Earlier this summer, a few members of our Connecticut team emerged from behind our computers and decided to explore the wilderness of Kettletown State Park. The activity: geocaching.
As my cube-mate and initiator of the adventure describes it, geocaching is “hiking with a purpose.” It’s all about the hunt: people across the globe have hidden containers—tupperware, boxes, even pill bottles—and posted the coordinates online. Others then use GPS-enabled devices to find these containers. Participants generally leave something behind, or sign their name to a log in the box.
When I first learned of geocaching, I was a bit surprised: You mean to tell me that there are hidden boxes in parking lots, playgrounds and state parks all around us? And people are inconspicuously looking for them…all the time?
Despite my initial hesitation, I tied up my sneakers and had a wonderfully successful day of searching for caches with my colleagues. Shortly after our adventure, it occurred to me that perhaps we were so successful because we were utilizing a well-honed skill set—one that we use every day at work.
The way I see it, geocaching isn’t all that different from PR.
