+TheLoneGrangers Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 (edited) As the topic title states, Thank you geocaching! I discovered geocaching by chance overhearing coworkers talking about this game where you go find stuff other have hidden, they didn't know what it was called. So I googled some phrases and found the website. Did a little research, talked about it with my wife. She didn't seem to interested. I borrowed my coworkers GPS from 1996 LOL and off we went. I had to manually enter the coords on that historic thing. Found our first geocache on a third attempt....we were hooked! We went out on a Saturday, and on Sunday we were at the local Best Buy buying a mobile garmin with a 4 hour mobile battery life...and our finds improved! Why am I thankful? Wow ok, several reasons. First off this has improved our marriage (we already had a great marriage, its just made it better)! I love my wife to death, and she loves me, but after being together for 9 years now, we have never had a hobby that we both enjoy together. Sure we enjoy going to the movies, going to dinner, and travelling. But she enjoys puzzle style games boardgames etc., and I enjoy video games and working on my Camaro, including going to races and car shows...not her thing. Geocaching has changed that, we have picked up new hobbies, and I can say after being pretty much addicted to video game since I was a kid, I have rarely played any video game since October. I traded in my 2010 Camaro that I was in love with for a 4WD jeep, with the money I saved we bought camping gear, I haven't been camping since I was 15, I'm 35 now. We go hiking in places we wouldn't have dared gone to a year ago. I've discovered mountian biking which has saved my military career because I was not fit and athletic and had problems with my fitness testing to the point that I almost ruined my 15 years of service. We want to try Kakyaking and find caches along our many rivers here. We want to backpack to hunt those geocaches. So thank you geocaching, you have improved my marriage, got me outdoors and off video games, and saved my career. Hope to have many more years of adventures. We have found 255 caches since October 2010 and have enjoyed them all, even the lamp post hides behind wal-mart! lol Do you have a similar story? Edited May 4, 2011 by TheLoneGrangers Quote Link to comment
+Snoogans Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 (edited) As a geocacher. You're welcome. And thank YOU for taking the time to share that. This sport is intrinsically linked to other cachers who do all of the hiding, maintenance, and provide countless choices of places to go and things to do with your free quality time. It's evident that you get that very well. Some folks never do. Edited May 3, 2011 by Snoogans Quote Link to comment
+Jayman11 Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 (edited) Great story! I wish I could get my wife out with me caching! Now that my son is 4 and really into it we are starting to use it as a boys day out thing! Edited May 3, 2011 by Jayman11 Quote Link to comment
+TheLoneGrangers Posted May 3, 2011 Author Share Posted May 3, 2011 jayman, trick her into some easy urban hides hehe Quote Link to comment
+BaylorGrad Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Great story! I have also found that Geocaching has improved my life. In fact, it's a hobby that my girlfriend and I enjoy together--and we don't have too many hobbies in common either. Quote Link to comment
+roziecakes Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 This is a great post. Thank YOU for sharing Quote Link to comment
+DodgeExplorer Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Hi TheLoneGrangers, its nice to read that your marriage is improving, life just seems so busy at times, sometimes you forget the important things in life. My wife and I enjoy caching together, it gets us away from our busy lives and gives us some time to relax together, enjoying a great hobby. Oh by the way, congratulations on buying the Jeep, we have a lot of fun in ours Quote Link to comment
+TeamDadcubed Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Hi Grangers, Great story and gratz on the huge life changing find!!! My story is a little different but there are simularities. I found geocaching when I came back to CA to take care of my mom just over two years ago. I found a few caches and went to an event but working on remodelling a home for her got in the way quickly and the trouble of manual input on a Mag 300 was the final straw. It was something that my son and I liked and while waiting for him to get off public tansit a few months ago I found the phone app on my new smart phone. Testing the accuracy of the app was the infection point and I am happy to say I am totally addicted as is my son. The gifts that this hobby has given me are still suprising. I am finding things about my community that are facinating. I didn't know that the Centennial light was turned off for mumble mumble minutes (no spoilers ) to move it to it's current location. I'm getting fit and controlling my diabetes better than I have in 15 years. My son and I can set aside our anger (he's 20) and enjoy the geocaching experience when life's stress gets to be too much. And the caching challenges we have found are great stimuli to keep going. Even the 11pm "dash for a Cache" for the one a day challenge has been fun. #1 son here (the 20 year old) (1 more year and I can stop counting!!!!) I'm a total nature freak and living in the suburbs has been hard and aggrevating, but geocaching has shown me these wonderfull green hills around Livermore and the Tri-Valley. The Black Diamond Mines and Bushy Peak(I think) are absolutly beautiful. The land around molly's mico is amazing. Geeze, I can go on forever . I've done a few urban cahes and I can say Im not a ninja, steath should not be in my vocabulary. I love geocahing and I thank you all for all the great hides! This is #1Son, sighing off Quote Link to comment
+Sol seaker Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Thank you for the great story!!! Yes, geocaching has done a lot for me too!! It didn't save my relationship, but may have saved my life when the relationship ended. I went into a huge depression, partially because of losing the love-of-my-life, but also from some medications I had to take at the time. I was so depressed I couldn't get out of the house to do anything. I started talking myself into going to the store by promising myself I could get 3 geocaches if I went. It was the only way I got groceries. As time went on my depression turned to anger (which is means I was passing through the depression and was healthy) at my ex. So instead of staying home and being depressed, when I'd get angry I'd go out and go caching "to beat his a**" at caching. He always had to have more than me. Now I've got almost twice as many as him (soon, lol!). It was a very constructive way to get out my anger without hurting anyone, and got me outside in the sun, moving around, which helped the depression and my health. As the anger and depression have subsided I've used the game to find new friends to fill the hole in my life. This game has shown me many new places and I've met a lot of new people. It has been a great blessing for me too. Thanks again for sharing your story here. Quote Link to comment
+TheLoneGrangers Posted May 4, 2011 Author Share Posted May 4, 2011 teamdad and sol seaker, thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment
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