How geocaching made me fall in love with the city again.

Today was probably the most fun day I’ve had in a while. I took an extended walk downtown, and armed with my iPod and my steely wits, I was ready to make a second go of geocaching.

I couldn’t locate the first cache on my list, but the second one proved to me why this would be a worthwhile hobby to pursue. It brought me to a little known deck 30 feet high that had a garden and a breathtaking view of the waters. On such a gorgeous day as this, it was truly a major treat for me. Had it not been for geocaching, I never would have discovered this little known spot. It really does provide a great way for me to see the world from a whole new perspective.

Even though my iPod started going boinky on me, I did manage to pinpoint the area where the cache would be, leading me to an inconspicuous looking park bench:

Hmmmmmmmm...

After feeling and groping around the area like a lonely old man at a brothel, my efforts at long last were finally rewarded:

Yes my friends, I am no longer a geocache weenie virgin.

I look around to make sure no one was watching, then pulled out the cache and opened it up. It contained a logbook signed by all the other cachers who had also found the box. No trinkets or coins to be had though, but I was happy enough just to FIND the flipping thing. :banana:

I signed my name as well and carefully out it back in its place, then went out onto the deck to a enjoy a splendid view of the city.

And the best thing about all this, was that I didn’t really feel lonely. One of the biggest reasons why I rarely go out these days was because I just can’t stand to watch the world as they walked around in pairs. It always brought me pain and the constant reminder that I was always alone. But I didn’t feel that today. Instead I felt… happy. I was so busy hunting down geocaches and enjoying a view of the city that I had forgotten all about my loneliness, and for the first time in a long while, I could actually enjoy being single again.

Up next for a fun day of cache hunting: Sleepy Hollow! I might be able to pull that off this weekend before I head off to Pennsylvania for a bluegrass show, and yes I realize that also happens to be the same weekend as Halloween, but I’m not worried. I’m much more manlier than Ichabod ever was anyway.

Unless we’re talking the Johnny Depp version, then we’re like, totally even.

Tags: cache, city, geocache, geocaching, ipod touch, loneliness, lonely, park, single

Categories: Geocaching the World

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7 Responses to “How geocaching made me fall in love with the city again.”

Tom wrote a comment on October 26, 2009 @ 05:15:pm

I’ve got to try ths one day, sounds like fun.

Also glad to hear you had fun without bawling your eyes out in a corner because you’re single

The number one way to get a woman that is actually interested in you (in my opinion) is to interact with as many of them as possible. And by interact I do NOT mean beating them over the head and dragging them back to your cave.

Just make friendsies with women and you’ll run into someone. =]

Lincoln Adams wrote a comment on October 28, 2009 @ 09:55:am

Ah, so it’s a numbers game.

Clubbing them over the head would be so much easier to do though, if it weren’t for those pesky, stupid assault laws. Grrr.

TJSharky wrote a comment on October 28, 2009 @ 03:53:pm

It’s funny how big the Geocacheing hobby is. I’ve always heard about it, but I was shocked when I looked into it how many are around. I live in a small village (9,000 or so) surrounded by a bit of rural land. There were DOZENS of caches within a few miles of me! If I could afford a GPS, I would consider doing it!

Lincoln Adams wrote a comment on October 28, 2009 @ 04:00:pm

I couldn’t believe how many were around me either, in fact there’s one only a few feet away from my favorite Panera Bread hangout, and I had been walking past it without even realizing it. This could be a lot of fun.

You can actually get a basic handheld GPS for less than $100, just to tide you over until you can afford something better. I ended up getting a crossover GPS for driving and geocaching, the Garmin nuvi 500. Originally I wanted to use my iPod for it, but I need to wait until they come out with a GPS case for it in November. There’s already a module available now, but it requires the iPod to be jailbroken, which is too much trouble for me. :tongue:

Kevin wrote a comment on May 31, 2010 @ 09:46:pm

Lincoln, when I read this post, it was like I could have written part of it myself. After going through a separation and eventually a divorce, I started geocaching after my brother introduced me to it.

It has kept me active and involved in a community. It’s wonderful too, to get out in God’s creation to see all the beauty there is in the world.

Lincoln Adams wrote a comment on May 31, 2010 @ 10:35:pm

Kevin, indeed it is, it’s like rediscovering the world in a way. Of course you have to be careful to watch out for rude awakenings, such as me getting poison ivy not two weeks after I started geocaching. It was like a baptism of fire into the hobby. :blink: