Wow! What a warm welcome! Thank you everyone!
I added my location to my profile, but I can give a little more of a background here as well.
My name is actually Jerry, but most people outside work or school environments call me Jay. I'm 34, and grew up about a mile south of LAX airport. In November of 2015, life decided to prove that, Yes, it CAN suck worse (lol), and I moved to Nevada to stay with my family and get back on track. I immediately fell in love with hiking and exploring. I hike for miles, filling my backpack with all sorts of rocks, crystals, breccias, etc etc., and then lugging them back home. Some days, I fill the bag, and decide to dump it so I can continue hunting. Then there are the days I do this numerous times on one excursion. Idk what I'd do without the capability to geocache! Lol. I have quite a few items that I am pretty sure I know what they are, but I don't want to seem presumptuous, so I will hold off on introducing them until I have more proof. A few notable finds.... I have a large quartz crystal covered mostly in pyrite, but also has numerous other metals scattered about. It weighs close to 25-30lbs or so. Then I have a large green crystal, which was found right next to the aforementioned item, that basically weighed right at 40lbs. Based on what I've been able to find, I believe it's a type of chalcedony, called Chrysoprase. I have many other colors of chalcedony as well, and some of them can be mesmerizing to stare into.
I could go on for days about how much this hobby means to me. It's one of the most peaceful, meditative activities I've ever engaged in. I learn so much about myself when I'm all alone, but super focused. The desert, rock hounding (and dancing lol), have not only given me a new outlook on life, but help me grow spiritually, and help me become a better person in the process.
Hope that wasn't too wishy washy. I just figure that most, if not all, of you do this for the same reason and would understand.
