Welcome to the Treasure Hunt!

    Hello one and all, and thank you for joining me on this journey!

    Do you remember a time when you found a coin on the ground as a kid? Have you ever spent time at the beach digging through the sand wondering if there was a stash of pirate booty hidden deep below? Have you ever seen a movie where the protagonist finds treasure and thought to yourself "I wish I could find that!"?

    In growing older I feel like that call to adventure and discovery disappears as reality sinks in. Our lives are not exactly the fairy tales we once imagined them to be. The magic fades and responsibilities take over with a general sense that we now understand fact from fantasy. As adults with the vast realities of life coming at us like a speeding truck, and especially now at a time when everyone appears to be struggling in some way, shape or form with regards to their mental health, or finances, or social engagement, wouldn't it be nice to instill a little bit of that childhood magic back into the world?

    Through this blog I will delve deep into the idea that we've been wrong all along about the fantastical nature of hidden treasures. I will taking on the role of pirate, fairy, dragon, or leprechaun, and hide small treasures for people to find myself to answer the question "How could filling the world with hidden treasures impact people, foster community connection, and inspire a sense of magic and mindfulness in everyday life?!" 

    By no means can I afford to stow away life-changing valuable hoards of gold, but each physical treasure will hopefully have an aspect of novelty, uniqueness, and be special in their own right for the person who happens to find it. 

    My big hope is that people may find these small treasures, either by accident or in following a clue on this blog, and feel a little bit of the magic of youth and the excitement of discovery again. More generally, I hope to find out how finding treasures makes people feel; about their experience, and about our shared community.

    I also wonder is whether or not this can have a more profound impact on my local community or even society as a whole. Can treasure hunting or discovery teach the lesson of slowing down, being mindful, and finding an appreciation for our shared spaces? Would anyone who finds a treasure feel compelled or inspired to consider doing it themselves? Can it make a community feel more interconnected and special?

    In the very end at least, regardless of people's engagement and the results of this experiment, I would like to reflect on what it means to me to be the one who hides treasure rather than the one who seeks it out, and consider what it means to live in a world where real physical treasures could be all around us.

My personal collection of treasures