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Joy is a core worth at NPR, which is why we have now a devoted house to listen to all about your hobbies and passions. This 12 months we have heard tales from quitting your job to sail the Caribbean to the deeper which means behind meals running a blog and what Britney Spears taught us about resilience.
We requested you to share what they’re actually into and why it brings you pleasure. And almost 3,000 of you responded! You shared your passions, what brings you pleasure and fills up your spare time.
If you want a brand new interest, listed here are just a few concepts.
Reader submissions have been edited for readability and size.
Seeing nationwide parks
/ Melissa Frennea
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Melissa Frennea
Visiting National Parks turned my go-to escape because the pandemic continued. I’ve since been to a complete of 30 Parks, together with 4 internationally. I by no means thought I’d journey this a lot within the U.S., and I actually by no means considered going abroad to solo hike! National Parks are pure treasures that protect the best magnificence this world has to supply.
I’ve fallen in love with the purple rock expanses of Canyonlands, the towering giants of Saguaro, the unrivaled wilderness of Big Bend, and the almost indescribable great thing about the aurora over Denali. These street journeys have been a method to an finish throughout COVID, however unlocked a brand new ardour and impressed new hobbies.
— Melissa Frennea
Fencing
Fencing is a difficult sport. It may look straightforward — and truthfully, after I first joined, it was. In a few week I used to be in a position to beat each child within the newbie class. But it solely stayed straightforward for a short while. The troublesome factor about fencing is the psychological demand. I needed to study so many strikes, continually needed to preserve my posture in examine, to guess my opponent’s subsequent strikes, and correspond accordingly. What made the psychological and bodily exertion worse was, at one level, each person surrounding me whereas fencing appeared higher than me. They have been quick, their posture was good, they usually may do a number of issues without delay.
I used to be on the verge of quitting. I could not beat any child within the superior class, and I used to be too embarrassed to fence them. But sooner or later I made a decision to only watch them. I ought to have been contemplating how a lot they really practiced. The college students weren’t born professional fencers — they put in effort day-after-day. They by no means slacked off. I noticed that the one solution to overcome a problem is to have the mindset to take action. Now it has been two years since I joined fencing. Every day, I strive. I observe to the perfect of my skills. I used to be in a position to fence and defeat my first superior opponent, and I used to be invited to the superior class.
Fencing has taught me that challenges can seem anyplace, and you may’t simply quit. The solely solution to attain your objective is to face it. Don’t stop as a result of you’ll be able to’t do it; strive more durable and overcome it. Thanks to fencing, I’ve realized that I’m the one person who can management my life.
— Misheel Tamir
Recycling silk neckties
/ Lynne Palmer
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Lynne Palmer
When I moved to Asheville, N.C., I joined a gaggle of principally retired girls who like to stitch and quilt as a interest. I’ve all the time been a recycler and started scouring thrift retailers to gather discarded males’s neckties. I believed it will be enjoyable to repurpose the silk into distinctive objects. Well, I’m hooked! I began modestly and discovered the best way to deconstruct the necktie and make a small light-weight shoulder bag to hold some money and your cellphone to tackle walks. Each purse made may be very distinctive, as a result of each necktie is exclusive. After this discovery, it was apparent that many different issues could be produced from these beautiful recycled neckties. This interest unleashed my inside creativity, and lots of various kinds of objects have been made!
It may be very particular as a result of the discarded ties are discovering a brand new life. Someone gave them away however now the silk is just not going to the landfill — it is utilized in making one thing very stunning and practical. Most of my objects that I’ve made have been given to others. It brings happiness to get a enjoyable, vivid, and practical reward!
— Lynne Palmer
Cat’lympics
Cameron Spencer / Getty Images
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Getty Images
My spouse and I created this sport referred to as the Cat’lympics. We inform background tales to the historical past of the video games wherein every athlete (one in all our three cats) will likely be competing. Typically these video games are very a lot oriented within the pursuits of cats: how lengthy a cat can lay on one blanket for a whole day; how creative every cat shows themselves as they leap after a string, making a choreographed dance; camouflaging; and the way properly every athlete can chase a ball.
