My Hobbies

High Steppe Climbing Center in Yakima, WA. This is the only climbing gym near me; luckily it’s a good one. (Image Source: “High Steppe Climbing Center.” Visit Yakima, www.visityakima.com/listing/high-steppe-climbing-center. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.)

My hobbies have stayed pretty consistent over time. I read regularly, play video games, and go rock climbing (indoor bouldering) whenever I can (and my wallet can afford). They’re the things I come back to even when work and school take up most of my attention. Reading gives me a way to slow down and focus on something outside of my own routine. Video games have been an easy and fun way to stay connected to friends. Rock climbing sits somewhere in between—it’s physical, technical, and forces me to be present in a way few other activities do. More recently, I started going to the gym with some of my coworkers. It’s not necessarily a hobby per se, but it’s become a consistent part of my daily routine that’s a good mix of accountability, socialization, and staying on top of personal health. Like most things right now, these activities fit into the margins of a busy schedule, but they’ve been important in keeping my life balanced.

9 responses

  1. venkat saketh Avatar
    venkat saketh

    This is a thoughtful and realistic reflection. You clearly explained why each hobby matters to you instead of just listing them. I like how you connected reading, gaming, and climbing to mental focus, social connection, and physical challenge. The point about fitting hobbies into a busy schedule is very relatable. One thing you could add is how these hobbies have helped you handle stress or pressure from work and school. Overall, well-written and meaningful post.

  2. Sung Ahn Avatar

    Go dawgs, Go hawks, Go Tyler

  3. Doga Karabey Avatar
    Doga Karabey

    Amazing human being overall. Rock climbing looks cool wanted to start, but never got to it. What actionable insights have you learned through your experience with rock climbing?

    Very cool Tyler, very cool.

  4. Shreya S Avatar

    I really like how grounded and honest this post feels. The way you describe reading, games, and climbing as the things I come back to makes it clear they’re anchors, not just passing interests. Calling out how each hobby plays a different role, slowing down, staying connected with friends, and being fully present on the wall, gives a nice balance of mind, social, and body.

  5. Chris Avatar

    Dear Esteemed Scholar-Athlete of the Vertical Realm,

    Your account of hobbies reached me as though inscribed upon aged parchment, a testament to balance in an age of digital chaos. Reading, gaming, and indoor bouldering? You are living three lives at once: philosopher, tactician, and mountain goat.

    I admire the fiscal realism of “whenever my wallet can afford.” Few speak openly of the true antagonist in modern recreation, monthly membership fees. Rock climbing truly is a noble pursuit, suspended between gravity and glory, clinging to brightly colored plastic stones as though scaling the cliffs of destiny itself. One imagines a dramatic orchestral score playing faintly in the background.

    Video games, of course, remain the great council chamber of our era, where alliances are forged, friendships tested, and someone inevitably forgets to mute their mic. And reading? A refined rebellion against the tyranny of infinite scrolling. I salute it.

    As for the gym with coworkers, ah yes, the sacred fellowship of shared soreness. There is no bond stronger than collectively questioning one’s life choices during the final rep of leg day.

    May your holds remain firm, your party chat civil, and your gym routine ever consistent. Should life grow chaotic, remember that even the busiest among us must occasionally scale a wall, literal or metaphorical, to feel alive.

    Yours in balance and moderately priced memberships,
    Sir Christopher of IS5320 Section 02

    1. Sung Ahn Avatar

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  6. Kim Nguyen Avatar

    Hi Tyler, I think it’s great that you’re able to blend in indoor and outdoor hobbies and that you’re prioritizing personal health by going to the gym regularly. Keep up the good work!

  7. Amanda Avatar
    Amanda

    Hi Tyler! I hope your quarter is going well! Your hobbies seem quite well rounded! I don’t have a fitness hobby at the moment. I find it is an easy one for me and many people to put as a low priority. To make fitness into a social activity seems like a great technique to make fitness enjoyable! Thanks for sharing!

  8. Trish Avatar

    This is a pretty cool list of hobbies and covers everything that is good for both mental and physical health.

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