My first instict is to say that to me geocaching is the adventure.  I really enjoy the caches that challenge me to do things that I wouldn't normally do such as rapell down a rock wall, make a river crossing look easy so my kids don't get scared, crawl through man caves just to get a smiley.  I really enjoy these caches and each one gives me memories that I will treasure.  I can enjoy a virtual cache like the one in Lawton where we were all convinced that at any moment a bison was going to charge us until we later learned that it was the traffic going over cattle guards below us (leave it to the guys to explore the options while the women in the group had sense enough to get back in our cache mobiles and be ready to bolt at a moments notice).  I can enjoy a 5 mile hike for just one cache.  Then I stop to think about it.  You know I can really enjoy a good numbers run like the time in Arkansas where I brought 2 grown men to tears begging to go back to the hotel room but I just insisted on just one more cache!  (I was starting to worry about my safety on that one.)  No guys lets just grab this one more cache before I allow you to eat!  (Yikes! I thought I was going to be thrown over a cliff on that one.)  Then there was the time I enjoyed helping Tribe of Two at the Outdoor Expo.  This was origonally going to be an event cache but wasn't approved.  But this pushed me to step way out of my personal comfort zone with complete strangers.  (I know that may be hard for some of you to believe but then you probably aren't strangers to me, just strange. LOL) So I guess for me sometimes this game can be about the numbers but it has never been about numbers against fellow cachers but numbers against or for myself.  It is more than numbers it's about pushing myself to accomplish things that I didn't think I could do.



I know that there are those that are only driven by numbers and that to me is pretty sad.  Those cachers are missing out on so much.  This game offers so much more than just a computer animated smiley or icon.  Geocaching has been more about the friendships I have made and the adventures we have had along the way.



On that note to all my caching friends and those who I hope will be friends:



MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!