How to stay a geocacher while you stay home
Depending on your location, you may have been advised to practice social distancing. While we all know that it’s necessary to protect both ourselves and the more fragile members of our community, it can be especially challenging for geocachers.
We know that the urge to get out there and find a geocache is overwhelming, so here are five benefits that geocaching can provide to keep you safe and sane, right in the comfort of your own home.
Stay in contact
It’s easy to feel isolated when you’re required to stay physically away from others. Luckily, you’re a geocacher, which means you’re part of a diverse, global community. While you might be more used to meeting up with other cachers face to face at Events, did you know that you can also stay in contact with other cachers on our Geocaching Forums? They’re a great way to connect with geocachers like you from all over the world!
Work your brain
Keeping your brain active is an important part of maintaining your well-being. Even though you can’t go out and find a cache, you can solve one instead! Try out a Mystery Cache with a higher level of difficulty than you would normally, or approach one that has stumped you in the past from a different angle. If you’re a newbie puzzle cacher, check out our beginner’s guide.
Get creative
There’s nothing like an art project to cheer you (or your tiny geocachers) up! Consider making or repurposing SWAG items as a great way to liven up a future cacher’s day. Paint a rock, fold some recycling into origami, or string some beads together for some haute couture geocaching jewelry. What do you have laying around that could be turned into SWAG?
Get organized
Take this time to take a breath and get your proverbial ducks in a row. Log those drafts from your last caching trip, or organize your trackable or geocoin collection. If you’ve been thinking about placing your own cache, now is a great time to plan it out!
Look ahead
It can be easy to get bogged down in solitude and uncertainty; it’s important to remember that this isn’t forever. There’s lots of amazing geocaching adventures waiting for you in the future. Take this time to imagine the Events you’ll attend, the caches you’ll find, and the friends you’ll make. And remember that, when all this is over, geocaching will still be out there waiting for you.
