I finally got back out there today and went geocaching. I am so close to 100 finds, I was hoping to find enough today to reach that goal but alas some caches evaded me today.
I don't know what time I started or how long I was out there but I had set out with my geopack on my back and lots of deep woods bug spray that did not end up repelling the ticks as well as I had hoped. I hit the trail unaware of the terrain or really how far I would have to walk. My GPS put me at .2 miles from the cache site and it stayed there for longer than .2 miles. When I first got on the trail I was going good but then I saw the hill. The first part of the hill wasn't all that bad, but the further I went the steeper it got. It probably took me nearly 30 minutes to reach the top where the elusive geocache was supposed to be. I made it to ground zero after some serious bushwacking and spend another 30 minutes looking for the cache but came up empty handed. I decided to take a break and write down some details about my experience trying to find a geocache that hasn't been found in nearly 2 years. While I sat there worn out from my long hike up and exhaustive search I realized that where I was was beautiful. You see there isn't much in bloom right now, the trees have not regrown their green leaves so the view atop this hill was essentially unobscured. It was also very quiet despite crossing paths with half a dozen people on my way up the hilltop was clear of any other human.
As I sat there I realized that it didn't matter that I didn't find the geocache in those peaceful moments alone atop the hill among the trees what mattered was the journey. The fact I hiked probably a whole mile uphill to find a geocache that wasn't there, that I was able to persevere and make it regardless the number of times I felt like calling it quits, regardless of the number of breaks I needed to take to catch my breath and take a drink of water I made it to the top, I didn't find the geocache but what I did find was myself. I rediscovered a part of myself that I had lost somewhere along the way. The part of me that enjoys the outdoors, enjoys a physical challenge. The part of me that loves adventure.
It doesn't matter if you make it up the hill. It doesn't matter if you don't find the geocache. What matters is that you had fun, you tried and you persevered.
I don't know what time I started or how long I was out there but I had set out with my geopack on my back and lots of deep woods bug spray that did not end up repelling the ticks as well as I had hoped. I hit the trail unaware of the terrain or really how far I would have to walk. My GPS put me at .2 miles from the cache site and it stayed there for longer than .2 miles. When I first got on the trail I was going good but then I saw the hill. The first part of the hill wasn't all that bad, but the further I went the steeper it got. It probably took me nearly 30 minutes to reach the top where the elusive geocache was supposed to be. I made it to ground zero after some serious bushwacking and spend another 30 minutes looking for the cache but came up empty handed. I decided to take a break and write down some details about my experience trying to find a geocache that hasn't been found in nearly 2 years. While I sat there worn out from my long hike up and exhaustive search I realized that where I was was beautiful. You see there isn't much in bloom right now, the trees have not regrown their green leaves so the view atop this hill was essentially unobscured. It was also very quiet despite crossing paths with half a dozen people on my way up the hilltop was clear of any other human.
As I sat there I realized that it didn't matter that I didn't find the geocache in those peaceful moments alone atop the hill among the trees what mattered was the journey. The fact I hiked probably a whole mile uphill to find a geocache that wasn't there, that I was able to persevere and make it regardless the number of times I felt like calling it quits, regardless of the number of breaks I needed to take to catch my breath and take a drink of water I made it to the top, I didn't find the geocache but what I did find was myself. I rediscovered a part of myself that I had lost somewhere along the way. The part of me that enjoys the outdoors, enjoys a physical challenge. The part of me that loves adventure.
It doesn't matter if you make it up the hill. It doesn't matter if you don't find the geocache. What matters is that you had fun, you tried and you persevered.