PLAYER OF THE WEEK

March 27, 2015

Munzee Player(s) of the Week: Craig Parchman (Hedge Hopper) and Joni Hobbs (MustangJoni)

As Munzee has grown over the years, the game has evolved in so many more ways than any of the co-founders could have imagined. We’ve certainly had our fair share of growing pains, but in its essence Munzee has tried to stick to its core goal of getting people out into the world. No one knows this better than those players who have been with us since the beginning. This week’s Player of the Week is actually a duo: Craig Parchman (Hedge Hopper) and Joni Hobbs (MustangJoni). Munzee is a community and family, and it’s great to see teammates playing together.

Who are you?
Craig Parchman, a.k.a. Hedge Hopper, and Joni Hobbs, a.k.a. MustangJoni

Where in the world do you live?
The Lone Star State! Specificially, we live in Irving, TX.

How long have you played Munzee?
HH: Since July 2011
MJ: I actually opened my account pretty early (I have an “Early Bird” badge to prove it!), but I had a blackberry phone, so I couldn’t play. I finally updated my phone is 2013 and started playing. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I do, but it is such a blast!
Both: This game is so different from the one we were playing when we started. We love the innovation of the game!

How did you find Munzee?
HH: I was at a caching event and someone deployed one on a handrail outside the restaurant.
MJ: I don’t really remember. I think I was at an event and some friends were talking about it.

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?
HH: Clan Wars. I am a founding member for the Lone Star QRazy clan. I enjoy the strategy and the involvement of my fellow clan members to stay a super chuck clan level.
MJ: Oh, the list is long, but I think my very favorite thing is the clan I belong to. We have such a great group of fun players, and we have been together for the most part for over a year. I also love specials. They are so fun to try and race out and cap! I consider myself and Icon Collector! Events are also so fun! Munzee players are the best to hang out with!
Both: We also enjoy creating trails of specials! We have three high point trails in Irving. They are full of weapons, jewels, and mysteries! They are nice walks around lakes!

What is on your wish list?
HH: A listing of what types and how many Munzees for a bomb blast prior to deploying.
MJ: An upgrade to the app for Hotels and trails and other credit items. I’d also like to be able to see what I’ve capped during the day. More stats in the app would be great! Oh, and I would love a bomb where that would only cap special virts. For example, the heart virts that are out now.

Tell us about yourself!
HH: I am a native Texan, grandparent and semi-retired from the electrical construction business. I love the outdoors. As a pup, I backpacked the Continental Divide Trail from New Mexico to Wyoming, most of the Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas when it was just a line on a topo map, most of the Ouachita Trail in Arkansas/Oklahoma, parts of the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington, the Appalachian Trail thru Smokey Mountain National Park and lots of trails in Alaska.
MJ: I was born in Texas, but as an Air Force brat, we’ve lived all over. Of course, I ended up back in Texas. I met Hedge Hopper about 9 years ago, and we’ve been a team ever since!

Both: We love to travel and hike. We have traveled thousands of miles by car and haven’t killed each other yet! That is quite an accomplishment.

Other hobbies include;
HH: Anything outside…camping, hiking, caching, and fly fishing for trout.
MJ: I like Cross stitching and other crafts. I love making Christmas ornaments all year. I’m also a crazy cat lady. We’ve rescued 3 kitties, and love our furbabies! Don’t shop, Adopt!

Hedge Hopper and MustangJoni also included their socials, so cap away!

March 20, 2015

Munzee Player of the Week: Don Pulda (Pulda1)

Who are you?
Don Pulda, a.k.a Pulda1

Where in the world do you live?
Appleton, WI

How long have you played Munzee?
Since January 6, 2012

How did you find Munzee?
I first saw the game in 2011, there was a Munzee zip tied to a tree, but I didn’t have the app so I didn’t scan anything until I was at an event in Louisville, KY. I downloaded the Munzee app right there and started playing.

