Monday, September 27, 2010

GC1Y3K6 - GCMY31 - Inspired

       This is it. The caches that got me hooked. Shortly after finding "Reflections" we piled into the van and off we went to find two more caches. Still skeptical at the start of this journey, but this time I got to use the GPS. I don't know what it is about technology, but put it in the hands of most men, and anything is fun. "Oakey Pokey" was what we were searching for, and I had a blast watching the GPS as it told us we were getting close, how far off track we were. Even the speed we were walking and how long it would take us to reach our destination. I have had experience with GPS before, but it was minimal, and someone else mostly did all the work, so it was fun to get out there and actually be the one looking at the GPS.
       The GPS also had an effect I didn't quite expect though. Although I was skeptical that geocaching was AS amazing as they were saying, I have always loved the outdoors. I loved being outside in nature, feeling the breeze, getting fresh air; not to mention I always felt great after exercise, even if it was just a nice walk. However I didn't notice anything around at the time. I was fascinated by this GPS, that my love for the ocean was pushed aside and I didn't even notice the beautiful water just 30 feet ahead of us, or the gorgeous island lighthouse out in the water.
         We found "Oakey Pokey," in a stand of Oak trees with rose bushes around it (I began to understand that usually the names have something to do with where it is hidden). My wife found it actually. We opened it up and began to go through its contents. As we opened it up I had this incredible sense of accomplishment (and that's a feeling I love!), and when we began to go through the cache I felt this weird... connection. I read in the log book of all the people who had been there before, and looked at all the things they had left behind. It was so cool! There was a trackable in there too. Super Sheep. I still have it, waiting to put it in a cache that's on my "would love to do" list. My father in law explained that when we get back, I can check out Super Sheep's mission, and where it had been before coming to Bristish Columbia. I was so excited. Then... we sat. There were rocks by the water, and we sat and looked out at the ocean I had ignored on my way up. I sat and thought about the glory of God, how beautiful the world is and how so many people don't take the time to enjoy its beauty. So many people even abuse it's beauty.
        Our next cache to find was "Tower Point:" and I wasn't going to make the same mistake I did before. The GPS was cool, but I was going to take in every moment. I wanted to look at every tree, smell every breeze, look for seals in the water. I wanted to do it as much as I wanted to find "Tower Point." It wasn't just a bunch of people looking for silly treasures in the forest, it was people across the world, from every culture, looking to explore the beauty of the world we live, and I was excited. In "Tower Point" we found the trackable "Travel Sudoku." I knew I would find some nice places for them in Toronto.
         By the time I got home I had a plan to buy a GPS as soon as I returned to Toronto. I wanted to get started as soon as possible, and I wanted to tell everyone that they MUST go geocaching.

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