Ty Miranda, 127 YinD

If you know anything about me, you’ll know that I have a great fondness for pugs. I don’t mean that I just think pugs are adorable and better than everything in the world, including tacos. I mean that I spend time looking at, researching, and learning about pugs. Some may call me crazy or obsessive, but I would like to say that pugs are a hobby of mine.

Hobbies are great. You should already know that by the amount of Hobby Lobby’s that stretch across America and the amount of useless crap we acquire to keep ourselves occupied. According to GovLoop Featured Blogger, Tim Howell, everyone should have a hobby because it increases creativity, reduces stress, assists personal development, and helps with social skills. It also is said that hobbies can help build confidence! Hobbies also keep us entertained, busy, and focused on a certain task or idea

But, why the hell did I bring up my love of pugs hobby? Well, Peace Corps is challenging. Peace Corps makes us question ourselves, our abilities and even our choices. It also makes us really, really, really effin bored. Sometimes, I just sit at my house with nothing to do and I can start going crazy. Back in Washington D.C., I was working 50-70 hours a week and I had a pretty functioning social life. I was busy all the time!

Now that I’m in Thailand, I feel like my life has slowed down to a glacier pace, at least my non work life. Boredom has become one of the greatest challenges by far.

So I combat boredom with hobbies! Why do I have the greatest collection of pug pictures and stickers, because it’s a hobby that occupies my time. Why do I know all the pug breeders in Bangkok, because it’s a hobby that occupies my time. And so on and so on. Pugs occupy my time and give me something constructive to do. At the end of the day, I can only watch Netflix so much before my brain turns to mush.

What I recommend is for all PCVs to find a hobby because of all the benefits. Do you enjoy making sculptures out of sugar cubes? Do you enjoy creating delicious vegetable smoothies? Do you enjoy creating mix tapes? If you do, then make it into a hobby and learn more about it. Figure out ways to increase your knowledge about the subject. Find a way to use your time constructively and stop starring at the ceiling, telling yourself you have nothing to do today. It’s time to free yourself of boredom and make something of your time like pugs! Again, did I mention pugs rule the world?

What will your hobby be? If you find one and want to respond, let us know on our PCTM Sticky Rice Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/peacecorpsthailandmagazine/

For more information on hobbies check out “The Importance of Hobbies for Stress Relief” and “8 Reasons Why Hobbies are Important.”