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?
I love to deploy Munzees and seeing the points come in from all my deploys. I love creating Mystery trails, ranking 20th worldwide with 603 Mysteries. I currently am ranked 28th worldwide as top dployer with 5363 deploys. I’m in 3rd place in Munzee trails. If I’m not working, I’m outside. Whether rain or snow, nothing stops me from getting out and playing this game. It’s an addiction. I made a goal to get myself a cap and deploy a day and have been successful for 470 days as of today and continuing to at least hit 1000 days in a row.

What is on your wish list?
To visit Germany. Anyone that knows me knows I’m a German nut(case). I would love to get together with Munzee players from Amsterdam, Switzerland, and Germany.

Tell us about yourself!
Well traveled, been to Germany 8 times, next visit will be to Munzee. I enjoy and have enjoyed traveling to different states like St. Louis, MO, Franklin, TN, McKinney, TX for Munzee events, hitting the huge virtual fields and meeting other Munzee players. Last September I rode my motorcycle 24 hours to Canada and back just for a few Munzees and to get the Whomp Nation Munzee icon. Munzee is about all I do outside of work, it’s a passion for me. I enjoy being part of Wisconsin Excursion clan. We have a solid team that goes for the top level every month and always make our goal. I just hosted our first official munzee event with 17 attendees. Hoping to make another event later this summer. I’d love to meet more players and make our area known for a great city to Munzee in.

Other hobbies include;
Munzee…that’s it… 🙂 And anything German.

Pulda1 also included his social, so cap away!

March 17, 2015

Munzee Player of the Week: Raymond Keegstra (ReeJ)

Who are you?
My name is Raymond Keegstra aka ReeJ, a proud Munzee player in clan “Phoenix Rising”.

Where in the world do you live?
I live in IJhorst a little village near Zwolle. (A famous Munzee city of The Netherlands)

How long have you played Munzee?
700+ days, I got the Munzee virus around April 30, 2013. (I had previously created an account, but not yet played)

How did you find Munzee?
On April 30, 2013 I saw a big QR code on a commercial info sign. This was not a Munzee, just a commercial URL QR-code. It reminded me directly of a story my friend had told me a few months before about Munzee. While standing there I immediately installed the Android App, just 2 meters beyond the big QR was a real Munzee. This was my first 5 points and the beginning of Munzee for me.

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?
I really enjoy meeting other players and having a great time playing together. Also, the nice trips in the Netherlands and Germany (especially Cologne) with friends of my old clan. Oh, let’s not forget the Clan Wars! Together as a team making it to the end of the month; winning a lot of Maces/Longsword/Ruby and other toys.

What is on your wish list?
To stay the Number 1 in the Netherlands 😉 and of course a trip to America. Seriously ….I want to go to the Franklin Munzee Bash event / April 17,18 – 2015 to meet the friends of my Clan “Phoenix Rising”. (but i need a sponsor!)

Tell us about yourself!
I’m a network engineer of Caase.com (Worldwide Microsoft Cloud Partner of the Year 2014). The father of 2 lovely boys Roel (3) and Joris (1) you can see them in the pictures. Not to forget my lovely girlfriend Wietske, who is the biggest anti-munzee person in the world, but always there for me! She loves cycling more! (Please feel free to add many munzees at mountain area’s so Wietske and I can combine our hobbies on holidays) 😉

Other hobbies include;
When I’m not munzeeing you can find me on the beach or forests for a hike. (Then Wietske is near me….haha….) And of course other geolocation games, working with computers and Smartphones!

ReeJ also included his social, so cap away!

March 6, 2015

Munzee Player of the Week: Michael Bailey (TNT)

As Munzee has grown over the years, the game has evolved in so many more ways than any of the co-founders could have imagined. We’ve certainly had our fair share of growing pains, but in its essence Munzee has tried to stick to its core goal of getting people out into the world. No one knows this better than those players who have been with us since the beginning. This week’s Player of the Week is Michael Bailey (TNT) and he’s been playing long enough to get an early bird’s badge and then some. Although he may want to see some changes to the game (while maintaining its roots) he’s stuck around this long and doesn’t see an end in sight. At least not while there’s Clan Wars to be won! Read on to learn more about TNT!

