You know, whenever you fill in information about yourself it asks your hobbies... I always look at that question as "what are your passions in life?" - so what are yours?

One caveat - You cannot say family, friends or pets! We all love our families and friends, our kids, grandkids, our doggies & kitties, etc. - other than family, friends & pets - what do you LOVE? What are you passionate about? What are your favorite hobbies? It can be big or small - just think about the things in life you love to do!

I take walks everyday at lunch and yesterday I thought about this - I think, for me, I am passionate about travel. When I was so overweight, I also suffered from debilitating depression (I manage it much better now) and we never went anywhere. I didn't want to be fat and travel - the passion was dead in me. Last year, to celebrate a milestone birthday, we took a huge trip (I was down 50 lbs at that point) and that fire was reignited in me. I already have 1-2 big trips planned every year until about 2015 - hah!

Other passions for me include reading (my dream is to have a house where I have my own library, DH wants his own entertainment/media room, I want a peaceful oasis with only bookshelves, great lighting and great seating and lots to read), genealogy & history (I am obsessed) and recently, photography (we bought a great camera before our trip last year and now I've taken two classes and am driving everyone insane). I am also really passionate about all animals- and we do commit a lot of our time and resources to various non-profits that revolve around the environment, wildlife and animal rescue.

On a less serious note, I'm also obsessed with all UNC sports' teams (my alma mater), the Green Bay Packers (Wisconsin native) and the Carolina Panthers (my "now" hometown).

What about you guys?! I'd love to hear some of the things you are passionate about!

This is going to sound strange, but my passion is school.

I love being in a classroom full of people who (I hope) all have a willingness to learn. I love the intellectual stimulation the conversations invoke in a seminar-type setting. I love buying new notebooks, with the anticipation of filling them with lecture notes, which will later be typed up all neat and tidy.

If I go too long without some kind of classroom setting in my life, I tend to become more stressed out over small things. Work and family only take me so far, as far as being fulfilled. It really is a shame how long it took me to realize that. I don't look at school as a "hobby," nor do I necessarily look at as a "means to an end" or advancement mechanism (although if furthering my education leads to advancement, then I'll be more than pleased ).

I used to journal as a way to relax and keep track of my life, and at one time would have called that a passion. When I was pregnant with my first child, however, I lost all interest in keeping a journal/diary. I keep thinking that someday I may start again, but the feeling that writing every-day occurrences is more of a chore than a pleasure is still there.

Oh! That's a good one! I love office supply stores, I end up buying notebooks and pens & pencils that I certainly do not need, just because I love having them, hah!

I dont think I have one :blush: I am a stay at home mom, my entire day is dedicated to my children and my home, I clean (which I do love the feeling of s clean house even tho it doesnt last long)

Not sure if it counts but I love researching on the internet, what I research is usually about children, like development, child birth, pregnancy. I hope to one day be a mid wife.

My greatest passions are travel, music, food, and all forms of hedonistic enjoyment. My only real goal in life is to do almost everything I want to do and have a great time doing it.

HA! Me, too!!

We're kindred spirits, I believe! I love to travel, as well, although I've not done much of it since having babies.

I love it!

And Earth Goddess, I think it's amazing that you do so much research and want to become a mid-wife.

I wanted to become a midwife too - a nurse midwife. I read everything and I mean EVERYTHING. I had textbooks - you name it. But, at the time I was researching options for education and so on, my husband was getting his PhD and we were looking at skipping around state to state - and even out of country. We didn't have the stability to allow me to be sure where I could study and get licensed.

Now at 42 I have given up on that dream and have sold all the books. I'm still passionate about it, but no longer want to pursue it as a career.

EVERYTHING!

OK, that's a bit of an exageration, but not by much. My hubby teases me about the ease and frequency with which I pick up new passions by saying "ooh, shiny, (mostly about craft supplies, but he says it's much more pervasive. I'll drop everything I'm doing to pursue some new interest, and then drop that to pursue something else).

Some of my passions as of today

Reading (anything, any time)
Writing (novels, nonfiction, children's books)
Collecting books on writing
Swimming
Health and Weight loss reading and research
Dolls, primarily fashion dolls (collecting, sewing, crocheting, and barbie and other vinyl doll makeovers)
Crocheting (especially doll furniture)
Learning to write crochet patterns
Knitting
Collecting cook books (used to be any cookbooks. Now, it's only cookbooks with a focus on frugal cooking and weight loss/healthy cooking).
Music, primarily Gaelic/Celtic (Irish, Scottish, English, Welsh/early American folk and country... from New Age to punk rock). Also parody songs.
Polymer Clay
Crafts of just about every description.
Looking at Real Estate

If my health improves to the point that I no longer need to be on disability, my "dream" would be to live in a house in the country, write novels, craft, and raise/breed purebred and fancy rats or cats. (Rats make wonderful pets and have many of the personality traits of both cats and dogs).

I am passionate about reading, cooking simple green foods, and education. I want to get my Phd and if I could I would be a full-time student for life. I am passionate about discussing ideas too.
I have passions that change too. Currently I am really passionate about the idea of supporting local organic farms and love going to farmer's markets and talking to farmers. In the past it may have been politics or vegetarianism. So I am always passionate about something, some are constant and some not.

Great topic! I think my real passion is teaching/ educating others to help them better care for themselves. I wanted to go to school to be a teacher, but life lead me to nursing instead. I can't describe the pure joy and fullfillment I get when I am able to take the time to educate someone on health/nutrition/disease management so they can live a better life. I love paying attention to the details that make even the smallest differences, and really listening to what patients are trying to say. Really listening to their symptoms/difficulties/daily struggles and working with them to improve their quality of life.

I'm am RN, but currently I'm a stay at home mom with young kids. I know when the kids get older I'd like to continue in my schooling to become an NP.

GREAT thread!!!
Count me in as another one who loves "office/school supplies". In my defense, I do go through a good pile of notebooks every month, so buying notebooks is justified... kinda.

I have a passion for playing/teaching music, but I'm also starting to realize that it's much easier to love a "passion" when you don't have to earn your living by it.

I've been too busy to delve into much these days but I'd say gaming has always been a passion. Ideally, I'd like to do computer modeling/game design but, none of the schools within 400 miles offer it. So... graphic design it is.

My second passion, non-family related, is currently my education. I've had to make many sacrifices to continue work on my bachelor's but I'm doing it. DH is a full time student and I have an 18 month old and a 4 year old. It takes serious dedication to make it happen and it's going slow as molasses but I'm doing it!

I am passionate about drawing, and I love the designs of certain cartoons and animated characters. I mostly love to draw cartoon girls, and since I've always been overweight I guess I sorta live vicariously through their figures. I did the drawing in my current avatar based on the Bee Girl from the old Blind Melon music video, and used that drawing to make the cover of my current weight-loss tracker booklet for my TOPS meetings:



The pages themselves are pre-made so that I can have my official weight recorded in them every month, but I sewed them into the cover by hand. I love making, building, creating, and customizing things, period. My husband and I designed our wedding invitations together, me doing the artwork of cute cartoon versions of ourselves and he doing the layout and text. We found lovely blank cards to print them out on ourselves and everyone thought they turned out wonderful.

I've also designed my iPhone case and my dog's name tag with other drawings. I go crazy with this kind of thing. I must say I also love office supplies and organization tools . . . you'd think I'd be more organized at home because of it, but I still need a bit of work with that.

Lunula- Thank you.

Berryblondboys- I am sorry you did not be able to become a mid-wife, I hope that I can become a home birth/birthing center mid-wife I love the all natural birthing experience, as long as my vision doesnt get in the way of that dream I should be able to achieve it.