It drives my wife and kids crazy. We’ll be on vacation, and suddenly I’ll stop to take a picture of the ground—usually followed by an enthusiastic explanation about the survey corner or control point I just found and why it’s exactly where it should be.
If you spend enough time in surveying, you start noticing survey markers everywhere. It doesn’t matter whether you’re walking through a downtown district, hiking a trail, or exploring a new city on vacation. Spotting them becomes second nature.
An “X” etched into a sidewalk, a survey monument set in a curb, a nail with a trace of orange paint, or a stake with faded flagging tape—most people walk right past these markers without a second thought. Those in the survey industry, on the other hand, tend to notice them immediately.
For me, it’s not something I do intentionally. I started working on a survey crew as a teenager and spent much of my twenties and thirties in the field. Although I haven’t worked on a survey crew in years, that mindset never really goes away. Even when I’m off the clock, I still find myself looking for evidence of the work that helps define and connect the world around us.
So yes, even on vacation—and much to the amusement of my family—I’ll stop to snap a quick photo of a survey marker. It’s a reminder that surveying is more than a profession; it’s a way of seeing the world.
Most people may never notice the small marks and monuments around them, but those little details often tell an important story. For surveyors and field crew members, they serve as a connection to the precision, history, and craftsmanship that are at the heart of what we do every day.