Who are you?
My name is Michael Bailey. In the munzee world, I’m known as TNT.

Where in the world do you live?
I currently live in NW Arkansas – specifically, Bentonville — The home of Walmart.

How long have you played Munzee?
Practically from the beginning — July of 2011. At that time, there were less than 10 munzees in the entire state of Arkansas. When I joined, the founders were still at their full time jobs. I remember the first few versions of the Android app as developed by chrispix.

How did you find Munzee?
I read about it in a forum for that other game. It sounded interesting, so I signed up.

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?
In the beginning, it was the chance to get outdoors and “find” things without having to fight the ticks, along with the competition among players. The competition has diminished with the introduction of so many special types of munzees, but now I really enjoy the clan wars. My competition is with the requirements to make sure I can score enough points and do enough to achieve the level I’ve committed to.

What is on your wish list?
1) I would like to see the game go back more towards its roots (getting out and physically capping), which it has done the past few months with the emphasis on greenie requirements.

2) I’d like to see some of the features that were in the last beta version of the app put into the release version of the app.

3) I’d like to see some of the things that have been started brought to a completion. Things such as rovers with badges for mileage traveled etc., (also, the process could be streamlined) and finishing the fitbit integration with badges.

4) A reworking of the levels. In the beginning, achieving 10000 points was a major milestone and I don’t think it was ever anticipated that more that a few would ever achieve 100,000, so the levels were based on that assumption. Now, several people have gotten 100,000 in a single day and 25,000 is not very difficult at all. So, time to rework the levels.

Tell us about yourself!
Born and raised in the great state of Maine, I enlisted in the military at least partly to get away from the harsh winters (such as the one they’re currently experiencing). In 2003, I retired from the Air Force after 22 years. After living in San Antonio a few years, my wife (NanaB) and I moved here to NW Arkansas. We’re a few hours travel from our wonderful grandchildren in NW Louisiana and also only a days travel to either MHQ or Franklin TN.

Other hobbies include:
Who has time for other hobbies with Munzee? Seriously though, over the years, I’ve had many of them. I have a private pilots license, I’ve scuba dived, I’ve flown RC airplanes. I’ve been a license amateur radio operator for over 30 years. I woodwork and have a degree in computer science.

TNT included his Social so cap away!

February 19, 2015

Munzee Player of the Week: Mary Ellen Labrecque

This month Munzee has been supporting American Heart Month, from raising money via Candy Heart Virtuals to hosting a heart awareness week with Eventzee. Heart disease is the number one killer of both women and men in the US, so it has been important for us at Team MHQ to help promote healthy living. This week’s Player of the Week is Mary Ellen Labrecque who is currently battling heart disease. That hasn’t stopped her from Munzeeing though, as she uses it to keep active during her down time. Mary Ellen’s story inspired hope within us and we hope it does the same for our players.

Mary Ellen is currently in the hospital so her friend and fellow Munzee player Tracy Bergmann (MARTES) has helped transcribe Mary Ellen’s responses.

This is my dear friend and fellow Munzeer, Mary Ellen Labrecque. She just came home from the hospital, this week, after having a heart transplant in September 2014. She hasn’t been home in over 5 months! Mary Ellen has a blood clotting disorder which clotted off her heart (heart attack) in March 2013. She was in a coma for weeks, until they implanted 2 heart pumps internally in her chest, called a Bi-VAD. This pump came out of her abdomen with 4 hoses which attached to a 40 pound pump on a wheeled cart. This kept her heart pumping and kept her alive for 18 months while she awaited a heart transplant. During that waiting time, she was advised to decrease her weight/BMI index, so I introduced her to Munzee, as a way to make our walks fun. I started deploying in areas where we could walk with her “heart on a cart”. This is how she got hooked on Munzee. As complication would arise and I would drive her the 3 hours to the hospital, she would be sitting in the passenger seat checking her phone and capping any virtuals on our route. Our mid way stretch break at the rest areas, truck stops and Dunkin Donuts had to have Munzees or I would deploy one for her. I even noticed she capped 2 virtuals we placed for her on her way home 3 days ago. She hadn’t been home in 5 months, but detoured for her “heart donor” Munzees! She is just amazing and has survived amazing odds, obstacles and complications to survive this transplant and live for her 4 adopted special needs children. She gets the biggest smile when she hears that “ding”. MHQ, I thank you for contributing donations to The American Heart Association. Also, please consider being an organ donor so that people like my very dear friend, Mary Ellen, can survive and wait times for organ transplants can decrease.

