Hobbyist of Hobbies

"Hobby [ hob-ee ] noun 1. an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation."

Beknown to me, a hobbyist of hobbies - a "new year, new me" has taken a tremendous, and rather overwhelming turn of events. My mind has been filled with to-do's, to-da's and to-will's. From continuing years worth of unfinished projects, books, paintings, woodcarvings, etc. To starting a whole new outlook on photography, travel and healthy habits. My ADHD brain can't seem to sit still for more than a second without coming up with a whole "new year, new idea".

Nevertheless, my first step to starting the new year of 2025 was getting my Vocal back up and running, as heinous as that seemed to be. Here I am, back up and running. With my job being incredibly slow during the winter months and the weather being too nippy to enjoy my hermit life outside, the plan is to read and write on my days off. To make up for all that lost time, lost ideas and lost memories. It's been awhile since I've written anything, and I must admit it feels incredibly good to have my fingers graze these foreign keys again. Having so many hobbies on the go, I sometimes forget what I love to do the most. Seemingly so, it's daft how one can go from doing their most treasured activity, and then becoming so tied up in another, you almost forget how you started. Luckily, this year I plan to finish to the unfinished. Whether that be writings I never got around to giving a meaningful end, or within my dusty home projects waiting to get pulled from the closet. Perhaps even making a little side hustle from it all.

That being said, when I'm not reading or writing, my second step is to finish my bearded dragons enclosure. As I upgrade my life, its only fair my animals get the same treatment.

So far, I've been working on a series of wall structures and hides from scratch for a 4x4x2 foot PVC enclosure. And by "from scratch" - I mean right down to the Styrofoam sheets that build the foundation. Gluing stacks together until they built some form of cube; and then cutting into those styro-cubes with my literal Styrofoam hot knife, which stunk to the high heavens. (If ever doing so, I recommend doing this step outside. Or on a semi-warm day. Don't be like me and throw all the windows open when its -20 Celsius outside.)

This was to form the dens, basking areas and hoodoo's in which my lizard can galivant to her desire. These structures are then covered in 3-4 layers of sanded grout - which was the messiest part of all, but intriguing to see it all come together nonetheless. This whole process took about a month, as it is quite time consuming having to let them dry, re-layer, re-dry, re-layer.. you get the point. That whole fiasco was then followed by 3-4 layers of matte polyacrylic to seal everything in. This step too, took almost a month. But don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy building these enclosures. It's not my first, and likely wont be my last.

Now, with my structures finished and ready for installation - I still have to form the inside of the actual tank to bioactive standards. Bioactive means the tank will practically be it's own ecosystem; with sand, dirt, plants such as cacti, succulents, different aloe types, along with my cleanup crew consisting of isopods and springtails. All the good stuff to have a healthy environment for my desert dwelling bearded dragon, Petey.

As someone who is well versed in the biology world of plants and animals, working in a greenhouse as a tropical plant specialist has given me loads of hobbyist ideas. From planter designs to terrariums; the possibilities are endless. Knowingly, the definition says your occupation can not be a hobby, but oddly enough, I am a firm believer in finding a career you love so dearly, that it doesn't feel like work at all. When I'm not taking care of the plants at work, I'm taking care of my plants at home. I also took Veterinary schooling for awhile, though working in the clinic definitely wasn't for my empathic, faint heart - it still gave me the knowledge I needed in order to properly care for my animals and reptiles. Knowing their husbandry needs has now given me a vast idea on intertwining my work and home-hobby life. Custom bioactive enclosures - whether it's just a small bioactive terrarium with a few plants and bugs - or something for your beloved reptilian, I have the tools and soul to make your terrarium and tank dreams come true.

To start a business performing the two very passions I endure most, would genuinely be a fantasy for the dream makers. Waiting in review to see if 2025 actually has my back this year.

On another note, I'm incredibly proud of how far I've come at my real job. Being part of such a caring and genuine team makes the work life beyond manageable. Genuinely speaking, 3 years ago, I would never have guessed I'd be where I am today. Growing up with severe social anxiety and depression, I was tired of being pushed around, letting people walk all over me; just for my anxiety to tell me "that's life". Its not, and it's astonishing the positivity's we can curate in our own minds with a little guidance from our peers, our friends, our families. Sometimes all we need is that little push to get us back on our feet. A little motivation can go a long way if we truly desire a different future, a different outlook on life.

So here's to a new year - a new year of making memories, doing what excites us. Starting or re-starting those projects! It's up to ourselves to accomplish what we truly desire. Relax and don't let the world get in the way of your pleasures!