Since we have been sitting still for so long I wanted to take a moment and write about having hobbies while full timing. Working full time, going to school, and raising three kids didn’t give me much time for hobbies although trying glassblowing is what ultimately led us to being on the road. For that story read here.

So when we started out I was excited about trying a hobby. Unfortunately lack of space and a constantly moving lifestyle can make hobbies a bit challenging, but I made several people along the way who made it work. The serious hobbyists I met often had toy haulers and I knew several people with ATV’s and in one case radio controlled planes who used that space for their toys.

Others pursued hobbies where less space was required and I knew two people who spent a ton of time making bead jewelry and many others who crotched. I think I was the most impressed by the sewers/quilters who dedicated a whole are in their RVs for sewing machines. But for me none of these seems of interest and although I have a small cross stitch box and I have made blankets for my grandkids and a few items for my daughters inside crafts didn’t really interest me. We were in beautiful places after all and I wanted to be out there.

Which brings me to outside hobbies such as hiking (not a fan unless there is a waterfall at the end of it) and kayaking (we tried but it was never our thing) and of course fishing. Fishing is hugely popular and if you don’t mind the hassle of getting licenses wherever you visit its a popular pastime. Lee spent his childhood fishing though and for a variety of reasons is not a fan which left us with photography. Lee has always been an amateur photographer but wildlife photography was new to me and after investing around $1K in gear I tried it out.

Turns out I loved landscape and wildlife photography and we were lucky enough to be in many places where I could practice. Over the years my skillset has improved, although never risen to the level of Lee’s, and I loved that moment when you got a lucky shot or saw something really special through the lens even if you didn’t capture it. Turns out though that I am a bit of a purist when it comes to enhancing pictures and although I will occasionally punch up the colors a bit I don’t do any major changes to them. Still for me it fulfilled a creative need my younger self didn’t even know I had until we hit LA.

There are green spaces in LA but compared to other places we have been its just so so and frankly with the threat of homeless encounter always looming I am just not comfortable in those spaces especially not without Lee. So for the first time in years I found myself with the time for creativity but no good outlet.

When it became clear we were going to be here for awhile I started looking for an outlet and looked into ballroom dancing, dance classes, and ultimately pottery. I have talked about it here but pottery really does something for me and the combination of relaxation, incredibly nice people, and the tactile sensation is terrific. I am going 3-4 times a week now and getting better with every visit.

One of the cool things abut pottery is its variety. You can work on a wheel, hand build, or use molds and the possibilities are endless. Ah and the glazing ..which can create different colors every time for a variety of reason is always a surprise at the end. For a person who likes to try different things it allows for nearly endless possibilities.

That being said I am fully aware that this will be a difficult hobby to take on the road if we start traveling again. If we are in a place for awhile and if they had a studio I could pick it up again in another town but to carry it with me will be tough. They do have pottery wheels I could purchase but I would need an outside throwing space with power and that is definitely weather dependent. Firing the pieces though is the big challenge because despite lots of research I haven’t yet found a traveling kiln that would work for me. They are big, they are expensive, and most require a dedicated circuit all of which is tough in an RV.

Actually for the first time I kind of wish we had a toy hauler so I could make myself a studio. Even if I could though there is a reason we RVers stay away from breakables in our rigs because they are a pain in the ass to wrap up every time you move and no matter how careful you are a shaky house tends to break things.

I’ll keep thinking on it though and either way I feel like I will find a way to keep this in my life long term even if I need to take breaks from it now and then. For now it is absolutely the best part of staying in one place for so long (11 months and counting) and I know pursuit of hobbies is one reason some people travel less and stay in place more. Now I get it.

Speaking of staying, as of this writing the actors strike is still in force. There is a solid offer on the table but AI is still a sticking point. Because the out of work crews have flooded the ancillary work opportunities it has been tough for Lee to gain any traction. Our deal is we wait until the strike is done so he has a fair shot at pursuing his dream and e will see what happens. I’ll just say waiting around is not my strong suit and I am really grateful for pottery for giving me something to throw all that restless energy into. Here’s some pictures of my work. I am getting better!

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