My wish is that someday there will be an artificial heart pump which is able to replace a damaged heart. This artificial pump would be mechanical and therefore not carry all the risks of rejection. You see, once a person has a heart transplant, life doesn’t just return to normal. There is the constant daily battle with rejection of the heart because it is “foreign” and the body tries to attack it. This requires large doses of steroids to be used to fight this rejection. These steroids cause our immune systems to be suppressed, thereby making infection a huge threat. A heart transplant is an absolute second chance gift of life, but does have complications and side effects for life. I hope with more research, there will be major advancements made in transplants, heart pumps and aftercare.

Who are you?

Mary Ellen Labrecque

Where in the world do you live?

I live in Lewiston, Maine. My heart hospital is in Brigham & Womens in Boston, Mass.

What do you like about Munzee and how did this help you during your whole experience with heart disease?

I really like that Munzee got me out of the house and kept me from having to sit in front of the TV all the time. It allowed me to exercise and lose weight. I am not in it for the points or badges, I just like to look for them to hear that “ding”. I just love that! I tell everyone I ride with about Munzee because I can only cap virtuals right now. I can tell you that I am constantly looking at the map while I am riding, looking for virtuals. Oh, and you can’t cap them in the Life Flight helicopter. I have even tried from the ambulance! My goal is to be strong enough to be independent by this spring, so I can drive myself to find and cap all the Munzees around here. There are so many now and it will be good exercise for me.

How do you feel about Munzee donating a portion of money from the sale of virtual hearts to the AHA?

That is so wonderful and just so amazing. What a wonderful donation that would be. Thank you Munzee. I feel so blessed as an individual that people would think so much of others. They have no idea how much encouragement and empowerment that provides for men, women, children and healthcare professionals’ education. There is so much education that goes into the level of care I received. A whole team has to be trained on the heart pumps and then a whole nursing unit of staff and then the care givers who have to be your back-up for the pump when you go home. For me, I had to travel three hours away to a hospital which was trained on my pumps. Even the ambulances aren’t trained. My trained staff at home had to provide emergency care during times of complications and teach the local staff. When I was in the local hospitals, my own 3 trained family and friend RN’s had to staff me until I could be transported to the hospital 3 hours away. So much more education is needed.

If you know a player that should be nominated for Munzee Player of the Week, shoot us a message at iLoveYou@Munzee.com and let us know just why this person is outstanding in the global Munzee community!

-Please note, this is a super active campaign. We may not be able to get back to everyone, but you’re helping to grow the list of amazing people in the Munzee community!

February 12, 2015

Munzee Players of the Week: Shannon Hutchison and Caley Fox (WhompCanada)

Munzee promotes staying active through adventure. We’re proud of Munzee’s ability to get people to investigate unknown areas, learn about the game and grow the map. This week’s Players of The Week challenged themselves to bike across Canada and interact with strangers along the way and what better way to do that than to Munzee? We proudly sponsored Celaey Fox and Shannon Hutchison in their Whomp Nation Canadian Coast To Coast journey. Read on to learn more about WhompNationCanada!

Who are you?

Shannon Hutchison and Caley Fox. We met at Rocky Mountain school of Photography in the summer of 2012.

Where in the world do you live?

Shannon lives in Calgary, AB, Canada and Caley lives in St. Louis, MO, USA.

How long have you played Munzee?

Caley has played Munzee since 2011, and when we decided to start Whomp Nation we created a joint Munzee account in March 2013.

How did you find Munzee?

Caley found out about Munzee when he was shooting photos for his sister and happened to see a QR code in a tree. He’s become very enthusiastic about it ever since.

