Its not about the destination, but the journey...

One of the things I did early on, when I started Geocaching, was taking pictures of interesting things around me while I was out. I cached with my Motorola Atrix phone, and the "official" app from the website.
When I started to realize just how much better a GPSr was, I bought my Garmin Oregon 450T.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Oregon. It is more accurate, water-resistant, and shock resistant than my phone. But in using the Oregon, I am more focused on the cache. I know, that's the point, right? Well, for some people, yes. But for me, when I come home from a day outside, with more numbers to add to my total, I sometimes think I was missing something.

When I cached with my phone, I took pictures of everything. It was easy. Find the cache, then open up the camera app, and shoot the interesting stuff. The Oregon makes it easier to get the cache, but I often miss some great photo opportunities without the camera. Sometimes, its not the cache area, but just clouds, sky, a stream or bridge that catches my eye. If I am really interested, I often go back to the truck to get the phone and come back. I try to remind myself that photos are an important part of my journey. Some places are just another tick on the scale, others, you really have to stop worrying about getting to the next number and look around. I could easily have a higher find tally, but I try to take time to look around and see the wonderful things around me when I'm out. As tough as it is, some places just have nothing interesting to shoot. But, you never know what you will see when you least expect it.

So, that said, I will try harder to let go of the numbers, and slow down to look around. Its part of enjoying this hobby for me, when I get home I can show my friends and family where I've been. I just have to remember to shift my thoughts off the numbers, and onto the experience as a whole. I post everything to facebook albums, and my friends like the shots. They aren't interested in the numbers, but like seeing where I've been. I need to remind myself, that seeing my experiences in the photos, means a lot more than grabbing for numbers.

Some are addicted to the hunt, and a high "found" count. The numbers, to me, are a minor part of why I go caching. A few great photos and a few caches, is infinitely more rewarding than a ton of caches, where my only reminder of my trip is a few extra logs signed. Its not the destination (a number goal), but the journey there (the photos).