Still Just a Noxer....

I first heard about letterboxing from Ackletterboxer, Summer of 2004. I was getting ready to go to Nantucket for the weekend. I was on the phone with her and she was telling me all about this new thing she read about in Nantucket Magazine. Letterboxing. She asked me to go to AC Moore and pick her up a rubber stamp. Something beachy, as I remember, to bring down with me.

Once getting to Nantucket, I read the article. I don't get it. What do you do? Whats with the stamp? A logbook?

We printed the clues for Great Point Lighthouse. We were heading out to Great Point anyhow, why not check it out.

Keep in mind... I am not a letterboxer... yet. Even worse, I'm a skeptic, a muggle, a noxer. How can these things be hidden all over and no one knows about them?

Ok.... I'll go with you. I don't get it, but I'll go anyhow. So with clue and store bought stamp in hand... we head out for the lighthouse (driving of course) and go find this, so called, box. We have no idea what we're looking for. The clues for this box are straight forward but for some reason, we looked in the wrong place anyhow. Is it buried? Do we have to dig? After searching around a bit Ack found the box. No way! There was really something there. No joke? I looked through the log book and all the people who had been there. Ok, Ack, this is pretty cool. She stamped in with her new stamp and she was officially a letterboxer... me... I was intrigued.

So Ack, for the record, by looking at the time stamp on this picture, you found your first box at 2:09pm Sat Aug 28, 2004.... and I was with you!

Next, My First Box....

-CCL

Welcome to my blog

So I've been a letterboxer for just over 4 years. Letterboxing is a way of life. You tend to see things so differently after finding that first box. All you think about is, "oh thats looks like a good spot to put one" or "oh, I wonder if theres one there?"

My non-boxing husband thought I was nuts. (still does sometimes) I'm not sure after all this time he gets it yet. His thoughts are.... "what do you win?" and "whats the purpose?"

I did manage to get him to look for a box with me... ONCE... don't you know that box was missing.

It gets to the point when you're a new boxer that it consumes your life. (If you let it) You only want to go out boxing, you only want to carve and you only want to be on-line working on clues or reading every post on every board. Before you know it you have mounds of dirty laundry and dust bunnies that need cleaning.

This is what happened to me. I got to the point where I had to stop. I had to take a step back. I had to learn that letterboxing is a hobby, and doesn't have to be an obsession. Its OK not to spend every available minute looking for a box, or reading clues.

It took a while but I've finally found a happy medium. I go out boxing a lot less then I used to. I don't run out the minute a new box in my area is posted. I went almost a year without carving a new stamp. At the same time, I appreciate the hobby much more. Its more special when I get a box here and there. I can take the time to appreciate the clues, stamp and location. No more 'power boxing' for me.

I can't believe you're still reading this.

I am in no way a writer. I have the worst spelling (I can not live without spell check) And I'm sure my 3rd grader has better grammar then I do. I just am who I am. I don't try to be anything I'm not. I'll most likely tell you how it is and most times should just shut up and bite my tongue.

This is my place to say what I want. Tell the stories I want. Be as lame and boring as I want.

If you check back now and again, Great,
if not,
I won't hold it against you.

Until Next Time

-CCL