Almost three years ago, society as a whole changed as people became isolated with one another. Lifestyles and interests changed as people began to find new things or hobbies to entertain themselves with. Being my seventh grade self, I was relaxed at home thinking that this quarantine wasn’t as bad as everyone thought since I had small amounts of homework and easy school work. However, the sudden transition from a careless online middle school student to an overwhelmed high school student gave me a reality check. I struggled to change my work ethic and started to focus on school so much I forgot what it was like to simply live. Although my freshman year started like this, I adapted to my environment with the help of finding things that brought me joy.

Before I knew it, I found myself putting my AirPods in and listening to music on a daily basis. I realized that music puts me in a good mood and helps me calm down in certain situations. As I started listening more and more, I discovered music genres I enjoy such as JPop, Kpop, RnB, and some others. When I have time, I enjoy randomly browsing different artists on Spotify to find new genres of music or artists to listen to (which allowed me to find most of the artists I primarily listen to now). In addition to listening to music, I love watching movies and TV shows with my family. Watching something as a way of spending time with someone is one of my favorites because although there isn’t much socializing, it’s the time spent together that becomes a memorable moment.

As I progressed in school, I noticed that eating delicious food was something that I needed weekly. Not only did I love eating in restaurants with family and friends, I also loved my mom’s home cooked food and sometimes even cooked myself. On a weekly basis, my cousins and I would invite each other to eat out and we found a variety of restaurants that we all enjoyed. Even if the food was expensive at times, the conversations we had and the tasty meals felt as if it threw all my stress and anxiety away. I was able to forget my worries and enjoy my life without thinking about school. As well as that, cooking allowed me to increase my skills and know what I could or couldn’t make. Despite the fact that I cooked some of the easiest meals known, it made me happy knowing that I was able to cook for myself and family. Relating to the topic of food, I often went to grocery stores with my mom. The environment of grocery stores always made me so happy for no specific reason. Like anyone else, I would constantly drift towards the snack aisle and find myself looking through all the snacks and buying chips.

As they’re mentioned throughout this entire blog, it is apparent that my friends and family play an important role in my life and are the true reason for my contentment. I am so entirely grateful for all of them and my relationship with them. Something as simple as being with a loved one makes me forget all my worries and turns me into someone that I can’t be without them by my side. Along with that, they’ve allowed me to learn more about myself and taught me how to “live a little”.

Overall, I believe that everyone can find satisfaction in their own lives by putting effort and time into what they desire. These things may be hobbies like sewing or playing an instrument, discovering new movies and music genres, or merely laying down on a comfortable bed and staring at the ceiling. Though it’s easier said than done, setting aside school or work and prioritizing yourself creates a much healthier and cheerful life. One may wonder, “How long is the search for joy?”. Well, there is no definite answer. As everyone progresses at different speeds, people may find their hobbies earlier than others. This leads to the question, “Is this worth the energy and time?”. I personally believe that exploring your interests is worth every single second as it is life changing and helps better oneself as a whole.

(Below I have attached a video that may include a future favorite hobby of yours!)