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Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?
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Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?
#2I like to paddle around local lakes and ponds with my wife in our homemade carbon fiber boats. It's amazing how even in the Boston area you can see a lot of wildlife when you get out on the water.
Why is it cool? The little 18 pound canoes are amazing on calm lakes.
Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?
#3Rock Climbing, specifically Bouldering, makes a great hobby for a computer programmer:
1. It works the right muscles to fight all the terrible things that programming does to your body. Slouching fixed, wrist issues fixed, obesity fixed.
2. It's crazy fun and addictive. You will make time to go climbing. There is no concept of "I should probably go climbing but..." like there is with the gym, running, etc. If it's physically possible to go climbing now without definitely getting fired, you're going.
3. It's measurable, so it presses the "leveling up" buttons that seem to be hard-wired into dev types. You'll spend years stuck at V6, grinding 4 nights a week in the gym, loving every minute of it in the hope of one day advancing to V7.
4. It gets you traveling. Sure, there's enough rock around town to keep you going on the weekends, and there's some good areas that you can hit for a weekend roadtrip (which by the way will be where you spend every single weekend from here on out). But all the best rock is halfway around the world. You'll save up to spend a winter on the beach in Thailand, summer roadtripping across Europe, and if you ever end up in Paris on business you'll look me up in Fontainebleau and I'll take you out for the single best day of bouldering in your life here in the forest.
Head down to the climbing gym tonight. It'll ruin your life. In a good way.
Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?
#4Woodworking, specifically with hand tools. I love everything about it. The history and tradition of the craft and seeing the work of craftsman around me, especially when travelling. Satisfaction from finishing a project or applying a newly learned technique. Not to mention that wood as a medium is both challenging and rewarding. This comment could never do it justice.
Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?
#5Playing Hockey - it's the best sport for me. Very quick and high Intensive and a bit brutal sometimes. I love the feeling of sliding on the ice and the focus you need for the 1-2minutes you're out there for a shift.
Also the team aspect is great if you play in a league and train with other guys every week for the playoffs.
Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?
#6Rock Climbing, specifically Bouldering, makes a great hobby for a computer programmer: 1. It works the right muscles to fight all the terrible things that programming does to your body. Slouching fixed, wrist issues fixed, obesity fixed. 2. It's crazy fun and addictive. You will make time to go climbing. There is no concept of "I should probably go climbing but..." like there is with the gym, running, etc. If it's ph…
Sounds fun, how do you find places that offer this? Is it expensive? Crowded?
Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?
#7I like to paddle around local lakes and ponds with my wife in our homemade carbon fiber boats. It's amazing how even in the Boston area you can see a lot of wildlife when you get out on the water. Why is it cool? The little 18 pound canoes are amazing on calm lakes.
How did you make the boats?
Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?
#8Aikido. Good exercise with a practical point The wrist stretches feel great after typing all day. I enjoy the duality of art in that sometimes you can be aggressive (uke) or learn how to blend with that aggression as nage
Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?
#9Woodworking, specifically with hand tools. I love everything about it. The history and tradition of the craft and seeing the work of craftsman around me, especially when travelling. Satisfaction from finishing a project or applying a newly learned technique. Not to mention that wood as a medium is both challenging and rewarding. This comment could never do it justice.
How did you get started with something like that? I can barely get a nail straight into a board
Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?
#10Rock Climbing, specifically Bouldering, makes a great hobby for a computer programmer: 1. It works the right muscles to fight all the terrible things that programming does to your body. Slouching fixed, wrist issues fixed, obesity fixed. 2. It's crazy fun and addictive. You will make time to go climbing. There is no concept of "I should probably go climbing but..." like there is with the gym, running, etc. If it's ph…
Sounds fun, how do you find places that offer this? Is it expensive? Crowded?
Climbing gyms? They're plentiful these days, so chances are there's at least one in your town (or seven if you're in a major city). $15 will get you a daypass to try it out, and it's comparable to any other gym membership in cost long term.
As to climbing outside, rock shoes cost $150 and the internet will tell you everything you need about where to go and how to do it.