We often give you foolish names for these occasions. My favourite half is every story of the athlete and the way they got here to be an Olympian, and in addition the tales as to why the Olympics are taking place in a selected place — one way or the other politics and faith are often concerned, which makes this even sillier. Once all of that is in place, the athletes compete and carry out.
This faucets into your creativity and a place in your coronary heart and soul that used to exist once you have been a toddler that does not get tapped into typically sufficient. Storytelling can also be an necessary talent that I really feel is slowly fading, and this creates an area for individuals to observe that. Plus the entire household is concerned, even the pets! Sometimes the Cat’lympics can final for days — particularly the blanket-laying occasion.
— Rosanne Navas
Making pirate hats
/ Courtesy of Tamsen Valoir
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Courtesy of Tamsen Valoir
When we have been locked up initially of COVID, remoted with an excessive amount of time on our arms, I had an inordinate quantity of stress. For some motive, I discovered the Hundred Hat Project as a solution to cope. I ordered 100 low-cost hats, turned them into pirate hats and gave them away to kids at Make A Wish and different native organizations. I appreciated it a lot I saved going, and now have an web retailer and make hats each week.
It’s not in regards to the money. I’ve an actual job, plus I nonetheless give away sufficient hats to eat up any income, however I really feel like everybody wants a pirate hat and it is my mission to outfit everybody I do know with a tricorne. Now I’ve pirate events twice a 12 months so all my associates have an opportunity to put on theirs. I am unable to probably outfit everybody in a hat, however have written a bit of booklet so extra individuals can be part of me in making hats.
— Tamsen Valoir
Small science tasks
I was knowledgeable experimental physicist. But when life circumstances pressured me to place most of my time into different quick wants, I had to surrender my full-time occupation in a analysis laboratory. But I’ve seen small science tasks in my on a regular basis life, in all places I look.
For instance, sooner or later whereas I used to be searching the window of an airplane, I noticed that the groovy eroded mountains of California seemed just like the fractals I had examine in a math e-book. I puzzled if I may clarify the patterns I photographed within the mountains utilizing among the rules within the e-book. This mission is pretty superior and any individual else has already executed this (artificial photos of mountains have been generated by computer systems for at the very least 40 years), but it surely’s nonetheless a enjoyable train to see how far I may get with it.
I now have a listing of over 30 of those small science tasks and I’m beginning to write them up right into a e-book, which I hope will likely be academic and entertaining for another person. This interest of mine retains me recent in utilizing my favourite abilities, and hopefully sharing them with others.
— Ken Ricci
Pickleball
/ Courtesy of Debbie Tuggle
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Courtesy of Debbie Tuggle
At the ripe old age of 62, I discovered the primary sport of my life. Now I’m absolutely addicted. My father didn’t enable us to play sports activities once we have been young; we have been to strictly deal with finding out and exercising our mind, not our physique. When my husband and I visited associates that had simply purchased a home in a retirement improvement in Arizona, we noticed the sport for the primary time and have become very intrigued. When we returned to Kentucky, we began researching whether or not there have been pickleball courts close to us. There have been! We have been taking part in actively ever since. I hope I can proceed with the game for years to return.
It is just not solely enjoyable competitors, however it is vitally social. It actually saved us throughout COVID that first 12 months! We performed exterior 4-5 days every week, all 12 months lengthy, even shoveling snow just a few occasions to clear courts. We have made many new associates by means of pickleball and cherish these new relationships.
It’s nice enjoyable! It’s fabulous train. And, it is emotionally uplifting. I’ve introduced many individuals into the sport and nobody but has regretted it.
— Debbie Tuggle
Watercolor and embroidery
I acquired into watercolor portray in February of 2020 after seeing individuals on Instagram portray. I painted two jellyfish they usually turned out very well. I used to be shocked. When the lockdown began nearly a month later, it was an ideal pandemic interest. About two years later, TikTookay began pushing embroidery movies my means and I had among the provides at home already. I began with embroidering flowers onto the aspect of a pair of footwear that turned out actually cute. Both abilities have been principally realized by watching Instagram Reels and TikToks. I’ve even mixed them by portray on cloth, then embroidering over it!
You by no means know what hidden expertise you’ll have. Plus, creativity is so useful when the remainder of the day feels overwhelming as a result of it’s a must to quiet your thoughts to deal with the duty at hand.
