When someone asked me recently what I’m into I didn’t have answers. Existential crisis aside, what are some good hobbies/interests for someone in their mid thirties to pick up?

  • jecxjo@midwest.social
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    1 year ago

    I might as well toss out Amateur Radio Operator (aka Ham Radio). You can be as technical or non technical as you’d like. There is most likely a radio club near where you live so you can be social and learn about the hobby from others.

    You can talk to people in town, across the country or around the world. You can work from your home or you can setup at a local park. There are contests where you try and make as many contacts as possible in a day, or sit around and chat about whatever you enjoy.

    There are radio systems you connect to the internet if you dont have a desire to setup big antenna. If you don’t like talking there are ways to hook up a computer and chat with people that way.

    If you like to get outdoors there are clubs where you work from local parks, islands, mountains, boats and lighthouses and with a whole point system if you’re competitive. With a simple handheld radio you can talk to people hundreds of miles away by bouncing your signal off of satellites.

    Then there is the whole diy approach where you can build radios and antennas all from scratch or from kits of you’re into the tech side. If you want to get into RC and drones you get a whole set of radio frequency that allows you more distance and functionally in that hobby if you use your Amateur Radio license along with it.

    Seriously they’re is a ton of stuff to try in the hobby.

    • stochasticity@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Ya this seems like a neat one with a pretty devout following. How outgoing would you say you are. My immediate thought is that after getting all this set up I would be like… Sup? How’s the weather?

      • jecxjo@midwest.social
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        1 year ago

        NoOh if you’re looking for a hobby where you act social while also being a complete introverted and not wanting to actually interact with people then this hobby works.

        The minimum qualifying contact (when you’re doing state to state or country to country) is your call sign and a signal report on how well you receive them. Then you can say bye and move on. Some people report their weather, and some people will talk for hours about whatever topic. It all just depends on your level of interaction. Heck there are digital modes where all you do is use your computer and it’s basically all automated to make the minimal contact (more of a mode for collecting achievements cuz ham radio has those too).

        Google Parks On The Air or POTA. Those are also short and sweet.

        Me personally, I’m the the liveliest person in most rooms. But there are times when I power up radio and my computer and just work some states I haven’t before and don’t really want to “chat”.