WHEN TRAVEL BUGS TRAVEL

by Silyngufy

There are a lot of travel bugs hopping from cache to cache these days. Some have a goal of visiting a particular cache, state or,  country. Some just want to hop around and travel as far and wide as possible. The reasons for placing travel bugs are as varied as the cachers who place them into the world.

I have one bug that is very special to me. “A Soldier’s Pride” is a military patch that was sent to me by a soldier who could no longer wear it on his uniform. He sent it to me as a thank you for sending him a care package. I sent this little patch out into the wild to visit military sites around the world. It was picked up by a newbie cacher and held for much too long. I am not ashamed to say I harassed the cacher until it was dropped in a bug hotel. After a short time it was picked up by Kilted Viking.

He has been traveling all over the world visiting military sites in various European countries. His journey is extensive and my little travel bug is along for the ride. He told me that my bug inspired him to rekindle his love of military history. I believe one of the reasons people release travel bugs is to virtually visit sites they may never get to in their lifetimes. We can live vicariously through the pictures and logs posted on the bug’s page. I most likely will never get to the military sites Kilted Viking is visiting. But, I can look at the pictures, read the logs, and feel connected to a man I have never met. I hope one day this little bug makes it back to Wisconsin. But it if doesn’t, I know it has had a great journey.