hobbies

By Jane McGlinchey

I love busyness, I love leaving the house at 8:45 AM and not crashing back home until 10 at night, a bag full of wet swim gear and half-eaten granola bars. I love doing my groceries at 3 PM on a Monday instead of going to my health psychology class cause I have an art class later and I wanna swim in the sea before the sun sets, so I have to secure the shopping bag now. I spent the hottest days of summer sitting in my back garden under quarantine cause of three separate close contacts in one week, but it was okay because I crocheted a sweater vest for one of my best friends and I felt so productive. Bikini on, Charlie XCX playing on the speaker beside my tapestry as a makeshift picnic blanket. 

I love the social aspect of my hobbies. I love big friend groups, the chat, the parties and the bustle of loud love. I love having friends in lots of hidden corners, bonding with people I may otherwise never speak to because they aren’t on the same course as me or they move in different social groups. I feel special that I get to share space with so many people, be witness to that enigmatic thing that defines a person. Seeing things through different eyes.

Being open to fun new experiences through taking a chance on someone I’ve just met. Partying on a Thursday night when I should be running anovas on SPSS. So yeah, that’s why I love hobbies, all that extra stuff on the side that makes your college experience feel real and full and artistic and grounded.