So you moved out & you need a new hobby
When I first graduated from school, I felt like there was no time after work for a hobby. I still lived at home in NJ and would joke I lived on the train. The extra two hours it takes to commute isn’t even the worst part. The commute takes a lot out of you, mentally. If you’ve ever encountered NJ transit, you know what I mean.
I moved out of my parent’s house in May 2019 and had the most glorious revelation, that there is, in fact, a lot of time after work. Now that I have the time and energy, I don’t have the money to go on adventures like I’d want to… it’s called NYC rent. I end up coming home, eating dinner, and then staring blankly ahead… what do I do now?! There is no homework, the apartment is so small it’s always decently clean, and I don’t have a child to tend to. I find myself in a rut of always watching TV which seems like a waste of time.
I started asking my friends and it turns out this is an issue they are having, too! On a night you don’t go out to dinner, what are you doing? I decided I wanted to perfect my cooking skills. I love to eat and have very high standards for my food. I should also mention that I grocery shop daily. This is an ideal that I adopted from my days studying abroad in Spain. By adopting this practice, you have fresher food and you waste less since you buy what you need for the day. As a young person paying a significant portion of my salary to rent, it is also extremely cost-efficient.
After grocery shopping, coming home, cooking up a big meal, eating, and washing the dishes, I am disappointed to report I am usually done by 8:30 PM. The question remains, now what? I am certain that my friends and I are not the only ones having this conundrum. I’d love to hear any input on what I could be learning to do.
When I first wrote this blog post, the word “coronavirus” had never been heard before. To adopt this post to make it relevant to today’s society, I’ll add… what are you doing to keep from going insane in your home? How are you handling WFH with your relatives? Could you offer any advice to other millennials who may be having a tough time? I feel an ebb and flow in my house and will be sharing my advice in this post.