Originally Posted by
WhereRWe?
We used to be concerned about "the numbers" until we took a trip south 3 years ago, caching in about 20 states. The vast majority of the caches had no purpose other than giving someone the ability to add another "find" to their bio.
And that's why we don't "discover" coins and bugs. What's the purpose? We think that finding coins and bugs in caches is one of the most enjoyable aspects for the sport. But some people take "the numbers" too seriously.
IMHO...
I remember when I first started caching and finding 100 caches seemed like a monumental task that would take me forever . . . and honestly it did take a while.
And when I reached 500 caches I thought I had really done something . . . and then like you I started to see folks from away who were coming into Maine on vacation with 4,000, 5,000, 6,000+ caches to their name and then I realized that the whole number thing is really, truly honestly just a way to keep your own personal score as Andy mentioned . . . you can't really compare apples to apples or cachers to cachers since folks in an urban area that have caches simply for number-sakes will always have a higher cache count than folks in an area who have caches placed due to a spot's scenic vista, historical aspect, etc.
For that reason alone I no longer get hung up on the numbers by trying to accumulate as many FTFs as I can or by keeping up with the Jones with finds, etc. For me it is just a hobby that I enjoy doing in my spare time . . . along with my other hobbies, work, renovating the house and spending quality time with my wife. I know it may be sacriligious to say this, but for me geocaching is not a way of life as some folks have stated before.
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that there is something more important than fear."
"Death is only one of many ways to die."