Caching Name: Millennium Mom
Real Name: Jamie Wessels
1. How did you become involved in geocaching? Joe Wessels discovered the Geocaching website while researching information about his Forerunner wrist GPS. We thought it looked interesting and tried to find a cache at Schutte Park in Dover but could not find it. We let it go for a few days, and then Joe went out while I was at work and found a different one. The next day, he showed me what he found. We tried a few more together and got hooked. Eventually, we went back to Schutte Park and found it!
2. How did you choose your caching name? I wrote a cookbook, ©1999 as part of my capstone completion project for my Master’s Degree. The book was published in 2003 as an electronic book and won a National award in 2004. The book was called ‘Millennium Moms, Cooking on the Run’ which started my nickname ‘Millennium Mom’ and I decided to use it for my caching name.
3. What type of cache do you prefer seeking – traditional, multi, or puzzle, virtual? Definitely traditional. I cache for FUN and do not like all of the ‘homework’ and research associated with puzzles and earth caches. I also like the immediate gratification of traditionals as opposed to multis which require multiple finds (stages) but you only get credit for one!
4. Which caches were the most challenging, either physically/mentally? We have had to climb a few trees and build a few bridges! We also recently did the Thousand Steps Cache in Pennsylvania. I had a sick day arranged for the day afterward in case I could not walk when we got back, but I was okay and did not need to use it!
5. What are your current caching goals? We spent a year completing our goal of the cache-a-day calendar grid and then another year completing a cache-a-day using only Delaware finds! Next, I would like to finish the remaining United States, work on getting more of the oldest caches in each state, and then start adding more countries!
6. Where have you always wanted to go caching but haven’t? Japan and Australia are on my bucket list for travel and ALL travel includes geo-caching!
We were able to get Mexico while visiting my kids in San Diego and got Vancouver, Canada on our way to Alaska!
7. What is your most memorable caching experience? There are so many, but most have been associated with travel. We got a cache at the MSU chapel in full ‘mother-of-the bride’ formal wear in between family photographs at my daughter’s wedding! (Millennium Daughter was not impressed, but her bridesmaid/cacher was!)
Hawaii for our Honeymoon, Grand Canyon/Vegas, and most recently our Alaska Geocaching Cruise were all fabulous. We were able to include the Geocaching Headquarters in Seattle and drove to Oregon for the #1 geocache while we were on the west coast.
‘Runner Up’: We had an ‘interesting’ day of kayak caching…in low tide…with no water!
Then there was the ‘kayak cache’ that we tried without a kayak—just took the swim for it (gross)—only to find out that the cache was on the shore line and NOT in the water!
‘Winner’ of the most memorable caching experience…Joe in tighty-whiteys and bare feet running through HOLLY LEAVES (ouch) to get the cache…for me…and we weren’t even married then!
8. What do you like about geocaching? I like that it gets us outside, a little physical activity (unless there is a better parking place!) and the crazy experiences that have occurred while geocaching. We find so many places that we would never have known about if it was not for geocaching. I also enjoy the Event caches and putting a face to a name from the log entries. We have met so many great people via caching that I truly consider as friends now!
9. Do you have some favorite caches in the area? I tried looking through my list of 5000+ caches for some favorite memory joggers but I can’t even pick favorites! The enjoyment is generally more about the experience of the day then the actual caches. We have had some ‘duh’ and memorable experiences at light pole caches as well as the long hikes and difficult hides everywhere we go. It’s all good-if we find it!
10. Do you have any other hobbies or interests? Lots of interests!! Sometimes they get in the way of geocaching. Our family life keeps us busy-five adult children between us and a three year old granddaughter. I like to cook and have gotten back into a previous hobby of cake decorating! I made me daughter’s wedding cake in 2012 (with a lot of help and support from the family.) You can see from my profile that my caching numbers were very low that year due to stress and practicing! I also took a drawing and painting class last year and have entered my painting of “Dad’s Farm” into the 2014 Art Exhibition for State of Delaware Employees!
