FUN, FUN FUN (FUN FUN)

Although I’d love to get my dad’s car (a Buick, not a T-Bird) and cruise to the hamburger stand now, there are a number of alternative things I enjoy these days to have (in the words of the Beach Boys) “fun, fun, fun”.

Although you may be surprised that I don’t include some exotically fun activities, I tend to be a content person for the most part, and don’t need a lot of flash or madness (maybe a little now and then) to entertain myself. With those thoughts, here are five fun activities I appreciate in my spare time.

TRAVELING

Although both preparing and returning from vacation can be taxing on a person in the short run, the opportunity to fully disconnect and simply have fun together makes the trip worth the work. I’ve noted where I’ve been and where I’d love to go, and I hope to mark off a few of those destinations on the latter list in the next decade or so!

READING

Since childhood, I’ve been an avid reader, relishing the ability to move from destination to destination and live vicariously through thrilling adventures – all within the pages of a novel. These days, I usually have a book in hand before bed (or an e-book via my phone or Kindle) to keep that child-at-heart feeling going into the next decade. What am I reading now?

WORKING OUT

They say pursuing fitness is a mood enhancer, that the endorphins pulse throughout your body, helping it to rebuild itself faster and more efficiently. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I do know it’s something that makes me feel happier inside, makes me feel stronger than the day before, and makes me feel as if I’ve accomplished something not everyone can. Oh yes, and it’s fun (most of the time).

LISTENING TO MUSIC

Music has a way of making anything in life just a bit better. If you’re having a bad day, music can lighten your mood. If you’re needing that extra jolt of power while pounding the pavement on a run, there’s a playlist for that. If you need to feel inspired and overcome with emotion, music’s got you covered there too.

Ever since winning a clock radio selling magazine subscriptions in junior high school, I’ve been a super fan of music, to the point where I consider Thursday night at 11 p.m. CT each week to be “Spotify Night”, with new music releases hitting the platform. Music is like medicine to me.

BINGE-WATCHING TV SERIES

Since working mostly from home since the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, I don’t get quite the same “water cooler” conversations and colleague recommendations that I did being in the office every day. Thankfully, with so many options available from so many streaming sources, there is no shortage of quality programs to watch from beginning to end. The biggest issue is finding something that appeals to both of us. She’s not so much into anything that can’t happen in real life (“Star Wars” for example), and I don’t like to have endless episodes of shows I’d see on the Hallmark Channel (“Gilmore Girls” for example). Somehow, we always seem to stumble onto the happy medium.

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NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

What are five things you do to have fun? Share them in our comments!