FOMO

I do not usually worry about FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). I’m often more than happy to stay in my own hobbit hole, which is one of the many reasons caching is good for me. But it does crop up from time to time. I have had chances to do amazing things in my life that were lost because I just couldn’t or didn’t care enough to get out and do them. Most people have that in their pasts a few times. I’m thinking about it now because, unfortunately, I had to miss Lone Star Roundup this year out in Fort Davis. Life, uh, gets in the way. But now I’ve started thinking about what events are coming up in the next year that I actually want to make it to.

First and foremost, there’s Texas Challenge. To begin with, I’m pretty much contractually obligated to attend. Considering it’s down the road in Floresville, it might as well be around the corner. Besides, my caching daughter wants another Mega (or “Mega” since it’s a Block Party this year) and more counties. Heck, if I can justify enough time off work, I might even drag her down to the Valley while we’re close so I can pick up the towns I need for I’ve Been Everywhere. Who knows? If the girls can get passports by then, we might even take a walk across a bridge while we’re there … Texas Challenge is unquestionably the only thing I can absolutely, positively commit to this year. If I’m not there, there are deeper problems going on in my life.

Bamarama is also on my radar. It aligns with something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time: take I-10 east to finally cache in Alabama and Florida. I’ve been a little resistant to making the trip for a number of reasons, but I’ll have to do it at some point, and a Mega/Block Party might be a good enough reason for me. I always thought that, when I made it to Pensacola, I might use it as a kick-off point to go a little deeper into Florida, especially since there’s a challenge in Florida (that I’ve had in the back of my head for a very long time) to cache in every county on the Gulf of Mexico. But with the hurricanes that hit Florida recently, I don’t want to see the area at its worst if I can avoid it (I guess that doesn’t mean I might not make it to Tallahassee, though). If I really get some gumption in me, I might even make it as far as Georgia. But all this idle daydreaming is complicated by my intent to go to Challenge. Can I justify taking trips in both February and March? Even more so, will I be able to afford it? Probably, but I don’t know for sure.

GeoCoinFest is going to be in recently visited Castle Rock next year. On the one hand, the expense might not be as big an issue since I have friends and relatives in both Denver and Colorado Springs I could more than likely stay with. On the other hand, I don’t think it will net me many (if any) new counties. I’ve cached all the ones surrounding for some distance, and the ones I haven’t are the difficult and mountainous southeastern corner of the state. It’s in October, so that will give me time, but if I’m going to try to get some counties, I’ll have to watch the mountain weather conditions. I always thought I would go back during high summer so that snow wouldn’t be an issue, but I don’t know what fall will be like. I know there’s always a chance of snow, even in summer, and that’s not something I want to mess with. I think this one is going to be lower on my bingo card (yes, I mixed metaphors) for 2025.

CacheFest Hawaii? Boy, do I want to go! But I think it’s the least likely one. It’s going to be a little too expensive for my blood. Between the flights and lodging, I’m going to want to do the entire state while I’m there because I don’t want to have to go back. Some of you are probably thinking, “What do you mean you don’t want to go back to Hawaii?” For some people, it’s a paradise that they want to enjoy every chance they can get. For me, it’s not. It’s just another state that I will eventually go to, containing the most expensive five (technically four, but that’s a different discussion) counties I will probably visit. If an epic windfall came my way, I’d go, but I don’t think so, assuming life stays standard.

And finally, there’s GeoWoodstock. This is a big maybe—but a possible one. If I drove, it’s two days each way, but it’d probably be three to four because of Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia counties! Do I take the slightly longer northern route and also hit Ohio? Or do I take the slightly longer southern route and hit North Carolina? Have you met me? The correct answer is both: one coming, one going. Of course, I probably won’t have a week and a half to do all that. That said, idle chatter has posited flying into Pittsburgh, an hour and change away. And it’d be a relatively small detour to hit Ohio. And May is a nice time of year, no?

So I’m not going to spend all my time in my hobbit hole. I promise I’m not going to miss out on everything.