If you are not already familiar with Satoshi’s Treasure, it's a global key hunt with a grand prize of $1,000,000. Come join us on the hunt: https://satoshistreasure.xyz/.
This is a dramatic (but true!) timeline of my journey to capture the two World Cache 02 keys from hundreds, and thousands of miles away.
The World Cache Keys are some of the coolest keys in Satoshi’s because it gives you a chance to physically interact with a contest that is primarily digital. Naturally when I saw the World Cache 02 Keys drop my heart speed up. Would there finally be a physical key close enough for me to go get?
No. the answer was no. I was a minimum of hundreds of miles away, and over 2 thousand miles away from the other. But that was not going to stop me from pocketing them. This is my journey:
Monday, 1:45 pm - Key Drop! It’s more World Keys…hell ya! Where are they? …Chicago …Seattle …shit… Well, maybe these ones aren’t for me.
Monday, 1:50 pm - Wait a tick! Julie (sister-in-law) lives in Chicago.
Time is ticking so a frantically written email with all of the details is sent to Julie.
I actually forgot about the World Keys for a bit while racking my brain, hoping for magical insight on the Checkerboard Key … none came, naturally.
Tuesday, 11:00am - It dawns on me that time is running out and I have not heard from Julie
Tuesday, 11:01am - Text to Julie: “Did you get my email?!” She did but she wasn’t going to be able to make it.
If you have never been to Chicago, its like a small country and she was really not that close. So, back to square one.
by Giphy.com
Craigslist! I posted an ad in the community/volunteer space of the Chicago Craigslist pages, hoping (naively) that some good samaritan would not think I was trying to lure them to my murder shack, and head out to the streets of Chicago to take a picture of a piece of paper taped to the wall. All that without a promised reward. This…is…going…to…work…right?
Tuesday, 7:01pm - Kids are in bed, just sitting down to relax, boodoop! text message received. It was Julie: “Sorry I couldn’t make, but my friend Jane works downtown” a glimmer of hope! “And oh by the way here”
Let all glorious rejoicing ensue….One down, two to go!
At this point I was elated because I did not really think I could get these keys. I turned my attention to the Seattle key, this time I would be going in without knowing anyone in Seattle.
Wednesday, 8:00am - WTF! They still haven’t posted the location of the Seattle key (Not sure why I was so angry here, at this point I had no way of getting the key even if I knew the location)
Wednesday, 12:00pm - Face palm, still no location. More unnecessary frustration.
Wednesday, 6:00pm - It’s only a few hours before the designated availability time and the location is still not there!!!! Let the hair pulling out begin.
by Giphy.com
Wednesday, 11:00pm - At this point I was actually in bed, ready to go to sleep, when I remembered the key again. It's after the start time, they HAVE TO HAVE POSTED IT BY NOW! I ran to my computer, saw the location and sighed with relief…again, not sure why I was so excited by this, how was I going to get the key?
Wednesday, 11:05pm - Well… might as well try the Craigslist again, it worked so well the first time. (It didn’t work, no replies, surprised?) This time I was going to be crafty and post in three different categories: community/volunteer, Sale by owner, and Wanted by owner.
Thinking back, maybe the personals would have worked better: Man looking for Man or Woman for a kinky night of skulking in alleys photographing Sly Cat posters…
Wednesday, 11:45pm - Just as I was laying down for bed I decided to throw one last hail mary and post to Facebook (for the first time in years) asking if anyone I knew was in or around Seattle.
That night I dreamt of little golden keys fluttering all over, and that DAMN CHECKERBOARD!
Thursday, 6:00am - Early riser... kids... you know how it is. Woke up to a reply from a buddy of mine, John, that I use to get swole with (ya I work out, so what?). He and his wife just happened to be in Seattle and tomorrow (today) they were just planning on exploring the city.
I could not contain my excitement, is this really happening? Explore on my friends, just make sure to swing by Virginia Street! I sent them all the info they would need. It was still only 3am in Seattle, so I was prepared to wait until early afternoon to get a reply from John.
Thursday, 9:00am - DM from John: Boom, here you go (several shots of the flyer proceed). Holy Shit! What are you doing up so early? They’re fitness nuts, they went out for an early morning jog and snapped a few photos along the way. They were staying less than half a mile away. Bingo Bango Bongo.
Much Gratuity was showered onto Julie, Jane and John, and I had two keys in my pocket. This challenge was super fun, and a welcome change of pace from the slew of technical challenges lately.
If you are wondering…Not a single reply on Craigslist, but I guess that’s not a surprise is it? Maybe an offer of a Beer or something more lewd would have lured some folks in? Who knows. I guess it really is just about who you know. Oh, and luck, a lot of luck too.