the cointest Castleman.

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I guess sometimes you have to step back in life and really think what something really means to you. What I am trying to say is that some of the simpliest things you take for granted. So what has geocaching done for my life?

Well it has some of my relatives thinking I am totally nuts. I have a 2nd cousin that thinks I am wasting my time and could find more productive things to do rather then running around looking for hidden things.

 

It has definitely got me in to better shape. I love hiking. Earlier this year my room mate and I took off on a hike of what we thought was going to be around 7 miles for 21 ammo cans around a lake. 12 1/2 miles later we both limped to the truck. It also taught me to look at the info and just not take what someone says as the facts.

 

I have met and made so many new friends. People I would have never met any other way. The cachers in Indy are great.

 

I met a young man, 13 years old, who started caching without a GPS and had no support in his hobby from his parents. I have had the pleasure to meet this young man and help him hide a cache and show him how sneaky some hides can be out there.

 

Geocaching has taken me to new places I never knew existed. Wow there are a lot of great hidden places to see.

 

And geocaching has brought me to these forums. I am mainly a lurker. But as you read people's post you get to know them. And here at 7 minutes until Christmas, my thoughts and prayers are with Tank and his family. All we can do is hope and pray for the best.

 

Thanks for the cointest!

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Don't know if I'm going to get this in on time, but I'll try --

 

I came to Geocaching completely accidentally (via a post on a favorite web comic of mine), but I'm not entirely sure it was accidentally, you know? This was one of those events that had...well, let's just say it's a WEIRD SENSE OF TIMING.

 

I'm in the Navy, and am stationed on an Air Force base in Japan. I am not in an aviation rate; in fact, I'm the only Sonar Technician on the base. So I'm fairly isolated from my community of fellow ping jockeys.

 

Plus, I'm an introvert. Besides my husband, cat, and (now) daughter, I don't have too many friends here. Online life is my window into a wider community of fellow-minded people.

 

One thing that's been missing for me is the opportunity to use my Fine Arts (Illustration) degree. I've been out of it for a LONG time, since before I joined the Navy, actually, and I often feel the strain of, well, not arting. The Navy's given me a couple of opportunities to do art, but now that I'm in the Geocaching community, I have more inspiration to do different kinds of art. It's keeping me sane.

 

But best of all is the opportunity to meet & work with some of the INSANELY CREATIVE people on this board. And people who are, to the core of their beings, some of the most compassionate and generous people I have ever seen. You folks inspire the heck out of me. I am so happy to have found this community!

 

Edited to add: P.S. I never would have thought I'd have so much fun with tupperware in the woods. I realize that I love to hike, and better yet, that the whole family really enjoys doing it too. Finally! A way to spend all that spare Japanese change, by buying stuff out of the ubiquitous really-weird-toy vending machines!

Edited by Jackalgirl
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It takes me to some interesting places that I would not know about if not for caching,and I have also met a lot of great new friends in my area and in the forms here.Short post as I am out of time and over do for sleep. MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone !

Edited by cainrcc
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OK, to be even more fun I added 6 additional Cacher Tag Geocoins to give out. One of my friends drew out all of the names in this order:

 

1. derschlings

2. intolerable

3. backhiker

 

Tags:

4. Asartus

5. JoenSue

6. ByrnedFish

7. fossillady

8. Arrow One

9. Jackalgirl

 

I will email all of the recipients for a mailing address.

 

Thank You all for sharing your story and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

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Wow! A HUGE thanks to your friend for pickin' my name! :D:D

Remember back in grade school... I was the skinny kid that was ALWAYS picked last: :cry: dead last: :sad: every time. I guess I could have really developed a complex :D (some might think I did!)

Well, Castleman, you've renewed my hope... even if it was just the luck of the draw... it's still a pretty cool Christmas present.

Thanks for the fun, Thanks for making such cool coins available, and Thanks for continually increasing the fun-o-meter level in these forums.

Merry Christmas to ya'll.

:D:santa::santa:

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Wow! Thanks sooo much :unsure:

 

Didn't find out I won until this morning! Things get a bit hectic around here on Christmas Eve and Day!

 

Thank you for all the wonderful stories, I really enjoyed reading them :ph34r:

 

Hope you all had a great holiday and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Edited by backhiker
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