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?

We enjoy Munzee because it gives us an excuse to get out and explore strange places. It was also great meeting all of the Munzee people we met as we travelled across the country!

Tell us about Whomp Nation:

Whomp Nation is a project Shannon and Caley made to discover more about Canada. We shot off in April 2013 to pedal across Canada on two tandem bikes joined together and ended in mid-September. We documented the people we met, the land, and participated in fun Canadian events. It was an interactive experience that people could follow via social media each week.

What spurred you guys to start this?

Shannon originally wanted to walk across Canada, but we decided on our crazy Tandems so we could pick up Hitchhikers! We figured why not and it inspired us to go on this crazy trip.

How did you incorporate Munzee into this trek?

Munzee was a great way of tracking where we had been during our trip. It also lead to amazing Munzee hunting in Quebec!

Tell us about yourselves:

Shannon and Caley are both professional photographers. Shannon also work as teacher.

What’s Next?

We’re really hoping to do another trip like this last one, just not sure to where yet! (Editor’s Note: May we suggest a trip down south? Perhaps McKinney, TX?)

WhompCanada included their Social so cap away!

Whomp Nation also produced a time lapse video of their trip, so give it a watch. You can also look back on their whole experience at www.whompnation.com.

-Please note, this is a super active campaign. We may not be able to get back to everyone, but you’re helping to grow the list of amazing people in the Munzee community!

January 29, 2015

Munzee Player of the Week: Ari Gempäsch (TheUglyHari)

Munzee may be very popular in certain parts of the world, but there are many areas where the game is still small. The responsibility falls upon our players to grow the map and we’re indebted to their hard work. This week’s Player of The Week helps keep Munzee thriving in Austria- despite trouble finding Clan War teammates from time to time. We thank Ari Gempäsch (TheUglyHari) for his hard work and we’re excited for the day when he has people lining up to be in his clan. Read on to learn more about TheUglyHari!

Who are you?
My name is Ari Gempäsch (TheUglyHari).

Where in the world do you live?
I live in Linz, Austria. A small country in the middle of Europe with a small amount of munzers.

How long have you played Munzee?
I have been playing for two years. But I really started 18 months ago with deploying a lot.

How did you find Munzee?
I colleague of mine told me about munzee. We started together (with a few colleagues). But they all stopped playing according to problems with the app and the change of rules. (Editor’s Note: Maybe you should tell them to start playing again. The game has changed at lot in two years!)

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?
To be outside and deploy (I am a top-30-greenies deployer). To play in the only active clan in Austria (it is always a challenge to find ten active players – thanks to BettyLou, Malof, SineUsa and a lot of other players which supported us a while). I have also learned a lot about my own home-town.

What is on your wish list?
1) I would like if everything was inside the app. It shouldn’t be necessary to visit the blog, the store, statzee, the hp…. to find the right information, to buy something or to deploy some weapons, motels, hotels etc.
2) Focus on the basics: greenies – at the moment – are undervalued.
3) More time to organize the clan.
4) A chat also for clans within the app.

Tell us about yourself!
I am 39 years old. I have three children and enjoy my life with them. I am working as a SAP-consultant and have to travel a lot. So it is really a good way to play Munzee to avoid a lot of hotel bars.

Other hobbies include:
Skiing in The Alps in the winter. Swimming and relaxing in the Salzkammergut during the summer. To play and to care about my children.

TheUglyHari included his Social so cap away!

-Please note, this is a super active campaign. We may not be able to get back to everyone, but you’re helping to grow the list of amazing people in the Munzee community!

January 22, 2015

Munzee Player of the Week: Zack Barnett (ZandK)

Munzee is perfect for the whole family. It gets you outside, pushes you to adventure and explore with your loved ones. Every day we see new Munzers brought into the game following their parents in the hunt. This week’s Player of The Week thought the game seemed silly when his parents introduced it to him, but now he’s hooked. Zack Barnett (ZandK) now has his own daughter out searching for munzees and she’s sure to follow in her father and grandparents’ footsteps. Read on to learn a bit more about ZandK!

