After losing my job and moving back in with my parents, I found peace at a dusty old piano. I taught myself how to play with just some YouTube videos as my guide and learned about myself in the process.

As I sit down to reflect on my journey, I realize that yoga entered my life during one of the most turbulent times. College was supposed to be a time of self-discovery and growth, but for me, it became a whirlwind of stress and indecision. I found myself grappling with the overwhelming pressure of choosing a major and figuring out what I wanted to do with my life.

As the world grappled with the challenges of the pandemic, I found some purpose in an unexpected place: sewing. What began as a simple desire to contribute to the community by making masks soon evolved into a passion for sewing and upcycling clothes, transforming both my wardrobe and my creative outlet.

One lazy afternoon I was doom scrolling through my Instagram feed, hopping from one mesmerizing video to another. I stumbled upon a creative video about intricate and personalized embroidery. As I watched, the hat the person was working on transformed it into a work of art, I felt an instant spark of inspiration and rushed to the craft store.

Ice skating wasn't something I grew up doing or even considered until a few years ago when I stumbled upon it almost by accident. I went with some friends to and open skate at a local rink and saw they were offering adult beginner lessons on the weekends. I was in college and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life and was feeling overwhelmed and a little burn tout. While totally random, ice skating seemed like a fun escape, at least for one quick lesson. But the moment I stepped onto the ice for that first lesson, I was hooked.

Baking has always been a tradition in our family, but it became extra special to me when I started baking with my grandma, who is battling dementia.

I’m not sure what came over me. I am a pretty no-nonsense serious person. But one day I got the random urge to try improv. Yes- like where you stand on stage and make up a comedy act as you go. There was a local theater near me where I had seen a sign for classes, and for some reason, I gave it a go.

As I stepped into the brightly lit studio that first day, my heart was pounding. At forty-something, here I was, about to make a fool of myself. It wasn't something I'd ever imagined myself doing, but there I was, nervously fidgeting and trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach.

A few years ago, my husband and I found ourselves stuck in a weekly routine of work, kids, and not a lot of fun. We both loved board games when we were dating, but after having kids, who were too young for that kind of thing, our games were in a cabinet gathering dust. Our older son had had a few playdates with a buddy from daycare, and the parents seemed really nice but we didn’t know them that well. There was another family in our son’s class we wanted to get to know too.

Between work, home life, and being a mom, I’ve found stress can creep up me quickly. For me, it was the incessant demands of work and personal life that left me feeling drained and anxious, especially in the evenings, when I’d crash in front of the TV. It was during a particularly overwhelming period that I stumbled upon an unexpected solution – knitting.

If you ask me what the best hobby in the world is, my answer would be reading. Would I be biased? Maybe a little bit. But falling in love with books has done more than entertain me. It has also given me a community like no other.

There's something so fun about combining simple ingredients into a source of warmth, light, and fragrance. Let me tell you about the wonderful world of candle-making! Here are 5 of my favorite things about making candles:

In the middle of life's chaos, it can be hard to find peace. But for me, I found a safe place full of messy, soft clay. Pottery has changed my life– It used to be just a hobby, but now it's my therapy, my friend, and my artistic outlet. In the workshop, I found more than just an interest. I found a place to get away from the world, develop a deeper understanding of myself, and explore my creativity. I found a deep way to heal and learn about myself through the simple act of shaping clay.

When I was an up-and-coming writer, I worked at a multitude of outlets and did a large variety of work. Entering this industry was exciting, but also brought many challenges. Long work hours, plenty of overtime, and the necessity to constantly be available at any time to cover that next big piece of news put a strain on my mental health.