Geocaching HQ staff will attend dozens of Mega and Giga-Events around the world, shaking hands, sharing stories of adventure, and of course, geocaching! Linda (teasiscozy) is the Office Manager & Executive Support Specialist at Geocaching HQ. She recently traveled to Hamburg, Germany to attend the Project Hamburg – Im Wandel der Zeit Giga-Event (GC77777). Here’s her trip recap.

In early May, five Lackeys (Bryan, A Jennifer, mamabear, Bl4ckH4wkGER, and me: teasiscozy!) traveled to a Giga-Event in Hamburg, Germany: Project Hamburg – Im Wandel der Zeit (GC77777). It was my first time in Germany and also attending a Giga! The minute we logged our Will Attends, the excitement that we received was equally met by all the Lackeys attending.

The minute I got off the plane, we hit the ground running. To have thousands of geocachers in the same city was a sight to behold. The days before the Giga, we were fortunate to geocache around Hamburg with many reviewers, community volunteers, and local geocachers. It was never difficult to spot the final of a Multi—all we had to do was look for a group with backpacks huddled in a corner! We got to enjoy many things uniquely specific to Hamburg, notably Miniatur Wunderland: the world’s largest model railway. For those who haven’t gone yet, keep a lookout for a geocache hidden in one of the exhibits!

We found some of the most amazing caches, including GC146KA. There were about 20 of us in our geocaching group and we were thankful that there weren’t any muggles around so we could admire the cache as open as we did. Amazing!

Not too shortly after, we logged the second most favorited geocache in the world: Voss-Margarine (GC18182)! It required a special TOTT and definitely received a Favorite point from me!

Throughout the years I’ve been at Geocaching HQ, I’ve never experienced a feeling quite like the ten or so hours of the Giga-Event’s main event day. It was amazing to see all the different types of geocachers that exist, how each person from the community interacts with the game, and what the Geocaching game has given to the community. My head was on a constant swivel, trying to take in as much as I could. The booths were meticulously ran, the event seamlessly organized, and the community a joy to be around. I wish I was able to meet each and every single person! A booth that I particularly enjoyed was one filled with dozens of gadget caches. I could have spent hours there, trying to figure out how each box worked so I could earn my smiley. As the self-appointed Dog Wrangler of HQ, I also enjoyed the company of many Geo-Pups.

I had the honor of being one of Signal’s handlers along with A Jennifer. Wow, I thought geocachers got excited to see Geocaching HQ’s’ co-founder Bryan, but reactions paled in comparison when Signal was around!

Every moment of Project Hamburg – Im Wandel der Zeit was quite memorable. I reconnected with geocachers that I met at HQ, finally put faces to usernames, and made a fair amount of new friends! A humble thank you to the Giga’s Orga Committee. I look forward to seeing everyone at Geocaching’s 20th Anniversary Celebration, if not sooner. Happy caching!