Who are you?
Zack Barnett aka ZandK

Where in the world do you live?
I currently live in Ogden, Utah. However, being active duty Army I move often, which allows me to spread the Munzee wealth.

How long have you played Munzee?
I started playing Munzee in February of 2013.

How did you find Munzee?
My parents; Michael and Kelly; 2psnapod1 and 2psnapod2 started talking about it. I thought it was the dumbest thing ever, who wants to walk around and scan a little sticker? Reluctantly, I downloaded the application. Within a few days I learned that Munzee was an excellent way to make monotonous runs fun. Immediately I started planning running routes that allowed me to capture the munzees in my area. A few weeks later I started deploying as I had already cleared the Munzees in my area!

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?
I enjoy that Munzee can be done anywhere. I typically travel a lot without my family, Munzee allows me to fill in that void while I am away and pass the time. Munzee is also an excellent way for me to exercise and stay in shape for my Army duty. Adding the Fitbit to my Munzee addiction allows me track the benefit of the game. I really enjoy the “urban” aspect of the game, I can always get a chance to capture or deploy no matter where I am going. I enjoy the ability to get quick points while passing through airports via virtuals but I enjoy walking and running from light pole to light pole or gator to gator most 🙂 Even though I focus on the “urban” aspect of Munzee, the game has still taken me to many neat areas that I wouldn’t have typically experienced had it not been for Munzee. Some of my favorite places have been the Troll under the bridge and the gum wall in Seattle, Washington.

What is on your wish list?
(1) From the inception of the clan wars I have always wished for a separation of clans either by country or by level. Much like intramural sports where the clan would sign for a level. For example we would have divisions such as an “A” division, a “B” division, and a “C” division. The clan wars would still utilize the same requirements but they would compete for the top spot amongst their division, this would allow some of the lower clans without big point opportunities the ability to win their division. If they won the lower division they would be required to then compete in the next higher division the next war.

(2) I would love for Fitbit or similar fitness trackers to be implemented into the game more. Of course badges for activity levels would be very welcomed.

(3) Restructuring of point levels. After level 100 it is much more difficult to level up.

Tell us about yourself!
I am happily married to my awesome wife Kelsea (KandZ) and have two children, Paityn and Cameron. Paityn is also an avid Munzer but only plays with Momma and Papa. I am an Active Duty Army Captain and am currently in my 11th year of service. I followed in the footsteps of my father who retired a few years ago with over 28 years of service! I am originally from Wisconsin and even though I have lived in many states I still call Wisconsin home. Go Packers, Go Brewers, and go Marquette Golden Eagles! Oh, and the Badgers when they are not playing Marquette. 😉

One of the greatest areas I have played Munzee in is Washington State. With help from a fellow Munzer Divernick and KandZ we created a Munzee trail spanning two states at length greater than 7 miles. The trail included every munzee type possible. The trail starts in Vancouver, Washington and crosses the I-84 bridge in to Portland, Oregon. In March of 2014 I was blessed with the ability to travel to California for Munzee Madness III. This was an awesome time in which I was able to meet most of team Munzee (the old team). This only solidified my addiction of Munzee and made me want to play more and more.

In the Summer of 2014 I was moved by the Army to Utah. When I arrived the Munzee population was strong, but not quite as strong as Washington/Oregon. So I started growing the map. In order to draw more and more players in the area I organized the states first Munzee event the “SLC Meet and Greet.” We had 11 attendees, 2 of which had just joined the game! Since the event the area has grown tremendously.

Other hobbies include:
In addition to Munzee I am a very family oriented man. I enjoy spending as much time as I can with my family as I am often away for long periods of time. I also am a very avid sports fan. I love watching all sports live or on TV. Playing sports (basketball, golf, bowling, softball, etc) is also something I enjoy greatly. Playing Settlers of Catan (Seafarers, Cities and Knights, and Traders and Barbarians) with friends and family also ranks high on my hobby list. Other hobbies I enjoy frequently include; woodworking, winemaking, and fixing things.

ZandK included his Social so cap away!

