I Miss Having Multiple Hobbies

I am writting my Cover letter to attach with my resume, and you know, the part where you add your hobbies so your potential employer can get to know you a little better? I had a bit of a realisation as I was writing. I hardly have any hobbies anymore!

I know what you're thinking: 

“what the heck, you literally run a bookish page, reading IS a hobby!” 

And yes, you're completely right! Reading is a hobby, but if I'm being honest, reading has grown into something so much bigger than that. It's gone beyond hobby territory and become a part of my life, and in a way, my little non-payed side hustle. Ever since I started running my platforms, it has taken my reading hobby into a whole different meaning. That's not to say I don't enjoy it! I love my little bookish community so incredibly much and I wouldn't change a single thing!

But I think what I'm really talking about are hobbies that are more private. Things I do just for myself, that I don't actively talk about or dedicate a whole page to.

When I was younger I had so many! I loved crafting and building things with my hands, or baking cupcakes (I loved it,  mostly for the reward of eating them after). During COVID I was really dedicated to knitting, until I attempted a sweater, messed it up so badly I had to start over, and the joy just... died there, it became more of a task than a hobby…

One afternoon I found myself with nothing to do and, weirdly (extremely rare), had no desire to read. I couldn't think of a single thing I wanted to do. I got so restless and anxious that I ended up just scrolling on my phone, which did absolutely nothing for the anxiety.

What I actually wanted was to craft. To do something with my hands. There's something about physically making something that completely puts my mind at eas, the brain just switches off entirely.

So why did the hobbies go away?

The main reason is time. My days are pretty packed, I'm unemployed and constantly on the job hunt, on top of creating content for my platforms and keeping up with my other routines, reading ends up being the one hobby I actually prioritise to make time for. The other reason is that the hobbies I'd love to get back into all require buying materials and tools. Since I move around so much and don’t have the fortune to accumulate things, I tend to shy away from investing in a new passion. And honestly, the money I do have set aside for hobbies goes straight to my reading!

I Miss Scrapbooking!!

Back in my childhoodhome I have several scrapbook albums, and thinking about them sparked something in me that really wanted to try it again!

So that's exactly what I'm going to do! Im gonna find a way to scrapbook on a budget. Using whatever I can find for free: postcards from libraries, recycled paper, ribbons or Drawing! I'm even thinking of drawing little characters to go alongside my daily journaling. I'm not much of a drawer, but since it's just for me, that's perfectly fine.

I think that's really the point. Hobbies can be a path to reclaiming a sense of peace and calm, a space to fully shut out social media and the other stressful noise in my life, and focus on something that is just for me. A place to be creative without any outside pressure, and to nurture that playful part of myself. Because in a world that demands so much perfection, it's nice to just be allowed to be a little messy.

[ALL IMAGES FROM PINTREST]

Why I Love Love Stories!

I have always been in love with love stories. There’s something magical about witnessing two people fall for each other, whether it’s on the page of a book or on the screen,  that fills me with pure joy.  It’s the excitement, the anticipation, the butterflies you feel in your own stomach simply because the characters are feeling them too.

But it’s not just the swoony moments. I love the messy parts as well, the misunderstandings, the slow-building trust, the imperfect attempts to connect. Real relationships aren’t straight lines, and romance stories embrace that beautifully. They remind us that love is rarely tidy, but is always worth the effort.

When I pick up a romance, I’m 100% escaping… but I’m also immersing myself in a world built on hope! Hope that two people will find their way through the chaos. Hope that they’ll choose each other again and again. I get so freaking invested in their journey that, my own worries and issues fade away into the abyss. 

But even in the escape, I find pieces of myself. I see my own quirks reflected in the characters habits, fears, or desires. I recognise my own patterns, Romance doesn’t just entertain me, it makes me more aware about myself.

The heart of every great love story for me is this: characters you can adore, relate to, or feel deeply for. When you care about the characters, the romance becomes unforgettable.

