I’ve decided to make a 40 before 40 but also as a way to make this year go by faster. I’ve realized that a lot of us Type A folks don’t have hobbies. We spend a big chunk of our lives achieving the next best thing. In high school, we tried to get out 4.0+ grades, taking multiple AP classes, being the president of some extracurricular club, playing a varsity sport, all to be some well-rounded student for college.
After college, we get into graduate school, and for those of us who end up going to some form of healthcare, there is more training.
In any case, by the time I turned 31, I had just finished pharmacy school, had embarked on a fellowship and really only got my first big kid job in 2019. So even though at the ripe old age of 36, I’ve only been in the field for the last 5 years which is crazy to think because I already want out of corporate America.
This is all to say that I haven’t had a chance to do hobbies since college. But in this year of not working, being tied at home, not being able to see other people, I thought it would be a good time, rather it’s been a necessity, to fill my time with “productive” things to do.
So here we go in terms of stuff to do this year:
- Puzzles
- Learn Mandarin
- Sewing
- Knitting
- Embroidery
- Coloring
- Journaling
- Make a Website/Blog
- Reading
- Learn Canva
- Get Involved with Healthcare policy
The grander 40 before 40 list will come soon, but here’s what I’ve accomplished in the last few months!
Puzzles
Turns out puzzling when you can’t move well passes the time.
Sewing Projects
More Maple Projects
I built a feeding station for Maple. I learned to use two new tools, the Kreg jig and a Jigsaw. I’m not great the the jig saw and wasn’t able to cut a PERFECT circular hole for the bowls, but I’ll learn to use the router another day. Work in progress on this DIY tools stuff…
Some more house projects
Yard work: this one is more of a delegation rather than doing it myself since I can’t do yard work right now, but it’s nice being able to clean up the yard a bit and also maybe start planning for a vegetable garden! I’m not able to do yard work right now and for the foreseeable future because cutting trees and gardening releases a lot of spores into the air and that is a big no no when you are immune compromised. Fungal spore infections in the lungs are probably some of the hardest to get rid of so it’s in my best interest not to get one. Now I’ll just observe from afar and tell others what to do!
All in all, I can’t sit still. It’s driving my mom nuts, but this has been such a fun month of February exploring the creative side of me which I didn’t think existed. What I learned is that house projects are basically arts and crafts for adults and if boys can do it, so can I.