Now that we are older than 21, instead of hiding Easter eggs around the yard, my mom hides our favorite drinks. Each year she asks my brothers, cousin and I what we want hidden that year. This year I chose Downeast Ciders; my brother Kevin chose Michelob Ultras; my other brother Andrew picked Surfside Iced Teas; and my cousin Shaina doesn’t really drink, so she chose Diet Pepsi.

She doesn’t just scatter the cans around the yard; she takes the time to actually hide each can around the backyard. I swear she gets more creative with the hunt each year. She typically takes six of each of our drink choices and hides them in places like under the shed, beneath outdoor furniture cushions, in plants, around the pool filter and, this year, she even hid one under a pile of leaves.

Each year we all predict what place we think we are going to come in before the hunt; sometimes we all pick first, but others pick second. This year we all picked first. I really thought it was going to be my year. I started off slow and was the last one to find one of my cans; of course, I found one of everyone else’s. I think some even found two before I found one, but once I found the first one, I was on a roll. I think this year was the hardest because it took us longer than normal.

When it came down to it, my brother Kevin and I each had one left and were racing to see who would be the winner. I was searching and searching, but Kevin ended up finding his. My last can was in the area I was looking in, but I just didn’t look in the right part. In the end, I ended up in second place, with Andrew in third and Shaina in fourth.

We love the Hops Hunt, as we call it, and it’s always nice to bring out our competitive side. Here’s to hoping I win next year!

— Mary Melnick, social media and editorial manager