Your hobbies aside from tech stuff?

At 32 years of age I am realizing that I have spent my entire adult life sitting behind a keyboard. Eight hours a day at work staring at a monitor and then come home and stare at a monitor. Sleep, wake up and repeat. Although I love computing I feel that I have missed out on a lot of what life has to offer.

So now I am looking to change things. I need to find some hobbies that will get me out of the house and help me take the first steps in actually creating a real life for myself outside of computing.

So I ask here; what are your non-tech related hobbies? What do you do for fun that doesn't involve a computer?

I'm going to make the assumption that drinking wouldn't count as a hobby. Music was my former profession, but I don't do that anymore so that wouldn't count either. I liked to play tennis in my youth, and that's good for getting out of the house. boating is also fun, biking, photography, all these are things I enjoy. Where golf is concerned, which a lot of techies seem to do, I agree with Mark Twain "golf is a good walk, spoiled".

Oh, and welcome to the forum:D

Hmmm,

Perhaps one way of approaching this is to ask yourself what sort of things you like watching on TV? It may give an idea of your basic interests?

You might like to consider:

Nature/Wildlife/Birdwatching
Cycling/hiking
Photography
Fishing
Archery
Shooting

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Originally Posted by JPnyc

Oh, and welcome to the forum:D

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Thanks, I used to come here years and years ago. I think it was quite different back then. For one thing I remember a wallpaper section, I don't know why I remember that though :confused:

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Originally Posted by nihil

Perhaps one way of approaching this is to ask yourself what sort of things you like watching on TV? It may give an idea of your basic interests?

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Well, I don't own a TV set anymore but when I did the only thing that I really watched were these Mexican soap operas that came on the Spanish channel at like 9:00 at night. These soap operas had the hottest chicks in them, they were amazing. I could never understand what they were saying but they were very attractive and wore very tight revealing clothing.

I don't know what that says about me or what my interests are. I guess that it might mean that I need to take up learning Spanish as a hobby and then take a trip down to Mexico and find me a hot senorita'?

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Originally Posted by PHX602

I guess that it might mean that I need to take up learning Spanish as a hobby and then take a trip down to Mexico and find me a hot senorita'?

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New York, California, Florida or Texas would do just as well.:D

This all depends on where you are from. I am from Pennsylvaina, so I can easily go hunting, fishing; i recently got into white water kayaking, which is insanely awesome; sailing, waterskiing, snowskiing or boarding, and rock climbing in the summer.

Kayaking doesn't really require you to be extremely fit, but its hard to do if you're overweight. It does build muscles fast, so it continually becomes easier to do, and you get more fit at the same time. I absolutely love it, and almost everyone that ive met that kayaks is very nice on the river, because you have to be, or else someone will get hurt, so its like everyone watches everyone elses back, which encourages me to get even more into the sport.

[edit] and believe it or not, you're never too old to kayak; ive seen people on the river that are in their 70s.

When I'm not working or sitting at home on the computer (which isn't often; generally only on the weekends) I love to cook.

Try http://www.visualrecipes.com .

I just made the chili that's on the front page today. Good stuff.

O

I just realized that involves a computer, checking websites and such. Oh well. But hey, a walk to the grocery store to get your ingredients and the actual counter work to get your dishes created doesn't.

Its boating for me (if the seas are nice), other than that I play league sports, go downtown and party, and bike to the beach. Lots to do here.

Sailing, especially. Power boating I can do without. Too noisy

you could take your laptop with you
wireless is EVERYWHERE now :p :eek: :D

I could suggest 'surfing' :p

There are some mountains with awesome hiking trails about 45 minutes from me, as soon as it cools off in the next few months I'll probably go out and start hiking on the weekends. But it is too hot for that right now, it was 104 °F today and that felt cool compared to how hot it usually is.

Cooking seems like a great hobby also. I mean I have to eat regardless, so I might as well get good at it and cook something tasty cheap and healthy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JPnyc

New York, California, Florida or Texas would do just as well.:D

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Actually I live in Arizona so plenty of Mexicans here and real Mexico is only 3 hours away. :drink:

I actually think that I will look into learning at least the very basics of spoken Spanish, at least just enough to get by. It would be awesome to be able to take vacations on the beach in Mexico, it is so close and so inexpensive but not speaking Spanish always holds me back.

Clubbing, Partying, Running, Kickboxing, Surfing, Snowboarding, Jiu-Jitsu and getting drunk sometimes.

Clubbing what?

We're hard-core mountain bikers... I'd give anything to be able to ride in Arizona (it might be a little bit warmer than it is here - in Dallas - but it's not nearly as humid; I don't care about the temperature anymore, it's the humidity I don't like). We hit the trails in 100+ weather for hours in a row all the time; with the proper gear (and a Camelback!), you'll be fine :D

That, and R/C cars...

You mean that there is life outside of computers?!

I like doing a lot of outdoor activities. One of our favorite things to do outdoors lately is hiking. There's nothing like strapping on your day pack and heading onto trails at sunrise. We go for as little as 2 miles all the way through 18 miles so far. It just depends on how we feel and the conditions.

Other than that, life trails, mountain biking, roller blading, fishing, camping, canoeing, ocean kayaking, hanging out at the pool, hanging out on the beach, jet skiing etc. We just started rock climbing... but I have a lot of upper body strength work to do before I can do that more frequently.

