5 Monthly Hobbies and How it Gives Me Something to Look Forward To
To be honest with y’all, it came to a point where I was in a rut. Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely a homebody, BUT when I did have the spurts of wanting to go out or hang out either it was too last minute to invite friends, people would be preoccupied, or I just wouldn’t even know where to go. So in the spirit of keeping myself company, I went to the drawing board.
What I decided to do first was to make a list of all of the hobbies that sounded interesting to me, of course, I took to browsing TikTok and Pinterest and just wrote down all the things that sounded fun. Then, I researched said hobbies near me and signed up for classes accordingly. And so from now until the end of the summer and beyond, I have things to look forward to.
And trust me, when you have things to actually put on your calendar that don’t include work, school assignments, and medical appointments, it’s like things just breeze off your shoulders because you know that soon something fun is coming. BONUS, bonus, bonus points if you pay for the classes ahead of time. To me, it makes it more likely for you to actually attend instead of just cancelling last minute. Let’s be real, no one wants to waste their money and on the other hand, a lot of things can happen in a month, or the couple of weeks until your classes including unexpected expenses. So even if you still want to go, sometimes you may just be low on funds when the time comes.
Now, you may need to shop around a bit, just like online shopping different places have different rates. And from there you just set your class times according to your calendar.
Now, below are a mix of my favorite hobbies (already tried) and those I have planned for this year.
Pottery Painting
I don’t know if more and more are just opening or if, since I’m interested now, my eyes are open to the painting studios that have always been there.
But these are pretty nice options for those who don’t really want to register for anything in advanced or would like something to do on any random day. These pottery painting studios have all the tools you need, you just go in, choose from an array of pottery pieces that you would like to paint, and then choose your colors and your set. An easy way to kill about 1-3 hrs depending on your designs. I will say the cost adds up a bit, on average if you would like to paint a simple bowl or plate your looking at around $25-$30 which doesn’t sound like a lot, but for one plate it could have you looking at the cashier a bit crazy when you’re ready to check out. And the prices go higher when you are looking at more complex pieces such as vases, seasonal decor etc. And let’s face it, not everyone is bitten by the pottery bug, so pottery painting sounds way more enticing to some than an actual wheel-throwing class.
Nevertheless like I said before, it’s a nice outing, whether it’s for a date night, a friend’s outing or just to spend some alone time with yourself. Jeff and I went to one for our anniversary and I have been going again occasionally when I’m bored but would like to get out the house. Some of my pieces are below also with some inspo.
Air Dry clay
Ok, now this one is one I have not done yet but am currently planning to do next month and on in my free time. I like the idea of air clay creations because you can do it from home or anywhere, and you can do simpler, everyday designs without having to worry about the throwing wheel or firing techniques that come with a ceramics course. I did find some bomb air-dry clay pieces that I can’t wait to try. But I’m planning to spend no more than $100 for everything, and hopefully that’ll last me about 2-months of creations. I will say, I do like the sound of this over my pottery class because let’s face it, I feel as though most are going to pottery classes for the asthetic, which belive me is perfectly fine, but most pottery classes are helping/making you create things such as bowls or vases, but i like that with air dry clay i can make magnets, a holder for my glasses, jewelry trays, key bowls etc!
Horseback Riding
Ok, another random thing I came across. But upon looking at some of the adoptable dogs at the Human Society of Missouri, I recognized that they also had farm animals up for adoption. FARM ANIMALS y’all! I couldn’t believe it, from alpacas, pigs, sheep, horses and more. I definitely want to eventually adopt a horse, of course, I’ll keep it at an equestrian facility until I get my 7 acres, but anywho, I was like “I should really look into some horse riding classes and training lessons,” and so I did!
I couldn’t believe it when I found a stable RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE. They offer horseback riding and riding lessons. They also have a place where you can learn more about the horses care, including eating and grooming. So I LOVE to stop by there once a month and prepare for my horse (in my head). I eventually want to get into riding horses beyond a beginner level but the once-a-month visit is enough for me now.
Next up is swim lessons! Yes, as a 24 year old, now 25 I decided to enroll myself in swim lessons and it has honestly been quite informing. First off, the classes are only $53 dollars a month and my class time is every Saturday morning from 8-9am. I first chose to enroll in swim lessons because this summer me and Jeff were going on a pretty long cruise and I wanted to do all of the excursions including snorkeling and more but I have a fear of the open water. So I figured, not only do I need lessons as a basic life skill but learning to swim can actually help me overcome that fear. Now, I’ve been in classes since February, and I am constantly stuck on back floating so I’m no Micheal Phelps, but I do know how to front float so far. We all gotta start somewhere! To find these classes for a lower cost, I would say first look at the nearest rec/community center near you.
The last for this post is Piano Lessons. Yes, I’m basically going to be the Alicia Keys on the piano, chile! I’ve also been taking piano lessons since Feburary ( I’ve been keeping up with/my near year’s resolutions!), and I have honestly learned more than I ever thought I could about the piano and the fact that there’s still way more to learn is so motivating. My instructor Dr. Shao here in Kansas City has all kinds of musical teaching degrees. I meet with him every week, and my classes come to about $140 a month. It was a bit of a search until I found Dr. Shao because I wanted someone closer to my house than the inner city, but a quick “piano lessons near me” on Google should get the job done! Now I’m still a beginner, but I’m one step closer to being able to play my favorite Stevie Wonder songs on the piano during my free time. Not saying that you absolutely have to play piano or take lessons, but you can take any musical lessons! Personally, I’ve never continued any musical classes outside of the ones that were required, nor did I ever do any band clubs or anything so I’m literally learning the basics, including reading sheet music, but if you always wanted to play the flute, guitar or even improve your singing, this is your sign to do so!
Alright, that’s it for this week. Like I said, these are a few things that I do every week/monthly that gets me out of the house. I like that with all of these options they range in cost, so I’m not paying almost $600 a month, so if you need to start off with one or two and then add on as the months go on-that’s fine too! I just like the fact that I actually have things to do to not only improve myself and my skills but to also spend time with myself instead of depending on others. Give it a try, at least for the fall and see how you like it! If you read down this far, feel free to leave which one of these you’ll be trying or leave some ideas for me and other’s that you’ve been thinking on! I’d love to check them out.
Love you, mean it!
Khyra C
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