#CITO 2015

Hello, guys! Don’t know what CITO is? Don’t worry, most muggles don’t. Us geocachers, however, take it very seriously. Not only is it a practice that we live by when we are out searching for caches, we have events every year around this time dedicated exclusively to it. Ok first things first, I might need to explain exactly what geocaching is. Have you ever seen a group of people with smartphones or GPSes crawling through bushes, looking at stop signs, or turning over rocks? I might have been one of those crazy people, but this is quite normal for us geocachers. What exactly is geocaching you ask? I guess the official Geocaching website puts it best… “Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.” Ok it might sound weird or even boring, but it is sooo much fun. Geocaching appeals to such a wide demographic of people. It doesn’t matter where you live or how old you are… all you need is a smartphone or GPS & a mode of transportation & you are good to go! “Geocaching is the real-world treasure hunt that’s happening right now, all around you. There are 2,607,694 active geocaches and over 6 million geocachers worldwide.” Being a part of the geocaching community is more than just looking for caches, there are always events where you can meet others who share your passion, share stories, &, back to the original subject of this post, work together to make the world a better place. So what is CITO? It stands for Cache In Trash Out! Geocachers everywhere enjoy this beautiful world while we are out caching. As we search for caches we try to keep it beautiful for those like us, sometimes this means picking up after others who don’t share our philosophies. So this weekend all over the world, geocachers gathered at their local CITO events to do park clean-ups & plant trees. Think I’m exaggerating about the “all over the world”, search #cito on Instagram to see pictures from Germany, Sweden, New Zealand, & so many other countries. Our oldest daughter is on her 8th grade trip to Tennessee & my guy had to work, but my bestie, Liz (Got Cache), myself, & my daughter, Destiny, took part in two CITO events this year. We’ve participated for several years & are always blown away by the amount of trash that people leave to pollute our parks. Some of our CITOing companions did as many as 7 events today! Kudos to all their hard work in this Florida heat!! We might have to add a few more events next year! It is a way to give back & teach our kids the importance of keeping our world clean. Often the cachers hosting the events bring snacks & drinks for those helping out! Fellowship & green living rolled into one big, fun community service event… what could be a better use of our Sunday?

I’ll be sharing more about geocaching soon, but if this has peaked your interest, check out the website, grab your smartphone, load your friends and/or family in the car, & join the biggest treasure hunt of all time! Spend this summer enjoying this beautiful world working on your tan, getting fresh air & exercise, & making memories with those you love! Have any questions? Feel free to ask me! Already a geocacher? I’d love to hear your experiences! Hope to see you out & about & maybe even at a CITO event next year! By the way, my geocaching handle is destinedforu if you’d like to check me out. 🙂