During the winter I don't do as much... but I do try to go skiing at least a half dozen times a winter. It was harder in the past because we didn't have all of our own gear. Now we finally do. Since I can't get outdoors, I'll hit the gym 3-5 days a week. During the warm seasons, the outdoors is my gym.

Otherwise, we don't have a lot of hobbies inside. We tend to get lazy inside and sit on the computers, watch tv/movies, and normal chores. I've become more and more interested in cooking and I love cooking on my weber q 300. Since I'm in an apartment, I had to go small/portable... but it cooks just was well! :)

I'm a husband and dad so when I have personal free time (I don't begrudge the time I spend with family) I teach, hunt, fish, camp, and hike.

Luckily some of these passions are shared by family members so I can maintain them and family ties as well.

Parenting branched me into another hobby as well. Youth mentorship. While participating in the sports, scouts etc etc with my kids, I've met legions of kids whose parents are too busy, not educated or just ill equipped when it comes to raising kids.

It would be easy to turn my back on these kids, they're not my kids, but 20 years from now I'd be pissing and moaning that society is getting worse.

One of my non family kids upon making Eagle Scout honored me at his ceremony saying I was his mentor and he wouldn't have been there if it weren't for me. I was in tears. I couldn't imagine a more rewarding "hobby"

My kids, swimming, MMA, drums, guns, drawing---in that order.

Tim

I'll do anything. I read a fair bit, enjoy cooking every now and again. I play piano occasionally, used to play guitar. I'd do more interesting things but what with working on buying a house I'm broke :P

Camping, cooking, gardening, reading historical fiction, crosswords
Playing guitar\singing\jamming...

drinking :biggrin:

MLF

I love videogames. Some may argue that's not a hobby, but I disagree. Try playing 40+ hours on an RPG and say you haven't accomplished anything :D

Besides that, however...

I love to cook. I have several cookbooks that I try different recipes from, as well as my own concoctions.
I go to the gym every second day (mostly) and I love to play Hockey and Golf.
I have an aquarium and love to learn about aquatics (?) (not the word for it, is it)
I also have a telescope that I do some star gazing from time to time (check out Starry Night Backyard, wicked software for it)

Besides that, I'm a big Movie buff, as well as a TV geek. I have a huge collection of TV series on DVD. We last bought Bones and How I met your mother on DVD (both season 1)

My info :)

Hmm...I'm kind of an odd guy, so I doubt anyone shares any of my hobbies.

But they are: music, physics, math, women, cooking, art, books, writing, thinking, (heterodox) economics, beer, file systems and operating systems :), history, sociology, and generally reading everything I can get my hands on.

As with many others I am a husband and father. When I do get a little free time I love to ride my motorcycle (Honda VTX1800).

I would never get married yea right I want to be HAPPY thats why I will never get married also, whats up with all the hiking that one dude posted he likes to hike next thing you know you got 5 with the same reply. I live in the *dirty south* aint no mountains round here boy ;) a lot of swamps thoughs btw, I like to go deep sea fishing in the atlanic and the gulf of mexico you can catch some nasty sh*t out in those waters aLSO, FLorida has easy women for the single guys or guys with girlfriends cheers homeboy.

you cant be a NERD your whole life behind a PC. People need to get out and learn some hobbies or my personal favorite LEARN MMA I do it and I love it. BTW, theirs a royce gracie school in miamii for anyone close to my area BTW night life is the shizzzznitt YBOR CITY, SOUTH BEACH,DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS, 5TH AVE NAPLES, boardwalk in ORLANDO etc/.//.. ;)

Some of my favorites are:

Running - really helps to relieve the stress of wanting to reach across my desk and choke the crap out of whoever is sitting there asking me to unlock their account because they put their password in wrong 3 times for like the 100 millionth time.

Camping - because sometimes it's nice to imagine how much simpler life would be without a computer and telephone. Unfortunately, right about the time I finally get a feeling of contentment while pondering this, my Blackberry will go nutso saying that the network is down...lol

Astronomy - lots of stuff to look at there, and it seems that I find something new about a familiar object everytime I look through the eyepiece.

Shooting - Guns, things that make really loud noises...need I say more.

Paintball - Nothing like going in the woods and unloading 100 paintballs at 300 feet per second on your boss!

Reading - I enjoy this alot, and it's one of those things you can do virtually anywhere at anytime.

Volunteer Work - Yes, this can be a hobby. Not only does it give you something to do with your free time, but it can also be very enriching and rewarding. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, shelter, school, hospital, or church. You'd be amazed at how a little of your time can make such a huge difference to someone else.

I used to run and skateboard about two years ago, when I was 16, but I've fallen out of those activities. I just recently picked up martial arts (specifically Wing Chun), though, and I love it.

[edit]
And I just realized I only have one post. I've been coming here for 5-odd years, though (recently just to lurk). I just forgot my old username and the email address I used with it.

When ever i get a spare minute or hour i usually head down to the local basketball courts and shoot some hoops.

I've always had been curious about archary for the last few years, and i finally went out and learnt how to shoot an arrow the other day. It takes some patience but it's defiantly worth a try at least once..

t34b4g5

What are using for archery? I shoot compound bows when I hunt and the difference between a compound and a recurve is amazing. Don't get me started about the compound crossbow I have!!!

I have a lot of hobbies but the only two that I have time for on a regular basis are reading and disc golf http://www.pdga.com/ for 10 bucks I can get a six pack and play 18 holes after work.