The Esoteric Benefits Of Geocaching

[+Hoppingcrow]

I'm not talking weight loss or improvement in your relationships. Those are too obvious. Here's an example of what I mean.

 

Geocaching has taught me to abandon preconceived notions gracefully. You walk into the scenario and say, "Oh-oh, this hide doesn't look like I thought it was going to." There's a serious life lesson in that statement if you think about it, folks.

[+Mr. Fantastic]

Geocaching reminded me of something I had forgotten. I often allow work to consume me. When I am caching, I have to accept that there are bigger things than my work life. I also realize that I might not be able to find everything I look for. Sometimes it helps me regain perspective.

[+StarBrand]

I have been truely humbled by the vast creativity displayed by most cachers. Creativity in ways that are very unexpected.

[+cache_test_dummies]

I seem to encounter some kind of problem every day. Sometimes the solution to a problem is hard to find. Geocaching helps me remember that just because I can't find something, it doesn't mean it's not there.

[+reveritt]

Geocaching has taught me to tolerate--and even participate in--really goofy forum discussions.

[nobby.nobbs]

patience and serenity!!

 

patience from taking time to search for seemingly impossible caches

 

serenity from the peacefull walks through woodland and interesting views.

 

helps bring things into a more realistic perspective.

[+tabulator32]

Whether I find a cache or not, I am never disappointed. I do a bit of CITO and take in the surrounding area to see what I can learn about it. Aside from the obvious mentioned before (exercise, etc.) it has made me feel better about being more in tune with my surrounding community and environment. I feel better after cleaning up an area as well.

[+hoovman]

Geocaching reminds me that:

• it's not always important to know a complete solution to a problem before trying to solve it.
  
• the first or obvious path does not always get to a goal
  
• reading directions can be important
  

For the first point - if I'm going to a cache less than 20 miles away, I'll print maps, but I don't usually look at them. Instead, I plug in parking coords, get in the car and just follow my electronic "nose".

 

For the second point: just this past weekend, I got as close as 0.15 miles from the cache on a main trail. GPS was pointing at a right angle to the direction I was traveling. So I think: 0.15 mile bushwack, sounds OK, and head off. 200 feet from the cache and I find myself toe-to-toe with an impassible marsh!

 

For the last point: doing a virtual with my wife in the car and my friends in another car, communicating over FRS. We are getting really close to the coords, and right *after* the exit to the rest stop, I notice on the print out: "...located at a rest stop..."!

[+tabulator32]

We are getting really close to the coords, and right *after* the exit to the rest stop, I notice on the print out: "...located at a rest stop..."!

I drove through a nice neighborhood and parked my car at a club house to walk stroll and enjoy the community on my way to a cache. I walked about 300 yards before seeing an eight-foot brick and iron fence that surrounded the community and stood between my GPS mark (about 75 feet away) and me.

 

It was a nice walk.

 

[+SgtSue]

A new appreciation of historical markers has been gained. I find myself reading more and more of them even when they are not a part of any cache.

[+sTeamTraen]

Geocaching has taught me to abandon preconceived notions gracefully. You walk into the scenario and say, "Oh-oh, this hide doesn't look like I thought it was going to." There's a serious life lesson in that statement if you think about it, folks.

Oh yes. A bit less than a year ago I would get angry with the placers of a puzzle cache if I couldn't solve the puzzle on the trail. Now I compare it with my own puzzle caches, and see how many ways people find to go wrong.

 

For those of us who have to "support users", whatever that may mean, your own and other peoples' ways of going wrong, give an insight into the ways people make mistakes, which I would hope makes us all a bit more tolerant.

[+tls11823]

This has clearly and substantially improved my relationship with my youngest son. It gives us something to do that we can both enjoy. Being the father of three, I've come to the conclusion that there are things that the kids enjoy and the parents endure, and other things that the parents enjoy and the kids endure. Anything that you both truly enjoy is to be treasured.

 

Edit: I just reread the OP, and it said not to include improved relationships. OK - so I broke the rule. But this change has altered my outlook on a lot of things, so I'm standing by it.

Edited May 24, 2005 by tls11823

[+Bellageo Cache Game]

I've come to the conclusion that there are things that the kids enjoy and the parents endure, and other things that the parents enjoy and the kids endure. Anything that you both truly enjoy is to be treasured.

Well said, tls11823. I know what you're sayin'.

[+Marcie/Eric]

"Geocaching has taught me that if you walk away from frustrating problem you're having today, returning tomorrow will not only bring a fresh day, but perhaps a fresh prospective." - Me

[+sept1c_tank]

There are other people like me (I know, that's scary).

[RandLD]

Geocaching has taught me to slow down and appreciate the things around me that often go unnoticed.

 

Even when you're out in a park having a picnic or taking a walk not looking for a cache, you can go right past something and not even notice it's there! I've begun to notice flowers, animals, scenic views, etc. that I never would have seen before (there's a lake at the back of our neighborhood, there are rabbits and woodpeckers in our back yard, there's an alpaca farm between my house and the office, etc.), simply because I've learned to slow down and look at the world around me while I'm out.

 

How often in the "daily grind" do we slow down to appreciate the scenery on the way to work, the pretty flowers in the flower beds out front, the beautiful sunset on your way home, or even stop to chat with one of your coworkers in the hall, instead of rushing past and barely even noticing he/she is there?

Edited May 24, 2005 by RandLD

[+Hoppingcrow]

You lot are makin' me all weepy, here. Maybe humankind *does* have some redeeming merit.

[Dinoprophet]

I went jogging in an industrial park while on vacation this weekend. I didn't have pockets and wanted to lock my car. What to do with my keys? Why, stick them under a nearby light cover, of course! Only a geocacher would think to look there, and if one of them stole my car, they'd leave me an equal or better one!

 

Maybe that's not all that esoteric, but it does show that you can learn something even from so-called "lame micros".

Edited May 31, 2005 by Dinoprophet

[uperdooper]

geocaching has taught me that i have a very short attention spa..................oooooo shiny!

[+Pork King]

I've always liked the word "esoteric". I also find it ironic that the definition of esoteric, at least around here in MS, is somewhat esoteric.

[+Joypa]

When I first started doing this, I would develop a preconceived notion of where to go and what to look for. Needless to say, I was not always right. Geocaching has taught me to try to avoid getting locked in to a preconceived notion---to be more flexible in my thinking. It must be working 'cause I am getting better at it.

[+badinfluence]

I cached for a bit before recently creating an ID and going the "formal" route.

 

I like finding caches - the challenge and such. Get's me away from the normal trappings of life.

 

Actually, I like the serenity of looking for a well placed cache - and then realizing that the wandering walk out took 3 times as long as the hunt for the cache.

 

Was at a waterfall yesterday and just sat on the rock in the middle of the pool under the falls. Was really serene. The muggles would just wonder "how did he get there.... dry", LOL.

 

Jonathan

[SMDMD]

Geocaching has taught me that:

 

Nature and the internet are compatible.

 

Items in the junk drawer is really geocaching swag.

 

My dog will never learn to sniff out a cache.

[PyroDave]

Geocaching has taught me that if your hikeing with a untied shoelace you'll always trip over it when trying to craoss a stream.

[+DocDiTTo]

Without getting on the philosophical boat, geocaching has taught me to ALWAYS look for good potential hiding spots. I find myself checking little nooks and crannies in places even where I know a cache would never be hidden. It's just getting to be second nature now. I guess I'm just learning to be more observant. And I know I'm not the only one that does this.