Photo by Lucy Nemerov
“It is really healthy to save time for hobbies that bring you joy and bring passion into your life.” Riley Herron, Paly sophomore
Photo by Natalie Schilling
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With a surplus of time on their hands, Paly students have the opportunity to rekindle old passions and discover new ones.
Gearing up for a victory ride, sophomore Riley Herron mounts her black BMC road bike. She readies her foot on the pedal and turns to her best friends before starting. They take off on their biking journey towards Alpine, the wind blasting their faces and rushing through their hair. Herron and her friend bike all the way to Arastradero and Los Altos Hills where they conclude their celebratory bike ride after racking up 100 miles in one week. Sheltering-in-place has made Herron, and many others, find ways to spend their days at home. Although Herron has never been a serious biker, the lockdown has given her an opportunity to pursue a new hobby. “My friend Brooke and I started doing this as a way to get outside and exercise during quarantine and we grew to really enjoy it,” Herron said. “Now it’s something we look forward to everyday.” Having this fun activity to look forward to helps Herron cope with the craziness of the pandemic.
Finding a new hobby does not have to be a serious commitment and can start out small, or even unexpectedly. “My friends, brother and dad are really into biking and we went for a small ride to Atherton and realized we liked it more than driving,” Herron said. Herron now enjoys her daily bike rides because they give her a chance to take her mind off everything except biking. “After riding uphill for almost an hour, the first time you get to go downhill and release all the effort you had just used is so satisfying,” Herron said. Hobbies are a great way to change up daily routines, especially when our prior commitments have been canceled. It is important to have a fun outlet to look forward to. “It is really healthy to save time for hobbies that bring you joy and bring passion into your life,” Herron said. “It is a great way to break away from stressful mandatory tasks.” Like Herron, many students are looking for ways to stay active. Paly