-Please note, this is a super active campaign. We may not be able to get back to everyone, but you’re helping to grow the list of amazing people in the Munzee community!

January 15, 2015

Munzee Player(s) of the Week: Bill and Susan Balling (TheIrishDuo)

Munzee is a game for hunters, adventurers, and travelers. Our community spans the entire world and more than a few of our players have taken their Munzee trek into foreign lands. Even our world-traversing President Rob Vardeman has made his way throughout the Munzee world to meet our dedicated players more than once. What makes Munzee so much more spectacular than any other worldwide brand is that Munzee players know no strangers and we all open our lives to one another in the name of the game. This week’s Player(s) of the Week are Bill and Susan Balling (TheIrishDuo) and they have been on both ends of the Munzee journey. When Munzeeing the world they were welcomed by international Munzee companions and in turn when Munzee players (and even employees) show up in the Ballings’ home of Butte, Montana, they heartily toast to the occasion. Read on to learn more about TheIrishDuo!

Who are you?

We are Bill and Susan Balling aka TheIrishDuo

Where in the world do you live?

We live in Butte, Montana in the northern Rocky Mountains.

How long have you played Munzee?

Just over 3 years. We signed up on Christmas Day, 2011 when we lived in St. Paul, Minnesota and capped our first Munzee the same day.

How did you find Munzee?

Susan heard about it from a cacher. We looked into it and signed up and haven’t looked back since. We were instantly hooked.

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?

4 things jump out at us:

1. Getting out and seeing new places right around us as well as different parts of the US and world.
2. Meeting new Munzers along the trails or at events.
3. The new innovations MHQ keeps introducing to really keep the game fresh and interesting and moving along.
4. The community feeling that Munzee has established.

We were very fortunate to have visited a lot of places in the US as well as internationally over these 3 years. In 2014 we visited Prague, Munich, Cologne and Paris in June to celebrate Susan’s birthday. We met a lot of great Munzers on that trip, including CACHEEATER in Prague. The EuroAmbassador Robje64 along with Zeusi were kind enough to set up a Munzee event to meet TheIrishDuo while we were in Cologne! We met so many Munzers there including Robje64, Bixby, Zeusi, hugosoft, c-bn, Seal, Paverick, Tinkerbell, johanandpaula and a host of others. We had a great time spending the weekend with many of them as they took us around to capture! And of course, we had great food and drinks in both Prague and Cologne – vital to TheIrishDuo!

What is on your wish list?

Several things. 1) Restructuring the points needed for the different levels. I know it is on MHQ’s list already. 2) To see some type of new twists to Clan play other than just changing requirements each month 3) Allowing for players to cap their own Munzees when they become random specials (maybe reduced pts?) 4) New Badges for: higher number of First To Captures (other than First Responder); a Jeweler or Precious Stone Badge when you cap and/or deploy ‘x’ number of Diamonds and/or Rubies 5) More Specials similar to Munzee Munch that triggered other specials to pop up locally by capping one.

Tell us about yourself!
We have been married for 4 years. Previously, we lived in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota before moving to Butte, Montana 2 years ago. We have a dog, an Australian labradoodle, named Keeva.

We started both the Minnesota Munzers and Montana Munzers Facebook groups. When we first moved to Montana, there might have been a half-dozen Munzees in the entire state, We enjoy spreading the Munzee word and growing the game! It’s been great to see how Munzee has grown in our 2 years here in Montana. In 2014, there were 3 Munzee events held in Montana (Helena, Butte and Kalispell). CoachV and Dylan made the trek to Butte in late June to experience a variety of wild weather we had in store for them. TheIrishDuo also has the distinction of having our Premium Gold Star as the first Gold Star ever captured!

We were preparing to move to Portland, Oregon in October of 2014. However, while we were in Dallas for the Munzee Oktoberfest Bash in September, Susan suffered a major stroke. The stroke affected all of her speech. Needless to say, we did not move to Portland. Susan is recovering here in Butte and learning to speak again and she is progressing well.