So with all this being said! Here are 4 binge worthy and swoony romances!

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

Percy and Sam are childhood friends, turned lovers, turned exes. They reunite at the cottage where they spent all their summers together after ten years of not speaking.

Coming back together under sad circumstances, Percy and Sam battle their still‑strong feelings for each other while also confronting their past.

This is the perfect second‑chance romance meets coming‑of‑age story.

Seven year Slip by Ashely Poston

Clementine works hard at her job and she’s good at it, but she’s also feeling a little lost. After losing her aunt, Clementine has been struggling with grief and guilt. She inherits her aunt’s old apartment, which has the ability to take you seven years back or forward in time. One day, an aspiring chef appears in her apartment and they form a connection. Only issue: he’s seven years from the past.

A book filled with so much yearning you can barely handle it. We follow Clementine and the chef as they find their way back to each other and uncover what really happened in the apartment seven years ago.

Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola

After the breakup between Malakai and Kiki, Kiki went through a lot to heal from the heartbreak. Just as things in her life begin to improve, everything somehow starts to fall apart again. Her one joy is her best friend’s wedding, except the wedding brings Malakai and Kiki back together, and things between them are still very heated.

The way this book embraces friendships, family, second chances, and cultural community is incredible. A book absolutely worth the read.

OBS! This is the second book in the Honey & Spice series, but you don’t need to have read the first book to enjoy this one!

Faking It in Manhattan by Riley Winters

Scarlett works in marketing, and she’s darn good at it. She gets hired by the fiancé of one of her closest friends. The fiancé runs a company with his close friend Blake, a bit of a playboy who is damaging the company’s reputation. Scarlett is asked to fake‑date Blake to capture positive press and brighten his public image. The only issue? Scarlett and Blake had a one‑night encounter that ended badly, leaving things tense between them. But that doesn’t mean the chemistry isn’t still there.

A great story about learning to trust, opening up, and allowing yourself to rely on others.

OBS! This is the second book in the Uptown series, but you don’t need to have read the first book to enjoy this one!

Week 7: 9th-15th of February

Happy Sunday! I am currently sitting on the couch while season 2 of “Nobody wants this” is playing in the background.

I’m at the episode where everyone is wearing Halloween costumes. I think it’s a good show, but considering the fact that I’m barley watching it, I don’t know if I can actually say that.. Have you seen “Nobody wants this”?

This week has been the Week of non-fiction Books!

I usually don’t read a lot of non-fictions. Why?

Weeeeeeeeelllll... I think I mainly avoided it because I struggled to get through them... but those thoughts are in the past and I am genuinely telling you now, that I love Non-fiction! I love the feeling I get when reading it!

Let’s get to what I read this week! :)

I completed a memoir by Maya Angelou called "A song flung up to heaven".

This book is the sixth instalment of her memoir series. Her way of writing is like reading a diary! It was so poetic and personal!

Because this is the sixth book and was set during the time before she started writing her most popular memoir "i know why the cage bird sing", I left this book wanting to read that book! I am fascinated by her, and I want more!

Next is my still current read which is "Everything is tuberculosis" by John Green. Now this book is a lot more factual, which is the non-ficton I'm not used to reading, but John Green has a great and casual way to writing it.

I TRULY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS DISEASE! The way this disease and frankly all diseases show, how health care systems are prioritised for those with more money. And dont even get me started on the rascism behind it all...

But also, I didnt know that TB has litrilly been behind beauty standards thats still excist today and it was been behind the founding of cities in the US!

I’m learning so much! and its opening my eyes

However... I think I should be reading this in shorter reading sessions, because when I read this book for an hour straight, the information gets clouded in my head.

OOooofff!!! There is drama going on in the tv- show right now and its distracting me. So I think ill end this blog here.

If you got this far, thank you for reading and I'll see you next week! :)

Stay Amazing! XOXO