Today marks the halfway point of my seventh-month contract
here onboard the Veendam. I’ve certainly
enjoyed some great adventures so far, but I suppose what I’ve been experiencing
recently has been somewhat of a “midlife crisis”- midlife meaning midway
through the life of my contract. I’ve mostly settled into a routine- visiting
the same 6 New England cities every 7 days, performing 4 nights a week, safety
drills twice a week, teaching line dance classes, scoping out the awesome
dessert selection after dinner. But
outside of this rhythm, life onboard has me… well, bored. Through many a humbling conversation,
sponsored by terrible Wi-Fi and the amazing man who has to put up with all my
crazy antics (Dankie, JJ <3), I now acknowledge I have a LOT of free time. (Good practice for retirement?)
However, I thought I was doing a good job to fill this
time. I explore new coffee shops in
nearly every port. I’ve taken up running
in port to feel the wind in my hair and the money I’m not spending still in my
pocket. I’ve been flying through the
many dramatic seasons of Game of Thrones.
And I’ve even inadvertently become the leader of the Crew Recreational
Committee, planning crew parties, crew talent shows and teaching English
classes for crew. I do crossword
puzzles, I study Afrikaans, I maintain a monthly budget, I read in a
long-distance book club with my NYC friends, I have this blog I (rarely) write
in… I have soooo many hobbies- clearly!
What more could I possibly do??
And then the words of a loving friend, Yasa, sweetly reminded me that a
hobby is something you feel no obligation to do, but simply do it for
enjoyment. Not to please anyone else or
meet any deadlines. And humbled again, I
struggled to name one thing that I don’t have an ounce of dread at the thought
of doing, but do simply for FUN.
It’s safe to say life hit a new low when I found myself
sitting at the Glitter Bean Café in Halifax, Nova Scotia sipping on a Glitter
Latte and reading a Buzzfeed article entitled, “29 Hobbies For People WhoReally Want A Hobby But Have No Idea Where To Start.” (I’m not kidding! Click on the link to see for yourself.) I even took about 4 different quizzes to help
me find new hobbies that’d be a good fit for my personality. My favorite result? “Growing Carnivorous Plants.” (Still not kidding!) The description stated,
“Sometimes dealing with people
exhaust you, but that’s only because you have such a tender soul that you have
to protect it carefully. Send a message
that your nurturing nature has a toothy edge by growing carnivorous
plants. As you gently stroke and feed
your baby Venus Fly Traps, others will finally understand that you’re a warm
and helpful person, but your boundaries are sharp and clear.”
A toothy edge?!
Seriously?! It wasn’t exactly the
guidance I was looking for. So here I
am, returning to this blog I started to chronicle the best and worst parts
of all 216 days onboard… no wonder I’ve gotten behind schedule! That’s a lot of days for me to write about,
not to mention for you to read about! And I regret to confess blogging has lost its
excitement for me, no longer something I look forward to but feel burdened to
keep up with. But why? Why do I need to put these parameters on
writing if it’s meant to be for fun? (If
only turning fun into a chore was considered a hobby…) The truth is “it’s my blog, and I can write
what I want to.” So today I am letting
go of the expectations I’ve put on myself with this blog and am writing with
freedom! I am re-learning how to relax
and how to ENJOY!
Upon further reflection I think watching the Green Bay
Packers play and taking bubble baths (not necessarily simultaneously) could
each be considered my hobbies, but the fact remains that I live on a SHIP. And because I neither have control over the
television network nor a bathtub, both of these things are nearly impossible
right now. So I open the floor to all of
you! Comment below with your favorite
hobbies and why you like them! If you
like to read, send some book recommendations my way!
As always, thanks for reading. And especially this week, thanks for making
life more FUN!
