Self-Care

This weekend, I didn’t go on a grand adventure. I didn’t go to some far-off county or attempt some incredibly interesting cache. I didn’t do anything epic or come back with some crazy story. This weekend, I rested. I did as little as possible. Now, you might think that seems like a pointless thing to say or do for someone whose primary hobby focuses on getting outside and moving around. But a big part of being active is listening to your body. It tells you when you can dig in and run a bit faster, when you can climb that extra height, or when you can hike that extra distance. This weekend, my body said no to all that mess. I wasn’t sick or hurt or anything. My body was just drained. So, I did little of consequence and mostly stayed at home. Sure, I went to an Event one day that I quickly noped out of because of all the activity, and I stopped for a quick cache on the way to the store to grab some ice cream on the other day. Otherwise, I spent most of my time watching TV and taking naps. And that’s all right.

I sometimes hear or read about people saying that they want to go out and cache but feel bad that they haven’t in a while. Others complain that they haven’t been out caching because they haven’t been feeling well due to illness, depression, exhaustion, or any number of other reasons. And that’s all right, too.

Not every day is going to be an epic adventure. How much time did Odysseus spend just waiting somewhere? How many days did Hornblower feel the monotony of the sea? How many nights did Indiana Jones spend at home grading papers? We’re all the same. Some days, we need to relax and recharge and do nothing. If that’s what your body or mind needs, do it. Sometimes, getting out for a cache or three is part of that; other times, it’s not. And that’s all right as well.

Never feel bad about not getting out to cache. Or maybe you only have energy for something easy and low impact. Maybe it feels too hot out to search too long for that clever hide, or you just don’t want to get wet in the rain for one. Do what you can to take care of yourself. There are lots of caches, but you only have one body, and you need it for stuff, including finding more caches. So, take care of yourself. We’ll be here when you’re ready to go out again, awaiting you with open arms.