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I Need to Get More Interests; What Things Are You Into?
Hexmage-PA
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I've thought off and on that I probably have fewer interests than most people, mainly because I find myself thinking about the same things all the time whenever I have nothing better to do. What kind of interests do you have?
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I also like to hike and camp - again relatively frugal activities - no mater where you are, there's almost always a trail, or path that you can take to get a better view of the world. I live by the Rockies, so it's always impressive to take a day or two hiking and to see the world form the sky.
Shooting is a fun hobby, but more and more expensive lately. I like to collect firearms, get familiar with them - that's a huge cash expenditure though.
I would second music - a guitar is a good place to get started. Personally, I've always wanted to learn to play the piano, because I think it's very impressive, and beautiful.
I am a girl and have recently gotten into nail art, also an inexpensive hobby if you know how to make your own tools.
I recently figured out how to solve the Rubik's cube. It took a few weeks but now I can do it in under five minutes. It's actually something I do now to relax.
In the summer I am heavily into cycling.
How about sewing? You'll never have to pay $20 for a tailor to make your pants more your-height appropriate.
Do you code? If you don't, it's an interesting hobby to get into, because it's a great way to exercise your brain. Sort of like solving puzzles.
Speaking of puzzles, do puzzles! Crosswords, ken-ken, etc.
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Side benefit - I scare people on the street.
seconding painting and cooking as well. Food = delicious, painting for the sake of painting is pretty damn fun too
Getting into better shape by weight lifting really helps your self esteem, because you'll feel better, you'll look better, and people who haven't seen you in a while will notice, all of which will give you a boost of confidence.
Rock climbing, especially at an indoor gym, is one of those rare social sports that's also individualistic. You can go at your own pace, while still interacting with more advanced climbers, and you'll get a workout too (albeit, not as good as lifting).
I am naturally an introverted nerd, but the best advice I can give is learn to become an semi-extroverted jock, by getting into shape, and finding some kind of interesting sport that is naturally social in nature.
I started with zero skills whatsoever, so if you're curious where to get started, send me a message.
Warframe: TheBaconDwarf
Not because I really watch gundam, but because they look so awesome
You can get cheap kits to start out!
For music, try to see if there's a way for you to try a few different instruments out before you commit to one. Instruments are quite expensive generally, so you don't want one to end up collecting dust in your closet after a few weeks. For me, I tried to learn guitar and it just wasn't working for me. Later, I took up the piano and it was a much better fit for me.
Alternatively, singing doesn't have to cost you anything. Same with learning theory or trying your hand at composition. Try a few things out.
For exercise, I would make a similar point that there's a few things you can try. I see a lot of people have mentioned lifting and rock climbing. Those are good, but if they don't click with you you can try running. If you don't like that try team sports, or martial arts, or swimming, etc.
The cool part about exercise is there's not usually a lot of cost involved (or at least, there isn't a large upfront cost like there is with a musical instrument), so even if you do like lifting you can still try running or swimming or whatever, and you absolutely should as well.
Also depending where you live, hiking is also a great alternative. Getting out on a nice day and just walking on some trails is an awesome feeling, specially if you get comfortable and start moving into steeper and rougher terrain or backpacking.
The other advantage to running is that you can make it a social activity by running with others. So it scales very well, and if I find myself with the need to make friends in an unfamiliar city, I know I can track down some runners.
You can also run in races, which have tremendous levels of excitement and energy.
At my local rink, the DJ who works weeknights kept "Who Let the Dogs Out" on rotation until he subbed it out this year with "Gangnam Style" (here's to ~10 glorious years, Psy)... but just cruising around in a circle is reasonable exercise, can be really relaxing for the mind, and if you go regularly, it's a pretty fun people watching experience.
Not a month goes by that I don't see somebody's wacky 80's party.
These are all fairly typical interests, but they fill out my time nicely and cover most seasons and weather. Also costs. There's things to do when I have people who want to spend money, and things to do when people are broke.
For more consistent hobbies, I'd say archery and historical european martial arts are my thing. In the past I've bounced around from one martial art to another, but this one seems to be one for the longer term.
Very true. It's exactly the feeling I get from historical fencing. The only difference lies in gear and techniques, but the end result can be equally sore next morning.
I actually got interested in boxing at about age 20 by Knockout Kings on PS1, and started watching the sport. It's easy to understand, and easy to appreciate the physical skill and mental toughness of the boxers.
After watching a few big fights, I started reading up online about upcoming fights to see which ones I should watch. I began reading articles from different reporters and developed my own preferences and opinions. I started reading about old fights and fighters and watching classic fights.