— Amy Tift
American Girl dolls
/ Jessica Schultz
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Jessica Schultz
I acquired my first American Girl doll catalogue after I was 4 years old, earlier than I knew the best way to learn. I used to be entranced by the thrilling scenes made by the dolls, the historical past and storylines of the characters, and naturally, the attractive and real looking equipment and outfits. I learn all of their books by means of my college’s library, and at last was gifted my first doll for Christmas in 2005. My dad is an avid yard sale attendee, and he rapidly began selecting up American Girl doll heaps and groupings from native gross sales, serving to me develop my assortment (particularly throughout the recession, and for the reason that dolls new are so costly).
I all the time discovered the historic books to be informative, attention-grabbing, and relatable. It confirmed that it doesn’t matter what period you have been in, women all confronted the identical struggles and trials and overcame them.
When I went to school, I began speaking to my associates about my American Girl doll assortment. It’s turn out to be an awesome bonding expertise for us to speak about our childhoods, examine our collections, and reminisce over objects we cherished. Some associates have even helped contribute to my assortment!
I believe many individuals these days are considering therapeutic their inside youngster, and one of many methods individuals do that’s by selecting up their childhood toys once more and rediscovering play. Reading the books as an grownup can educate you a large number about historical past and friendship, particularly the nonfiction sections. You’re by no means too old to take pleasure in one thing that is particular to you!
— Jessica Schultz
Making and internet hosting trivia video games
I’ve been making trivia video games — it isn’t simply trivia, however trivia merged with a board sport or social sport. I’ve made greater than 60 video games now, and they’re all totally different. I’ve all the time cherished trivia, factoids, esoteric, in addition to sport reveals, board video games, and Japaneses loss of life sport manga (which is only a collection of thoughts video games besides they’ve a deadly consequence).
However, the largest motivator is my common disappointment in bar trivia. Trivia may be very white, and as somebody who is just not white I wished questions that is extra related to a various viewers. I attempt to make my questions attention-grabbing and related to most individuals, not simply junk info.
It brings quite a lot of pleasure to my associates who take pleasure in my trivia video games. It brings individuals collectively like few different actions do, particularly given how remoted individuals can really feel these days it is an awesome exercise to get individuals collectively regularly. I actually have a web site for my video games now.
— MJ Wu
Woodworking and woodturning
/ Aaron Gesicki
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Aaron Gesicki
I turned considering woodworking in 1973 whereas I used to be employed as a course of engineer in Wisconsin. This required each day interactions with the toolmakers for foundry merchandise, and almost all of the tooling was fabricated from wooden in these days. My function was to tweak the tooling in addition to design the plumbing that was current. Any change required some woodworking, and I quickly realized all about desk saws, band saws, sanders, routers, shapers, lathes, and the myriad of hand instruments required by patternmakers.
Just a few years after this I acquired my first lathe — a present from a coworker. I’ve been a woodturner ever since.
Using a ubiquitous materials — that actually grows on timber — to make each pragmatic and creative objects that may merely be termed as only a piece of wooden appears to be a pure quest for me. It provides me a everlasting reward for the funding of my time and is my creative outlet in a world the place an excessive amount of time is spent disengaging. My objective is to get one in all my items into the Renwick Gallery.
— Aaron Gesicki
Israeli people dancing
I acquired into Israeli people dancing in 2019, shortly after my father died. I began as a result of I used to be searching for an exercise to distract myself from my grief in addition to a solution to fill the hours I used to spend visiting my dad.
I acquired hooked on the satisfaction of studying the choreography and performing it with others. Also, shifting to the music is a lot enjoyable that you just hardly notice you are exercising.
When the pandemic hit and enormous indoor dances have been canceled, a gaggle of six different girls and I began dancing at the very least weekly in a parking zone. We danced even in steamy sizzling climate, by means of a few thunderstorms, and with snowdrifts piled up round us. Dancing with these people was a lifesaver throughout the top of the pandemic when it was arduous to discover a solution to safely socialize.
The music may be very diverse, and the steps come from many traditions, together with ballroom type, Latin rhythms, and Arabic and African beats. And you get quite a lot of cardio train. Plus, it is a good way to satisfy new individuals.
— Sheryl Neckritz
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