Wow! Great thread Ryan! I can't compete with some of the posts here in terms of importance in my life, but geocaching has had a profound impact upon me. When our girls were growing up, we spent every spare minute, and then some doing their activities, mostly softball. We coached their teams raised funds, built fields, traveled to other states, and pretty much made it our life, outside of work and church. All of a sudden, one day, we realized that our children had grown up and moved on. There was a giant hole in my life that needed filling, and then we found geocaching! When we found geocaching I knew I was hooked for good. I have made GREAT FRIENDS, I have gotten to know my daughter's in-laws (Nukeworker and Raquetball Girl) and spent some awesome days caching with them. I have been to and seen places that I would not have ever seen, I have done things that I could never have imagined (hanging by my feet from a dock in Glenwood, looking under it, thanks Dentful!) Been trapped up on top of a mountain in the middle of the night stuck in the mud, going for a FTF(thanks Team Panda!). Learned how to turn on a computer and actually make it do what I want it to(sometimes). Got on the internet for the first time. Sent and received an E-mail for the first time. Learned what an E-mail is. Leaned how to download caches into my Garmin(Thanks Cachemates!). Spent a day in Searcy trying, in my way to defend our states honor by finding more caches in one day than the guys from Mississippi did (Thanks Woodwalker!). Spent a day in the rain OUT IN IT, in Morrilton having the time of my life finding out what sneaky meant (Thanks Ar-Hick, 4-Wheeling1, and flannelman!) Found out that it really IS a small world, and that some cachers are closer to people you already know than you think(Thanks Saveall4love!) Seen first hand what a few people who believe in something can do to effect change, even in the government when they really get behind something(THanks again Hick and ORR!) Oh yeah, did I mention that I have made some GREAT FRIENDS?
On the down side, I have gained a little weight, and my bench press has slipped to under 300 pounds, cause I was going to the gym five days a week before I discovered this, but I think I am much more fun now.
I don't see me stopping geocaching anytime soon, because most of all, it's just plain FUN!! Good ol' fashioned clean fun that you can tell your momma about and even bring her along occasionally! Thanks to everyone here and everywhere who makes geocaching what it is! CACHE ON!!
Guess what?! I got a fever, and the only prescription...is more cowbell!!