I also started throwing parties for the big PPV fights, which is always a great time. I found online groups and friends and began putting together my own little binder of materials, including previews of upcoming fight cards and summaries of top level fighters records.
Now I try to go to a fight once a year, and try to bring along friends when I can. A few years ago 20 of us got dressed up in formal attire and went to the local Golden Gloves like it was an Ali fight in the Garden.
Its amazing that, even with boxing being a sport in decline, you bump into real fans everywhere. When you do, it's a great, immediate conversation starter when you can talk about when Mayweather's going to start to slip or whether Sugar Ray deserved the decision against Hagler. You've got an instant friend when you can share something like that.
I'm not suggesting boxing, or even sports, I guess. I would say that you can turn anything that catches your interest, no matter how lonely or antisocial on the surface, into a dynamic and rewarding pursuit. It's just that I get to watch people get punched in the face.
http://www.geocaching.com/
Gets you out and about.
Discover awesome places you never would have otherwise stumbled across.
Find Treasure.
Hide Treasure.
Gotta catch 'em all!
Seriously take a look. The only barrier for entry is a GPS device which there is a 99% chance your phone is already and you can pick up an app for it.
I bet you there are a bunch of caches right under your nose that you walk by every day and would never have known about.
I've been teaching myself to cook for a few years now. Ill get a craving for something, like say a French Dip sandwich. Well I'll look up how to make it and just do it. I've got a decent enough recipe list to work off of now and boy does it charm the pants off the ladies.
I've also been weightlifting/swimming on alternating days for the last 6 weeks. I've been addicted to the feeling from it and now I'm seeing some pretty significant physical results as well.
I used to do all of that and cycle, run, swim and go to the gym pre ME.
For paintings in progress, check out canvas and paints
"The power of the weirdness compels me."
Gonna second this. I do not have a metal detector but have been frequently with a mate that does. Even just goofing off on his property was astonishing. We found a ridiculous amount civil war bullets including one cannon ball about the size of two of my fists. Also got ~$60 in scrap metal in a wheelie bin. Never found anything like silver or gold or jewelry though.
Shogun Streams Vidya
Cooking is great fun, since it's a really challenge to do it right but usually turns out OK as you're learning since there's basics to build on.
I did Tae Kwon Do in like Jr High, and really liked it too. Good exercise for mind and body.
Homebrewing is fantastic because it's basically chemistry you can drink and has the added bonus of getting to design your own bottle labels.
Cooking is my favorite, but if you're going to go that way I recommend picking something to really dive into. Look into baking and learn all kinds of delicious baked goods. Or, do what I do and focus on Charcuterie. It's fun to say and who doesn't love things like duck breast prosciutto?
Pros of horseback riding:
1. It's great exercise! You would think the horse is doing all the work, but the whole time you're working your legs and core muscles to stay on.
2. It's a great way to meet women! The overwhelming majority of riders are female.
3. You get to hang out with a horse! Look at this son of a bitch:
I should send that picture to Sesame Street.
Cons:
1. It can be pricey, especially if you're an owner. My horse is a retired racing thoroughbred and came dirt cheap because I wasn't going to turn him into glue, but it still costs $85 every six weeks or so to put a new set of shoes on him.
2. Unfavorable comparisons to Mitt Romney.
3. Have you ever tried sleeping with three broken ribs?
Other things I do:
1. Sailing -- because I'm apparently a 16th century transportation enthusiast
2. Cooking, which has been covered
3. Woodworking, also covered.
Then there's feed. Ever had a real big dog? Thought it ate a lot? You have no idea...
All your tack - saddle, rugs etc. etc.
Vets fees (oh yes, there will be vets fees)
They're about as expensive as owning and maintaining a(n unreliable) classic car. One per horse.
I'm not saying "dude go buy a horse right now" because I'm obviously not fucking retarded, I'm just saying if you want to try something new, you can usually find a stable that will set you up with lessons or a cheap lease because most of us are happy to defray our costs by opening up access to the hobby for anyone who wants to give it a try without a massive financial commitment.
It's not, strictly speaking, an interest but it is an excellent time filler and can get you out of your normal viewpoint.
This also happens to look pretty nice on resumes, and of course it's personally fulfilling too, doing stuff for people. Anyone that needs help will really appreciate you taking your time to do it, and it's often also a great way to meet good people!
Sorry.
Go to all those top-k movie lists and start watching them, then go read the reviews. You'll learn a lot about history, art, history of cinema, criticism, other cultures and languages---all while being entertained!
Best combo: teach yourself to cook a special meal and then have it while watching said films.