Thursday, September 07, 2006

Time to Kill--What to Do?

Ok, so I don't have a lot of time to kill, but I'm looking for a hobby. Or an outlet. Or something interesting for me (read only for me, not for my family) to do. I'm transitioning. Don't know what the final destination is (or if there will be a final FINAL destination). But, right now, I'm not actively looking for work. I'm taking care of my kids full time and trying to finish getting settled into our house. There is of course always more that needs to be done. but, I want something that is just for me.

Right now, I read. I read a lot. I'm always in the middle of a book and a New Yorker. So, there's something that's my thing.

I went today to a institute class that's just started up. I used a precious day of kid trading to try it out. I felt antsy the whole time I was there, mostly because it was a big group of women that I didn't know very well and that makes me nervous. Introvert, all the way. If I can get past that, which I'm sure I can given some time, I'm not sure how I'll like it. It's a pretty big group, and I wonder what kind of individual interaction (my preferred way of getting to know people) I'll have. The women in the group all seem to be at a more advanced stage in life, with older kids, and some are grandmothers. I'm not sure what the discussion will be like and how open I will feel to discuss. I'm sure it would be good for me to study the scriptures with a goal in hand and have a weekly forum to feel responsible for some coherent thought. I'm just not sure, though.

I have looked into taking some classes at a community college or other local institution. I haven't found the perfect fit for time and class though. I'm still holding onto this option as a good possibility, with high desirability. I am thinking perhaps an art history class, Italian history would be cool, maybe Italian language.

There's also my Italian family research. I'll continue that no matter what. The downside to focusing most of my free time on this is that there is little/no social interaction, and even with the introvert that I am, I need to make friends.

Hmm. I'll have to think on this some more. A post for another day: my feelings about grad school/future career/passion for my field vs. need for general academic stimulation.

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