I’m not the type of person who posts something just to make a post. If I share something, it’s usually because it’s something I think is worth sharing — something about me, something about my surroundings, or something that happened that was funny, interesting, or meaningful.

But something happened this afternoon that honestly felt a little bit amazing.

It’s also something I’ve been working toward for well over a year… which means at this point it’s moved from “hobby goal” to “mild obsession.”

Some of you may not know what I’m talking about, and that’s totally fine. I’ve mentioned before that I’m into HAM radio and POTA (Parks On The Air). Basically, operators set up in parks and make contact with other operators. There’s an award if you manage to work a park in all 50 states.

For the past year, I’ve gotten contacts in every state… except Hawaii, North Dakota, and Alaska.

Those three have basically been my radio version of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and that one sock that disappears in the dryer.

There are apps you can download that alert you when one of your missing states is on the air. Sounds great in theory. In reality, it usually means you rush to the frequency just in time to hear what sounds like someone whispering through a pillow… during a hurricane… from 4,000 miles away.

This afternoon, I got a notification that a station from Hawaii was on the air.

I jumped to the frequency.

Nothing.

Just static. Beautiful, expensive, professionally tuned static.

I listened for a while, hoping something would magically appear. Nope. Just more static. So I moved on and tried other POTA stations. Strike out there, too.

So I figured, why not go back and check Hawaii one more time?

This time, I could barely hear him. Like… if I blinked too hard, I might lose him.

So I threw my call sign out there, fully expecting to be ignored, like when you wave at someone in public and realize they were waving at the person behind you.

And then…

He came back to me.

We exchanged information, completed the contact, and right about then, my brain went:

“Wait… did that just happen??”

After over a year of chasing that contact… I finally got Hawaii.

I’m pretty sure if anyone had been watching me at that moment, they would’ve seen a grown adult sitting in front of a radio grinning like he just won the lottery… or at least found that missing dryer sock.

That was a huge accomplishment for me.

Now it’s down to Alaska and North Dakota.

And if today taught me anything, it’s this: sometimes the signal is there… You just have to sit through a little more static, be a little more stubborn, and try one more time.

(Also, if you’re in Alaska or North Dakota and like talking to slightly overexcited radio guys… I’m your guy.)