Finding Quarantine Hobbies

Over the past year, people have picked up many different hobbies. Seeing others’ success in sewing, music, writing, and painting made me want to try these pastimes. But each thing I tried never worked, and I would get frustrated when I was not an automatic expert.

Ultimately, reading became my favorite thing to do because of the comfort it brings—certainly needed during quarantine. It was something steady I could lean on after being thrown into such an unusual year. I researched many books and realized that I wanted to start with the classics—the “blueprints” of literature. Anyone looking to read something new—or in this case, old—can find some gems from the past. I recommend Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None for mystery, and most F. Scott Fitzgerald novels are the perfect inside view into 1920s America. Two of my favorite books at the moment are Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Homer’s The Odyssey. Alcott gives the reader a chance to step into the 19th century and experience the life of women at that time, while Homer demonstrates the vengeance of an old hero from Greek Mythology.

When I’m not trying to catch up on reading, I play the life-simulator game Animal Crossing. I believe that a good hobby is one that does not feel mandatory or like extra homework, so I pick up my Nintendo and play this video game whenever stress creeps in and I want to calm down. It can be time consuming, but I like how it lets me tap into my creativity through making my own island. Whether it be picking the name and flag, decorating, or placing houses, I get to do it all. 

Books and Animal Crossing have become my escape from the world. They brought me back to a time when there was no pandemic, and everything was “normal.” Animal Crossing is something I can control and make my own since I can’t do that with anything else. Hobbies are a very important outlet, and I am happy to have found mine.