Since he was little, my husband Erik has been on the greatest treasure hunt searching for gold. It started when he was ten years old. His mother took him to Columbia, CA where he experienced his first encounter with the shiny substance. He has been hooked ever since.

The last ten years we’ve been together, backpacking along different river beds has been our preferred way of exploring and hunting for gold. We recently picked-up metal detecting.

Most women may want fancy jewelry, flowers or to be wowed on Valentine’s Day. All I want are the mountains. So, for this past Valentine’s Day we headed to Yerington, NV.

When we pulled up to the scene we planned to “beep” (I call metal detecting “beeping” for fun), there was a strong smell of turpentine or paint.  Greasewood is a toxic plant that is a native to Nevada, and puts off a strong smell. To me, it smells like turpentine and it was spread-out over the mountains we planned to beep.

When Greasewood is in bloom, it has little white flowers.

We began our trek up the hill, and looked for a certain type of rock. We searched for about forty minutes. Once we found the area we knew we wanted to beep, we went back to the truck to gear-up.

I have my metal detector, pick, and scooper ready to go. Let’s find some gold!

As we worked our way back up the mountain, I watched my dogs play. You see, it’s not only about finding gold for me, it’s about the experience. We didn’t find any gold that day, yet I was completely content with how the day turned out.

Being on the hillside with my “little” family, which is my husband, myself and our two dogs brings me to a place of appreciation that weighs more than gold.

Life isn’t about what we get for Valentine’s Day, it’s not about having fancy things. It’s about digging deeper and enjoying the odd smells of a plant, exploring the way a rock looks, feeling the warm sun on winter day, or watching your dogs roll around on a little patch of snow.

Maybe it’s breaking a sweat as you march up the mountain, realizing you are capable of doing whatever it is you put your mind to. It is just a matter of doing it.

Yerington, NV doesn’t sound very glorious, yet it was perfect.

I want to know how you spent your Valentine’s Day. Please share in the comments below.