Pandemic Hobbies and Habits

Here we are, passing our way through the pandemic one day at a time — still. As the pandemic persists, SiteCrafters have adopted pets, welcomed babies, secured husbands and explored new hobbies and habits. Here is a roundup of some of our new favorite pastimes procured over the last 21 months.

The Marth Family Bought an RV

With plane vouchers to Hawaii waiting to be used, the Marth family decided to invest in adventures closer to home.

“We made a human during Covid so tent camping was out of the picture for the foreseeable future. We thought a RV would be a great way to still get out there. It’s a nice way to get out of the house, leave for a weekend and just focus on enjoying being a family together.”

Leah Started Puzzling

Leah relearned the satisfaction of completing a 1,000-piece puzzle — 999 pieces if her dog Duke gets involved.

“I have always loved puzzles but didn’t have the time, with always being on the go pre pandemic. I think the pandemic sort of slowed down our lives and with having to stay home we needed to find things that could keep our minds busy. I mean you can only binge Netflix so long before you need a change of pace right?”

Daniel Discovered the Joy of Painting

Daniel was watching Bob Ross videos to fall asleep. He credits his inspiration for painting to his wife Mel who one day said  “We are going to the craft store. Paint supplies are all 50 percent off.”

“It has given me something to do on weekends when I normally would have gone to see friends and family. It has been fun to share the finished work with others and helps me stay connected with them, even if we can’t see each other in person.”

Michelle Celebrated Major Life Changes

While the pandemic slowed things down for some of us, Michelle added excitement to her life in a variety of ways.

“I acquired three teenage boys and a farm — all of which are a lot of work. It has helped pass the time in Pandemic because there are far fewer moments. There’s always something going on. There’s never a dull moment.”

Aly Secured a Husband and Started Baking

After one year of pandemic, Aly was running out of hobbies.

“I’d read, hiked, puzzled and played my way through 12 months of the world being shut down. But the combination of pandemic isolation and winter in the northwest left me craving a new hobby to help me battle through rainy days inside. Enter: sourdough. At that point I was months late to the train everyone in the world had hopped on, believing I was more of a banana bread baker. As it turns out, I like to bake all kinds of bread, and the tedious process of starter-tending and dough-shaping was therapeutic for me. Several months and dozens of loaves later, my boyfriend proposed. We planned our wedding in three short months. Consequently, my sourdough starter died. Now I enjoy baking muffins for my husband.”

Natalie Went Hiking

Hiking isn’t a new hobby for Natalie but she picked up the pace in pandemic.

“During the beginning of the pandemic when many places were closed, I turned to hiking as a way to get out of the house, move my body, calm my mind, and get some fresh air and vitamin D, all while taking in beautiful PNW sites. Throughout the past couple of years, I’ve been able to explore many new trails across Washington, with Mount Rainier National Park being a favorite of mine to visit (pictured here in the photo).

Fun fact: From my hikes, I’ve spotted a few bears (from a distance!), chipmunks (who have no chill when it comes to eating my trail mix), and lots of deer, marmots, quail, lizards, rabbits, bighorn sheep, squirrels, and a variety of birds.”

The Solar Family Adopted a Puppy

Ellie finally got a puppy. Her dad Kirk says that while the puppy, Roxy, is almost a full-time job, she is well worth it.

“Ellie reeeeally wanted a dog ever since she could talk. Kacie, not being much of a dog person, finally caved at the beginning of 2020 and we found a pup in Oregon that fit what we wanted. Over the time we’ve had her, she’s helped us pass the time by picking up all of her shredded toys, cleaning up the messes during the housebreaking phase, and playing way too roughly with Ellie from time to time.”

Meredith Started Sailing

It all started with SiteCrafting’s Wednesday on the Water. Many years ago, our team would spend Wednesdays kayaking on Ruston Way. Meredith remembers watching the sailboat races and thought it would be cool to sail. Over pandemic, she started watching sailing videos on YouTube with her partner Travis. One day they decided to try it out.

“We hooked up with the Corinthian Yacht Club in Tacoma and started volunteering to crew for the sailboat races. They put us on a sailboat, we learned how to sail and we liked it so much that we bought a sailboat. Learning a new skill has been amazing. The first year of pandemic I felt like I wasn’t doing a lot. With sailing I feel like I’m doing something.”

Angie Cooks Now

Angie put down the DoorDash and picked up a wooded spoon.

“I started cooking more out of necessity. We had a habit of ordering delivery during the week because we were so busy. Growing up my dad always cooked pasta so I started with some of his recipes and found it calming to follow directions and end up with something delicious!”

Alma Became a Plant Person

Plant TikTok did it.

“I love nature and the outdoors, and having plants lets me feel like I’m bringing all of that into my home. I also don’t like to have too much stuff lying around my place — I like more of a minimalist vibe. So we love having plants to fill empty spaces in the home rather than buying shelves and buying more stuff to put on them.

During the pandemic I fell into plant TikTok and learned so much about different ways to care for plants and make them happier. Little things like taking 30 minutes to clean off all of their leaves from dust became therapeutic. And it worked out well because they just started springing up babies like no tomorrow. Propagating them also became a fun way to pass time, and when it was successful these cuttings became great gifts for family and friends.”

Kirk’s Talks to Kirk

Kirk’s pandemic habit is an excellent conversation starter.

“I’ve developed a habit of talking to myself while I work. Not The Shining Danny Torrance / Tony style, just normal voice with normal thoughts.”