I just came back from attending the annual TEDx Austin event. If you don't know what a TED event is, read up on it now. No, seriously. Now! Stop reading the crap I write and get on it. Trust me, it will change your life for the better.
Anyway, my brain right now hurts from a very long day of inspiring, intense speeches and I need a while to let everything sink in. However, I will leave you with the following quote that I feel is as related as it can be.
Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting so get on your way! Will you succeed? Yes, you will indeed. (98¾% guaranteed.)
This is a quote from Dr. Seuss's book titled "Oh, The Places You'll Go!". If the quote inspires you, find the book and read it. (After you do your research on TED. Priorities!!)
It doesn't take much for me to get addicted to any new activity I may be introduced to. If I enjoy it, I will go neck-deep into it. Extra points if it involves interaction with other people on any level. Furthermore, if it challenges my skills and my wits, it'll instantly become more important to me than breathing.
My latest discovery is called Geocaching. First time I heard about it was only a week ago and I'm already hooked. It has all the necessary ingredients for guaranteed success. It involves the use of technology, exploring the outdoors, a sense of adventure, thinking outside the box, learning about the place you're visiting and plugging into other people's brains. How can you not love such a thing?
The excitement of finding my first geocache!
In a nutshell, Geocaching is a global treasure hunt. By using GPS technology, geocachers seek items hidden at any location you can possibly imagine by other members of the community. You don't really win anything, other than the satisfaction of having solved a puzzle and having found the "treasure". Amazing thing is, this game is available all over the world. There are millions of caches hidden in every corner of the world, waiting for you to discover them! Watch the short video below to get a few more details about how this works.
Some people think it's very nerdy. Others do not see any beauty in it and consider it silly and pointless. To me, it has *so* many elements I love, I couldn't possibly think of a more fun activity. (Ok, so maybe I can. But let's be honest. In its category it most definitely ranks very high.) I've already looked for a few caches and regardless whether I found them or not, it was a lot of fun. Especially with urban geocaching (within city limits), it's pretty damn funny visiting places where people normally walk by without knowing that there's a tiny, hidden treasure just a few feet from their path. Going to the park late at night with a friend, equipped with a digital compass and a flashlight is something I've never gotten to experience before. There we are, walking through the woods, looking for something that is cleverly hidden. Sometimes we're successful, others we fail. For some of these, a riddle needs to be solved in order for the correct coordinates to be found and that's when the challenge becomes even more interesting.
Geocaching at night!
Hidden in a fake pinecone! How friggin genius is that?!?! (Please ignore my idiotic face.)
The beauty of this activity lies in its primary principle. Geocachers create adventure and challenges in the most unexpected of locations. More importantly, they don't create it for themselves. They create it for others to find and enjoy. Who would have thought that the road sign we drive by every single day on the way to work has a tiny magnetic box hidden behind it, with a little gift inside waiting to be exchanged for something else? Or that the lonely tree in the park behind your house has a beautiful message written on a piece of paper, hanging from one of its branches. Daily routine does not need to be monotonous. Try to find ways to spice things up. Make the trip to work and back a whole different adventure every day. Life is more exciting that way!
