What do you enjoy?

[ahenobarbi]

I'm looking for interesting ways to spend my time. So I ask you, giants. What do you enjoy doing?

[2D8HP]

In no particular order here are some things I do for fun.

1) Riding a bicycle in quiet streets.

2) Listening to old songs.

3) Making funny faces at an infant and getting them to laugh.

4) Chocolate.

5) Stew.

6) A pint of Ale while reading an entertaining book
(The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman was a fun recent read).

7) Sitting under a tree while reading an entertaining book
(Prisoner of Zenda by Alexander Hope has been good so far).

8) Watching Rick Steve's Travels in Europe on Television.

9) Watching Rich Trethewey fix a plumbing problem on Ask This Old House
(watching someone else do the work is relaxing).

10) Watching cooking shows!

11) Planting Crimson Clover before the rains and watching it grow.


(I like flowers and round leaves more than lawn grass).

12) This Forum.

13) Getting and reading books.
(It's a rare month that I don't go to multiple bookstores and spend hundreds of dollars, buying books or games).

Once upon a time I was very into table top adventure (role-playing) games, punk rock, and motorcycling, but those days are gone.

[Ninja_Prawn]

4) Chocolate.

7) Sitting under a tree while reading an entertaining book.

Seconding these two!

Other things I like doing:

Shopping for gifts.
I like it because it's both rewarding (obviously) and challenging - you have to come up with something interesting, within a socially-acceptable price range, that the recipient will like and that says something about your relationship. And there's usually a deadline!

Playing video games.
There are all sorts of games, so there will be something to play, regardless of what mood you're in.

Crochet.
It's very relaxing and you can make all sorts of cool stuff!

Baking.
I have a dreadful sweet tooth, so I like baking cakes, biscuits, brownies and gingerbread. It's a nice way to spend a few hours on the weekend, because then you can take the products to work next week.

[Sajiri]

*I like drawing. Simple/funny/cute things are more relaxing and fun than more complicated things though.

*Ive taken a relatively recent liking to watching Lets Plays on youtube, more specifically watching scary games I wouldnt normally be able to bring myself to play on my own. Especially if I sit there with a hot chocolate under my blanket.

*Reading is always good. I prefer it to be an actual book though, staring at a screen of some kind is not enjoyable to me.

*I like playing with my pets. The bird is less playful than the two rats, but she's more attached to me (literally wont let me take two steps out of the room).

*Video games depending on my mood. Sometimes I just wanna do something relaxing like Stardew Valley or a handheld game. Others I want to get immersed in a big RPG.

*Sometimes I like coming up with easy little word or number games for the kids I work with. I dont really use them for anything, I just like painting them.

*Listening to music and just thinking. Either brainstorming for something, or just seeing what my imagination comes up with.

*Or, just listening to music and trying to nap.

*I have a bunch of models to paint that I always loved doing, need to get back into it.

*Taking a walk can be nice, well, it was until my street got torn up for construction

[Slipperychicken]

By far, the activity which fills my heart with the most joy and love is playing music. I play cello myself, though I sometimes wish I had picked a more portable instrument. No other endeavor even comes close to the passion I hold for music.

If you do try playing music, I suggest two things: get a private tutor who is motivated by their passion, and join a local ensemble, band, or other performing group.

[JeenLeen]

Not all of these are really hobbies the OP could pick up, besides reading and gaming, but here's my list.

Also, this was relaxing to contemplate and will likely make me take effort to make time for relaxing, fun things at home. So thank you for the reminder to include stress relief.
---
Programming a fun, non-tedious task. Figuring out the nuances to get the right result feels like what I imagine working magic would be like.

Reading a good book (though it's been a while I've found one I really liked.)

Playing a great game that immerses me in it (though, again, been a while, plus little time for such.)

Seeing my kids smiling and having a fun time.

Doing dishes. (I don't actually like it, but it's relaxing and the act of cleaning the house feels satisfying.)

Calm, quiet time at church. (Somewhat rare due to kids.)

[Honest Tiefling]

I'll double down on watching cooking shows. They make it so easy, it almost feels like I could do that...And then I try and oh well. But for a moment I feel like I can! Cooking is a good way to eat time, since you learn to make more delicious or nutritious food. Can also be way cheaper then getting pre-made food.

Also, I watch incredibly bad movies. I have a soft spot for cheap horror films.

If you want a more DnD centric answer, try poking around history articles. See if you can't learn a thing or two to integrate into a DnD setting.

[Knaight]

I really enjoy biking and hiking, and while there's a bit of money down for biking it's not that bad*. I enjoy cooking, particularly for other people, and while it's not really a hobby for me it easily can be for people. Then there's combat sports - I'll jump on just about any chance to hit someone with a spear if it's within my budget, and some of these options are pretty cheap.

*My bike was less than $400, it's my primary mode of transportation, and while I'm not riding 100 miles a week just for school currently I have before and a very comparable bike that I sadly had to recently replace was up for that. Plus, after two months of not having car insurance I'm pretty sure I came out ahead.

