When I was active in ham radio earlier in my life, I wasn't a hardcore contester or award seeker. I didn't keep track of states or countries for Worked All States or DXCC, and while I occasionally did participate in contests, the awards were never of interest.
Now, I find myself actively seeking a few more countries to complete DXCC, that elusive Alaska QSO to complete WAS, and various WPX endorsements. In doing so, my appreciation of different facets of radio has increased significantly. It's forcing me, for example, to understand propagation trends and patterns; how radios and computers interact with one another; and different practical antenna designs and why they work, among many other things.
Other people may or may not be interested in such parts of the hobby, and that's okay; different things appeal to different people. That's part of the greatness of Amateur Radio: Others continuously develop things to discover and participate in at some point.
