1. Tell us about your caching name.

Back in 11th grade, I had to create my first email for Finance class. Sassy was my first dog and her companionship meant a lot to me and she had passed by then, so I gave my email sassyinmyheart. It’s cute because cachers think I’m sassy so it just fits I suppose

2. How were you introduced to Geocaching and what was the first cache you found?

My first job, which I’ve been at 10 years now, is the Porter Library (CRRL Branch) and my supervisor asked me to shelf read because there were NO patrons in the building and we were caught up on book drop. I went out to the 600s and started. I came upon a strange looking book, that when I opened it, was hollow. I was so confused. I read the blurb on the cover, and wondered if my supervisor knew. When I got back to the desk, I looked up this geocaching.com site and saw how AWESOME it was. Checked to see what was around my house and I was hooked. I made new friends that day, RobbitandPaul with their cache (GC3MPGK) The Cache

3. Tell us about your receiver and any other “tools” (hardware and software) that help you cache.

Samsung Galaxy 4 – Blueberry edition. I use the $10 geocaching app to locate everything. Borrowed a baby Garmin (maybe 2.5”X2.5”) once from RobbitandPaul for a vineyard trail in Charlottesville once, but never used it because strangely I still had great signal!

4. What essential items do you always carry in your cache bag?

Duct tape (but I carry that in my purse too), log baggies (leftover from my jewelry making days at craft shows), a few containers (Grandpa has given me BAGS of pill bottles), flashlight and tissues.

5. Do you trade items in and out of caches?

Depends. Sometimes I see something really COOL like a Minion toy I don’t have and I’ll trade. Once I found a Gameboy Color with an original pokemon game in it… and my muggle dumped my entire swag bag just so he could have it… and in that case, I have no choice ha. Mostly I try to leave an item.

6. Do you have any signature items or ones in the works?

Signature? Yes. Washers with my first tattoo (because Mickey is my favorite in the whole world) and my geo name). I also leave pathtags I have designed.

7. What is your favorite thing about caching?

The fact that science and history is brought into nature via earth caches and virtuals. I’m an architect and historic preservationist by schooling and I LOVE it when I can learn something about ANYTHING I didn’t know before. I make it a point to do those first in an area before I do traditional. I feel they give me a better understanding of the area, especially if I haven’t been there before.

8. Do you cache by yourself or with another person? How often do you go caching?

I love going with people, so I always try to group cache. I have my muggle come with me, but he’s basically the one who will call 911 for me if I am clumsy enough to get hurt that day. Most times I cache by myself if it’s urban. In the woods I certainly drag someone along. A few of my best friends have gotten accounts but only cache when I bring them somewhere.
I like to go caching every weekend. It’s too far to travel sometimes during the week to get one as I’ve cached out a LOT of my surrounding areas, or I’m too tired after work and don’t even want to try. The weekend is a fresh start. Once, I got so lazy I think I went 11 days without caching… I NEVER want to go over that number, so every weekend helps keep that from happening.

9. What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle, virtual etc.)?

Earthcache. Hands down. I love when I can bring someone with me to experience these things too.
Short story time: My Granddad bikes the C&O canal every year…at age 80. He KNOWS that thing. Last September I wanted to go with him (NOT do 100miles in a day) but to get certain caches…. Namely the (GC1DAD3) Devil’s Eyebrow – An Appalachian Tale. By golly, wouldn’t you know, he’s NEVER SEEN IT. He’s a machine who focuses solely on the trail and powers through. But he saw it that day and he said it was the best trip he’d ever done solely for the beauty in that anticline. Here’s a few pics from that to motivate YOU to find this cache, and yes I DID climb into it!!

10. Tell us about your favorite cache.

<.< …….. >.> …… I don’t have one. I look at geocaching the same way I look at music. Sure there are amazing ones, but why on earth would you pick JUST ONE???? Never. If I have to pick, my answer is every geocache I find over my life… my one life. Geocaching makes my life better in so many ways, so I choose all of them.

11. Tell us about a memorable caching experience that you have had.

Graduation trip to La Plata, MD with RobbitandPaul. Pretty much cached out the area of traditionals. It was my first actual trip that wasn’t “Oh, I’m somewhere new, what’s near me and quick to get?” but an actual planned trip to celebrate graduating college. It was awesome!

12. How many states and countries have you cached in?
This is it. 11 states. One country. I HAVE a passport, so one day, I’ll use it and go somewhere to cache! (Btw, this is an OLD map. Ha)

 

13. If you could take a vacation anywhere to cache, where would you go?

Germany. One, I took it for 3 years so I have a pretty good grasp on getting around with the language, I don’t mind eating a lot of the food AND I follow so many german cachers on Instagram that I HAVE to go see these cool places myself. No joke, they have some creative caches that rival WVTim for sure.

14. Tell us about your other interests or talents.

Oh goodness, do we have the time? This is a can of worms you’ve opened, and I’m sorry in advance.
As I’ve said before, I am an architect and historic preservationist. I love it all. Designing is the only thing I’ve been good at and I wanted to be an architect since I was 5. So, that’s what I did. Those are my interests.
I love to craft. I knit, quilt, crochet, sew, polymer clay, scrapbook, flower arranging, lampworking (creating glass beads with a blow torch), paint, sketch, cosplay (I attend LOTS of cons, but not as many as I want), mess with worbla (a thermoplastic) and polybeads (little balls that you melt with hot water and mold into whatever you want and solidifies when cool). I’m a rock hound, I love a good gem mine. I have more gemstones than I know what to do with. I love designing pathtags and other coins. Volunteering by CITO or knitting scarves for the homeless or baby blankets for preemie babies even helping at dog shelters. I love reading fantasy, horticulture, architecture (which let’s face it, they’re only picture books), architecture theory (Corb has my favorite theories) (and no, I hate Frank Lloyd Wright), and any craft book that can teach me something new.

I do too many things. My Grandpa always said ‘busy hands are happy hands’ and that’s been the truest thing of my life.

That was really long…. I know I’m forgetting at least 5 more things. OH STAMPS! And Coins! (I blame my dad for the currency thing, he worked at the Treasury for 20 years and I love learning about it. Beads were the first form of currency, did you know that?) Pressed coins too. I have TONS of those. I’m still forgetting some things…..

15. Have you set any goals for yourself this year related to caching?
I’d love to hit 1,000 this year. I’m at 884 so I think it’s VERY do-able. I’d also like to get in one more state. GET MORE earthcaches. I don’t care how far I need to travel. I’ll get there.

16. What would you like NoVAGO to focus on in the future?

OOOOOOO good question. THEMED EVENTS! While I know I’ve set the bar high, there’s still Steampunk, Doctor Who, Disney whatever, and tons of other topics that would make GREAT events that I haven’t done yet. I believe in you NoVAGO.
Keep on doing great. You’re present on Facebook which is a great media for keeping everyone up to date. I love how you spread out the event sites…. Because I hate traveling so far north because of icky traffic, but EVENTULLY you have once close enough to home that I can go to, just gotta have patience.
I don’t think you need an IG account, because you can post on FB.
MAYBE think of another place we can do a CITO rather than a park…. As much as I love parks, we’re gonna run out of things to clean (unless they clear cut another forest and need us to clear ‘drift wood’ again. Ha.) Maybe elementary schools? Open public areas near monuments? A battlefield? Idk. Maybe you’ve tried that. Just some random thoughts here…

Anyhow, bet you’re sorry you asked. IF you happened to read through to the bottom, thank you for learning about the craziness that is me!