[90,000]

Making love

[Temotei]

I love taking my puppies on walks. Once when I get up in the afternoon, three times after that. I also enjoy simply lying down with my puppies, either petting them or just being next to them.

Puppies are the best, and these are my most enjoyable daily activities.

[2D8HP]

....Once when I get up in the afternoon...

*Yawn*

So tired. I got up at the crack o' noon.



More power to you!

[pendell]

Sailing. My local lake rents out Sunfish for $10/hour. You have to take a class, because sailboats are much more tricky than other watercraft, especially in strong wind, but it's a lot of fun and very good exercise.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Temotei]

*Yawn*

So tired. I got up at the crack o' noon.



More power to you!

Yeah, I stay up until around 0500 here on a regular basis, give or take an hour or two.

[2D8HP]

Yeah, I stay up until around 0500 here on a regular basis, give or take an hour or two.

I'm guessing that you have to for your work, but I prefer to believe that instead your "making the scene" and "living the life of Riley".

[Temotei]

I'm guessing that you have to for your work, but I prefer to believe that instead your "making the scene" and "living the life of Riley".

I just like staying up late because I get sick in the morning.

What's the life of Riley?

[2D8HP]

.....What's the life of Riley?

Old idiom for "the good life" (carefree).

See:

here

and

here

[AuthorGirl]

Let's see, now. (Take these with a grain of salt; I'm strange.)

Tabletop gaming, particularly the homebrew games done by my friends. I look forward to this constantly!

Magic: the Gathering. I'm not as obsessive about it as some, but the deckbuilding is great.

Writing books.

Writing poetry.

Handcrafts, mostly involving "subtypes of string." Crochet (of cute animals or small, comfortable items of warm clothing), preferably with medium yarn and a 4.5 mm hook. Fingerloop braiding, which is a medieval French technique for making purse strings, but the braids are useful for all kinds of decoration. Card weaving. Untangling and rolling up yarn (not kidding).

Reading webcomics.

Going on forums.

Walking randomly to nowhere in particular, feeling the air, enjoying the movement, noting interesting things . . . I can people-watch and stare at the sky for hours.

Not to be creepy, but . . . talking to little kids. They're fun people to be around.

Typing out song lyrics as I listen to them.

Making music! I won't even try to describe the feeling beyond this little summary: it's the purest joy I've ever felt.

And of course the perennial favourite, curling up with a good book.

[Jay R]

My biggest hobby is the SCA. It's the only place I've found that scratches my camping itch, my fencing itch, my theater itch, my poetry itch, my research itch, my Shakespeare itch, my long philosophical conversations itch, and my role-playing itch.

[LaserFace]

I'm kind of in the same boat, looking for things I might enjoy. Good hobbies seem hard to find; I play videogames on downtime, but I think more out of habit than actual pleasure.

When I think of what makes me most happy, it usually has to do with achieving some sort of goal. Doing well on an exam, or learning a new topic well-enough that I can actually explain it to others coherently, designing a cool dungeon for D&D, or even just running a faster mile.

But, maybe I need to hone in on a theme, here. Self-improvement? Winning the praise of friends? Being super sexy and earning the adoration of beautiful women? I dunno.

I guess I also just enjoy socializing. Especially drinking with friends. And drunken debates. And maybe drunken discussions about how to Get Rich Quick with some stupid, impractical invention idea.

Maybe I just enjoy drinking. And arguing. But mostly drinking.

[AMFV]

Crushing my enemies. Seeing them driven before me. Hearing the lamentations of their women.

[Jay R]

I sympathize, but I have trouble understanding it. I have always had the opposite problem.

How do I find time for my hobbies when fencing practice takes me away from D&D, which takes me away from reading science fiction, which takes me away from movies, which takes me away from fantasy novels, which takes me away from poetry, which takes me away from research, which takes me away from the internet, which takes me away from camping, which takes me away from comic books, which take me away from biking, which takes me away from ...

[Corsair14]

Lift Weights
Cut and polish rocks, opals and jade mostly
Silversmithing
Paint miniatures (40k and bolt action)
Grow and collect exotic fruit trees
Medieval armed and armored combat(SCA)
Brew mead and wine
Play computer games
Make RPG campaigns that I never get around to playing

[90,000]

Country music
A good book
Studying history
Exercising
Working on my novel

[AuthorGirl]

My biggest hobby is the SCA. It's the only place I've found that scratches my camping itch, my fencing itch, my theater itch, my poetry itch, my research itch, my Shakespeare itch, my long philosophical conversations itch, and my role-playing itch.

I also like the SCA but I find myself forgetting about it when there's not an event . . . what sort of stuff do you do when there's nothing going on?

[javurek]

walking through the lonely city in the dark with headphones and some good music
exercise
watch social movies
hang out with friends
draw
sing (I adore that)