I’m a software engineer so I’d probably seek a way to use my skills in a way that benefits people, possibly something tied to volunteering work I already do. And also contribute to some open source project.

I’d try to maintain a somewhat regular working schedule but with fewer hours per day than I currently spend at my job. Maybe I’d travel and work from different places.

I’d like to think I’d actually do all the art I’m too fucking stressed to sit down and focus on. Maybe make a video game or two.

My long term wish has always been to fuck off to somewhere not-too-warm and tropical, and write stories from a place where I can see the sea.

Get a proper sleep.

Volunteer at various non-profits. I am (sadly) one of those people that “need” to work in some capacity in order to fill fulfilled. I also need structure, which I’m not very good at building for myself. I need to be held accountable (such as being expected to show up to work at a certain time), and work has always helped me do that.

I’m about to leave my current job with no back-up plan, and while my savings and partner will provide for me for the rest of the year, I’m kinda dreading not having structure. I’ll probably volunteer somewhere.

Get on my bike and see how far it could take me. And when I was done with that I would go build bike trails for my community.

Work so that others can also have their needs met.

So many hobbies

do you want a list?! I have adhd and 1.324 different hobbies and projects in different stages of completeness. If I had free time I would get 200 more hobies and start 200 more project without finishing the ones before lol

Painting, drawing. General arts. Travel. Eating adventures. Fitness. Electronics and automation. Programming. Health focus.

And I’d make my point and click adventure game. Finally.

The dream

I’d start with gardening, fishing, road tripping, camping, hiking, but I think that might eventually not be stimulating enough. I’d probably pickup a hobby that would enable artistic expression. Maybe pottery, or stained glass?

I would do nothing while also not stressing out about doing nothing.

All the things I do for fun and hobbies I would do a lot more. Which would likely be the following:

• Exercise (running in the warm months and skiing in the cold)
• TTRPGs (I might move from 1 day of the week into two, and assuming everyone else has the same deal play in-person instead of digitally)
• Reading (books and more books)

But mostly I would work on living the permaculture / herbalism fantasy.

• Do a lot more herbal formulation and
• Maybe open the small apothecary to sell things at Art fairs and other makers markets.
• Turn my urban yard into a full food forest to help grow some of my own food, and herbs. (I want to have an urban oasis of edible trees, bushes and other useful plants)
• Volunteer more a local prairie restoration group that I have worked with in the past
• Finally spend some time gorilla gardening on open lots and sides of alleyways around my neighborhood to spread the plant love.

You’re describing retirement. And, boy have I spent a LOT of time thinking about what that looks like.

A lot of people have lists of things they’d do, see, learn, or be. I had one too, but it kept fucking changing depending on where I was in life and what my interests were.

Any list I had always felt restrictive. Here’s where I ended up instead…

I would put my energy and attention only on the things that I want to put them on at any given time.

I guess some call that living in the moment, but I call it retirement.

Make music, write terrible sci-fi, and publish economics research (assuming we haven’t reached post-scarcity yet).

Basically I’d have time to actually dedicate myself to my hobbies.

Work to solve problems. Not on a fixed schedule, but my choosing.

Also, long walks and visiting people I like.