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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created by The Broke, and the Bookish and is now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Join us every Tuesday to see MBJ’s Top Ten Listicles!

Hello! This week we’re going to be talking about hobbies outside of books! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt allows us to tell you, readers, a little bit more about us!

Carmen

Once upon a time, I was a collector of hobbies. I used to change hobbies with startling frequency, only to later return to what I had abandoned. I wish I could say that I grew out of such practices, but unfortunately I simply ran out of money and space.

Plus with school, I just don’t have the time to devote to all of my hobbies. So, this list is made up of the hobbies I don’t do as much as the ones I’m still actively doing.

Scrapbooking

I started this hobby in my preteens. I honestly wish I could keep up, but the sheer amount of money and stuff you need to maintain this hobby is insane.

I love playing with paper, and I love arranging all my memories into a book. This hobby is actually very bookish when I think about it, damn it.

Photography

Photography is partly bookish, or right now it is. I love to take pictures, especially when I’m travelling. Mostly, I get lucky with good shots.

I have developed no skills or understanding of techniques, though, I’m sure with the blog that will change in time.

Jewelry Making

Wow! I have expensive hobbies. I was really into making beaded jewelry for a long time, so much so I thought I would start a business. That idea was quickly put to bed. I really enjoyed the creative and tactile aspects of this activity. Even though I don’t consider myself an artist, this allowed me to create something.

Cooking & Baking

My love of cooking and baking is something that I still indulge; a girl’s got to eat. Baking is something I have long loved to do; I’ve been baking since I was a toddler.

For me, this hobby is not just something that I do to feed myself and my friends and family it is a connection to my grandmother. She wasn’t much of a cook but I have fond memories of her teaching me how to bake.

Horseback Riding

I, like most pre-teen adolescents, had an unhealthy obsession partly fostered by books with horses. I was lucky enough to convince my parents to let me take lessons, my love only grew. I took lessons and even entered competitions from age 7 to 17.

But then my last year of high school happened and I couldn’t devote the time required. It is something that I truly regret. It’s been ten years but I still want to get back into this hobby as I miss it deeply.

Yoga

Yoga is a practice that I got into in my first attempt at university as a way to exercise and manage my anxiety. It’s something I still enjoy doing even if I don’t practice as much as I want or should.

I personally love restorative flows, as I find them a great way to relax. My favourite Youtube Channel is Yoga With Adrienne. You can see one of her videos linked below:

Sash

Compared to Carmen’s hobbies mine are relatively tame, and according to Carmen: “old lady hobbies.” I’m okay with that, though. Hobbies are a reflection of the person. I find that to be true as I am a self-professed homebody. As a result, a majority of my hobbies are things that can be done at home, while others are designed to get me out of the house.

Binge-Watching TV

I do not like tuning in weekly to watch shows. I like to wait until a show is complete, and then I binge. In the past few years, I have been watching a lot of K-dramas and Thai BL (boys love) dramas, with some western shows thrown in as well.

Here are some recommendations if you’re interested!

Hannah Gadsby: Nanette, a must-watch comedy special. I cannot stress enough how great it is!

Hannah Gadsby is raw and vulnerable in this special. It’s not your average comedy special so make sure you are ready to not only laugh but look back and realize you shouldn’t have laughed, and then you will cry. After you cry, you will sit with the weight and magnificence of what you just watched. Then, you’ll go on to find her other special, Douglas and become a Hannah Gadsby fan.

Also, check out Please Like Me. Hannah is in this show as herself and is credited with contributing to the episodes’ writing.

As for Korean Dramas (K-dramas), Melo Is My Nature (멜로가 체질) and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God also known as 도깨비 or Goblin.

Melo is my Nature is a drama that highlights friendships during times of grief. The humour is pretty dark, but it tackles some hard-life situations with grace.

Goblin is popular among Koreans and Westerners alike, so I guarantee you will enjoy it. A few scenes are shot in Montreal, so that’s cool!

Listening to Music

I assumed that everyone has the same love and appreciation of music that I do, but as it turns out, that is not the case. For example, music does not impact or interest Carmen in the way it does me. That was a shocking revelation.

I can’t make music but I have a deep respect and admiration for those that do. For me, music plays a very important role in my life. Music got me through high school, Paramore. It has played a major role in the decisions I have made later on in life, especially in the past three years, BTS (방탄소넨단), OT7.

The song got me hooked. If you’re an ARMY, tell me the song that got you hooked on BTS.

Fun fact: Love Yourself tour 2018 was the first concert I’ve ever been to in my life. No musician(s) have made me want to spend such exorbitant amounts of money on concert tickets. Now, I find myself buying tickets for all the days and even soundcheck.

Brunch

After being separated for a few years due to school and life in general, my friend and I were finally living in the same city. Since I worked a 9-5, meeting up during the week was out of the question. Thankfully there are designated brunch days.

Every Saturday, we would look for new restaurants in the area and have brunch and catch each other up on our daily lives. I get to try some interesting brunch dishes, get out of the house for a few hours and interact with humans outside of work. It’s a hobby that I sorely miss.

Knitting & Crocheting

Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City series opened my eyes to a world of knitting and crocheting. Check out my 2017 TTT —Top 5 Authors I’ve Read the Most Books From.

As much as I love the idea of a book club, I also love the idea of a knitting group. I actually hosted one a few years ago, complete with homemade gooey brownies. It was a hit!

Knitting for me is a relaxing and busy activity that I don’t have to put much thought into. It’s something I can do while watching tv, because unless I am reading—sometimes not even then, I cannot sit still.

I learned the European style of knitting from a senior coworker. I am just so in love with the fluidity of the needles when it comes to European-style knitting. Have I made anything? No. But I don’t knit to make something per se, I knit to keep my hands busy.

Dancing

I’ve always loved dancing and wished that I could take formal lessons. I was leaning toward ballet at first but then I found BTS and switched to hip-hop. I learned the choreography to Blood, Sweat and Tears first, Go-Go, Hobi’s rap part in Save Me, and others.

After that, I decided to bite the bullet and enrol in classes near my house. It was a great exercise, I met people of various ages and performed Kesha’s Praying in the summer showcase.

Working out

I have a love-hate relationship with the gym. As far as hobbies go, I love the way it makes me feel but hate the “going to the gym” part, but I have realized that I am not an at-home workout person.

I enjoy weight training but detest cardio and most workout classes. I like watching my body change and get stronger, but to keep the momentum going, I have to go to the gym daily. I was doing so well until COVID T_T.

What are your non-bookish hobbies? Do we have any common? Share in the comments below!