I was a child who always seemed to be fully engrossed with a new hobby. Whether it lasted a few days, a week, or even a few years, I loved to be involved in trying different things.
Most of my hobbies revolved around art or creativity in some broad sense. Correlating fashion and music eras, painting and drawing, reading, and dancing were ones that reoccurred in my life frequently… until they didn’t.
When I arrived at St. Bonaventure, I hadn’t danced for four years. I went to a really tiny studio in my hometown from the time I was two until the time I was 14. Still to this day, I have danced for over half of my life. But when I saw the table for the SBU Dance Team, I froze in place. Dance held most of my core memories, however, I had stopped dancing. I hadn’t danced in what seemed like forever. Though my mind was hesitant on the idea of dancing again, it was like my body was moving on it’s own pulling me towards the table signing me up for the team.
I won’t lie, the first day of tryouts freshman year, I was nervous. I knew I shouldn’t have been because A.) it’s a no-cut team, B.) everyone was very kind and accepting, and C.) there were tons of other freshmen and others who were new to the dance team there with me.
Flash forward to today, I am in my 5th semester on the Dance Team taking part in my 5th show. The Dance Team has given me so many things, such as my love of dance back, tons of friendships, and even my roommates.
Sometimes, you fall out of love with things you used to enjoy doing… the passion fades. Returning to those things can seem daunting and even downright scary. But let me tell you, it could be something you miss so strongly without even knowing it.
The space where we dance is now my favorite space on campus (even though it’s riddled with the sound of dribbling basketballs from the court above it and has a light that is constantly flashing). The times when I go to all of my different dance classes are my favorite times of the week. I have new faces to smile and wave at on campus, and I have back one of my hobbies that makes me who I am. For that, I feel extremely grateful.
I encourage everyone to go pick up a hobby you haven’t in a while. Grab a basketball, pick up a paintbrush, or even choose a new book to start. You might find more joy in it than you even remember.