We are featuring The Geocaching Junkie on our guest blog for Valentine’s Day.
Falling in love with a fellow geocacher might just be the epitome of finding the perfect partner for many cachers, and we have all heard stories of eyes meeting across a crowd at an event, and diamond rings hidden in ammo cans – the ultimate swag! Take German cachers reality666 and annimiles for example: they met at a geocaching event in 2012 and got engaged at Europe’s First geocache (GC43) in April 2016.
Unfortunately, since muggles (non geocachers—based on “muggle” from the Harry Potter series, which are non-magical people) outnumber geocachers by quite a margin, it’s unlikely that everyone can be lucky enough to be half of a geocaching pair. So what are the benefits of dating a muggle? I happen to be an expert on this subject, so here’s four reasons why having a muggle partner who supports your geocaching addiction has its own advantages!
1. They make excellent lookouts
Sure, they may not love poking their hands into places or generally getting their hands dirty, but their presence as lookout means that you can get stuck right in with your search without having to look over your shoulder every five seconds.
2. They’re good for security
As a singleton I rarely had any qualms about going geocaching alone, but FTF runs at night in the woods on my own? Not so much. A supportive muggle will understand why you want to go look for a lunch box in a tree hollow in the dark, and will accompany you for safety. It’s also good to have someone who knows where you’re going and will be concerned if you’re not home when you say you’ll be (it’s good common sense to have such a person aware of your movements, regardless of your relationship status.)
3. They can hold stuff for you
This could be the geocaching equivalent of holding your wife’s purse while she is shopping! I won’t even comment on how many times I’ve dropped the lid of a nano while caching alone (I’ve always found it, honest!). When my muggle is with me, he now holds out his hands to me out of habit and holds the container while I sign the log.
4. If all else fails, they will probably help you search for the cache
Even if it’s just so they can finally go home and have dinner, they are likely to help you search if you’re having trouble, and often will find it straight away—it’s amazing what a fresh pair of eyes can see, even in the same spot you’ve been searching for ten minutes!
While finding another geocacher to be your partner-in-crime might seem like the perfect scenario for a dedicated cacher, having a ‘snuggle muggle’ as your significant other is really not such a bad thing. Are you coupled up with a muggle or a geocacher, or are you still looking for the first to find your heart?