I mentioned above that one of the things we most enjoy about Munzee is the Munzee community as a whole. Susan spent 10 days in the hospital in Plano, TX and MHQ went above and beyond with their concern and support. They sent ‘care packages’ to us at the hospital. Many from MHQ stopped by to see Susan as a show of support. TheRealGigi, ThePiedPiper, MeanderingMonkeys and The Yote all took time away from the event to stop by the hospital and they lent lot of emotional support and prayer. In fact, Munzers everywhere around the world, and especially here in Montana, have been in contact to inquire as to Susan’s progress. I can’t say enough about the Munzee Community and MHQ and how Munzee is more than just a game; we are all part of a very large and caring family. You guys are just tremendous.

We would like to thank the Munzer(s) responsible for nominating us for POTW; we are very humbled and appreciative!

Other hobbies include:

We both like to travel and the outdoors. We especially like Munzee trails forcing us to walk and capture. We love discovering new beers and especially love drinking Belgian beers. We love Craftsman/Mission Style furniture of which Bill made a good portion to furnish our house.

TheIrishDuo included a new POTW Social as well as their original Social, so cap away!

-Please note, this is a super active campaign. We may not be able to get back to everyone, but you’re helping to grow the list of amazing people in the Munzee community!

January 8, 2015

Munzee Player of the Week: Josef Lewerken (GeoBeTa)

Munzee may be an international game, but our team is very much headquartered in the US. A lot of responsibility falls on our worldwide players to not only grow the game, but also aid in spreading and translating Munzee news and announcements. One such dedicated player is Josef Lewerken (GeoBeTa) who helped start the first German Munzee podcast- MunzPod. It’s this dedication that truly helps our small staff continue to grow the game in new and interesting ways- and in all languages! Read on to learn more about GeoBeTa!

Who are you?

I´m Josef Lewerken aka “GeoBeTa”.

Where in the world do you live?

My hometown is called Delbrueck, a small town near Paderborn in Germany. It´s also the HQ of my clan “Team Delbrueck” which won the October clan battles in 2013 with the highest result before the Mystery-Virtual-Munzee-Rollout. So there is some historical air to breeze.

How long have you played Munzee?

Today my account is 1.181 days old, but I’ve played seriously since I got my first Android phone in April 2012.

How did you find Munzee?

I heard about Munzee as an active “other game” player in 2011. At the time, Paderborn was a munzee desert. An addicted player, called PappaPad, was kind enough to build a local community.
During the october clanbattles in 2013 Paderborn changed to “Paderblue”. We added over 1,000 mystery munzees and made our area to the 3rd biggest mystery cluster worldwide.
So thanks alot Mr. Pad, you made me find Munzee.

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?

It´s a combination of different things. Getting outside, reaching the highest possible clan level with it´s rewards, chasing special icons, the German Munzee community and of course producing the German spoken munzee podcast called MunzeePod. But clan battles are the biggest fun factor.

What is on your wish list?

Well, it´s an app-based game. So, why do I have to use a browser for my daily needs? It would be awesome to buy credit items, to watch my #pointstoday, to have a message system which invites me to a private clan chatroom when I´m joining a clan, to capture a location-less by touching it and say “open with Munzee” (you need a second device) and that all in app. I want to go outside! There´s no time for sitting in front of a PC.

Tell us about yourself!

I´m 33 years old and married to my wonderful wife Debby (Thank you for supporting me Honey. I love you!). We´ve got an awesome 2 year old son who is interested in mobile devices. In the Munzee breaks I am a certified engineer for professional coffee machines.

Other hobbies include:

Definitely the podcasting. I´ve produced the German spoken MunzeePod (http://munzeepod.de) since march 2013. In my opinion it was the 1st pure Munzee podcast worldwide. I´m thinking about a monthly live talkshow with guests form the German Munzee community in 2015. Many thanks to my awesome audience. And of course many thanks to matzenthias. There wouldn´t be a MunzeePod without him.

GeoBeTa was kind enough to share his social, so cap away!

-Please note, this is a super active campaign. We may not be able to get back to everyone, but you’re helping to grow the list of amazing people in the Munzee community!