Focus: FUN! - Five Real People Tell You What They Like To Do For FUN!
Tools, tips and tricks to help you have a FUN! retirement
Photo by Levi Guzman on Unsplash
This week I had a unique opportunity to ask 5 people who are roughly our age (give or take a few years) what they like to do for fun and why that activity is fun for them. I got some brilliant answers! Just for fun, I thought I’d share. Maybe these ideas will give you some fodder for your List!
Day trippin’!
One of the people that I talked with said that he enjoyed day trips and excursions near home. FUN! He said he enjoys exploring his area (which happens to be around Sacramento, California) because there were so many varied things to do in the area and he still hasn’t been able to explore them all even though he’s lived there for decades. Sound familiar? I bet we all have those things in our backyard that we only do when someone comes from out of town and we want to show them around! Write those down right now and add them to your list! Or check out these lists for some food for thought!
Check out Fodor’s Best Day Trips in the US.
Try 11 ways to be a tourist in your own hometown.
The chef is in!
Another friend of mine cooks for fun (and so does her son!) and she’s great at it! She enjoys cooking because she says she thinks of it as adventurous. She gets to try out new, healthy things and she sees it as an expression of her love for her family. That rings a lot of bells! Cooking can help you find ways to be adventurous, healthy, connect with family and have FUN! Is there a recipe or a cooking class you’ve always wanted to try? How about a destination class? My son and I went to Ensenada on a cruise and one of our excursions was a fish taco cooking class at a local restaurant. We also have an Italian restaurant around here that has cooking classes and it’s the reason I have a wood fired oven in my backyard! Or, maybe you just want to spend an afternoon with friends or family Googling recipes to try and making them together for a dinner party? Lots of great options! Check out a few links, below, for some more ideas of how to incorporate this FUN idea into your lists!
Check out the 10 Best Cooking Classes in America
Looking for a date night (or week)? Try these cooking classes for couples.
Get together with your friends and try these ultimate girl’s night recipes. (They’re fun for guys, too!)
Puzzle me this
There are so many different kinds of puzzles, this friend of mine never gets bored. Her favorite type of puzzle before bed is jigsaw puzzles because they are relaxing and her favorite type of puzzle while she’s waiting for anyone or anything is Sudoku. Her mom used to like to do crossword puzzles. Puzzles can be Zen, which we know helps with inflammation, or they can be stimulating and they can help keep your brain occupied, exercised and healthy. Check out all of the different types of puzzles there are! Add a new one to your list!
A list of puzzle apps to challenge your brain.
All of the different types of puzzles that are out there. (There are a LOT of them!)
The happiest of hours!
They don’t call it “happy hour” for nothing! One of my friends has a group of girlfriends that get together for happy hours. She loves this time because they have lots of good conversation, lots of good food and lots of good wine. What a great combination! And I love this idea because it is a reason to connect on a regular basis. One of the things she shared with me about this ritual is that she has no idea how it got started. It’s just part of their routine, now. What type of connection routine would you like to start? Maybe it’s a rotating dinner party, or a book club, or a golf outing. There are likely tons of happy hour spots near you, too! Find a reason to connect on a regular basis and you’ll have a FUN activity built right into your schedule!
If you’re going to host, check out La Crema’s 5 Tips for Hosting Happy Hours at Home.
The Thrillist has gathered the Most Extreme Happy Hours in America. (Bucket ‘o Bacon, anyone?)
Take a hike
Sounds like something Wally would say to the Beaver, but it’s actually a great idea for FUN! My friend loves to find new hikes for her and her adult daughters for lots of great reasons. First of all, a lot of the trails my friend takes are in Hawaii, so who wouldn’t love that? But she gets to do something with her daughters that everyone loves, it’s healthy for them and she also says she loves the feeling of accomplishment when she’s tackled the trail. Getting out in nature can be very rewarding, especially if you are doing it with people you enjoy. And, I agree with my friend, when you push yourself on a new trail, the result can be hugely rewarding. As you know, I love inn to inn hikes. Those often push me and I almost always feel like I accomplished something as I settle in to my meal and warm bed at the inn. Is there an area near you that you’d like to explore? Could be a neighborhood or a bike trail or something more adventurous like the trail to the top of a waterfall? Get that on your list! And, do try an inn to inn hike if you ever get the chance!
Need convincing? Here are 10 reasons hiking is good for you.
Need a trail? Try All Trails.
Need me to tell you to do an inn to inn hike again? Do an inn to inn hike!
So, there are five ideas for FUN things to do. Did any of them grab you? What do you like to do for FUN and why? Put ideas in the comments and help everybody grow their lists!