Nothing. The value of doing nothing can far outweigh the value of doing something. Consider taking the time to just live before you go back to whatever grind you’re always on in a month. :)
I think a lot of people have setup their lives such that they don’t feel they need a break, or free time or an escape. They don’t put off those things that the rest of us do. Maybe the commenter you replied to falls into that category.
So maybe he is one of those "I'm so passionate about my job, I would literally do it for free" kind of guys?
I do hear that "bullshit" everyday from countless people and think it's refreshing if people would share what they would truly do if they had the freedom to choose.
A lot of people is a stretch I think. I would be surprised if it was was 1% of humanity. And that is probably even a snapshot: when you get older, attitude might change.
The purpose of the question is to find the winner of the "I conform to the hive mind opinion of cool recreational activities better than the rest of you".
That not a leisure activity I participate in, or I already do things the hive mind feels is cool, is breaking the rules of the primate dominance game while being possibly good true answers. We're supposed to be fighting over if urban bicycling is cooler to the hive mind than homeless shelter volunteering, not pointing out its a ridiculous question for real life or mentioning there's no real reason why anything listed so far would require a month off. Its supposed to be more important that going to hipster bars is better for the hive mind, than pointing out we don't need a month off to go to the hipster bar.
Exercise: Hike, Bike, Yoga, Stretch/Mobility exercises;
Learn to cook some new vegetable recipes;
Meditate daily;
Read books and give myself some time away from the computer;
Probably binge watch some series on Netflix or HBO :)
TL;DR: mostly technical debt of things I manage in my private life (server, laptop, family's laptop, my phone).
I would do things that need doing for a long time:
- I have an old server on its last legs running Windows 7 (yes, not even Windows Server or anything) with services which I'd like to migrate to my newer Linux server;
- I'd check and reconfigure some backups, and setup automatic backups for devices that don't have it yet (my own laptop and my grandma's new laptop);
- I'd reinstall my phone which is running Cyanogenmod based on Android 4.4, but it's a lot of work to reconfigure everything (considering how many custom settings I have to firewall apps, disallow most autostarts and wakelocks, deny most broadcast events to apps such as those from the Google framework, etc.);
- and finally a hobby project: I'd finish calendar software that I'm writing (I can't find open source, collaborative, self-hostable calendar software) and finally have friends and family be able to just look in my calendar instead of going back and forth, and my girlfriend be able to edit in it and I in hers, etc.
As someone in their mid 30s, with a wife, kids, and friends (if you have the funds):
* Replace your server with Dropbox and/or a VM outside the home (I use Dropbox @ $100/year and a Digital Ocean VM)
* Switch to Backblaze or another backup service of your choice instead of self-managed backups (I use Time Machine with my 2013 MBA)
* Put your calendar software away for now, use Google Cal or Fastmail (depending on funds and level of Goog wariness, I still use Google Cal because laziness, but have a paid Fastmail account to support them)
I'm not saying anything you outlined doesn't have value (I think it all does!), I enjoy learning more Python by contributing to open source digital archivalist projects. But automate those mundane tasks and go spend time with your girlfriend, your grandmother, and the rest of your family.
"Technical debt" will expand to fill the free time you allow it to, and time is the ultimate non-renewable resource. Spend that time making memories with those you love instead. One day they'll all be gone; no one lays on their death bed wishing they had tweaked that one last backup script, or tried that additional custom rom on their mobile device. They wish they had spent more time with loved ones [1].
> Replace your server with [...] a VM outside the home
There are advantages to having it in your own home like latency/bandwidth, offline availability and self-reliance (that one evening a year where internet is down, it's definitely nice to have things local), privacy, and of course the price. Downsides are physically upgrading yourself (that will be easier once I get beefy enough hardware to run everything in a VM) and less flexibility, but so far that has been worth it.
> Switch to Backblaze or another backup service of your choice
Exactly what I was going to do: another backup service of my choice. Restic is what I'll probably use, but I have yet to find time to do a test setup.
> automate those mundane tasks and go spend time with your girlfriend, your grandmother, and the rest of your family.
I've been prioritizing that, which is why I have the technical debt ;). But nevertheless, not bad advice.
Of course, but as with most of my projects, I doubt it'll gain traction. I don't have any sort of name or following, I don't market them, and most things are either specific to my setup or only implement the specific things I need. Still, the code will be out there under some free license. If you want to keep posted, I could send you an email once there's a beta.
Definitely shoot me an email. I don't think many people on HN are afraid of implementing features they want in open source projects. I'm interested in a syncing calendar with alerts that can be viewed from any of my devices (Android & via Chrome).
I’d go on an expedition. Himalayas in April or November. Alaska in the Arctic summer. Or South America in their summer. In 2016, I had a month long sabbatical and spent it in Nepal, which was worth every minute.
I’m not the parent commenter but I recently spent almost a month in Nepal. Most of it was trekking in the Annapurna region. There are “teahouses” along all the trekking routes (some areas have more than others), which are mostly very basic but very cheap. I wasn’t alone but I met many people who were. It’s easy to befriend other people on the same route and stick together for awhile.
Aside from trekking I spent a few days in Pokhara and Kathmandu (Thamel), but much preferred the mountains to the cities.
In my experience, the only mutually interesting topic is for them to spend time with their parent. If whatever you're doing is interesting to them and you spend time with them doing it, they'll remember it for the rest of their lives.
I helped one of my sons learn some basic electronics and he showed a lot of skill with it, but he soon lost interest when I tried to turn it over to him to explore. He didn't seem interested in pursuing the topic as much as spend time with me. Nowadays it's mostly talking about the software projects he's implementing and how best to architect or design his code. He gets annoyed when I become too pedantic, so mostly it's asking questions and validating (and guiding) his choices.
I've had a challenge doing activities with my oldest, as our interests hardly match up, and I wasn't able to keep the interest (I'm stubborn and self-centered). Mostly I have to listen--I'm not sure whether he enjoys me listening, but he keeps doing it when the opportunity presents itself.
My youngest--I'm at a loss. He's high-functioning autistic and plays games most of the time. He's smart and witty, so he enjoys the nuances of conversation and actually doing things with the family. He often doesn't care what we're doing, just that we're doing it together.
We do some activities (plays, musical performances, etc.) as a family (most of the time minus the eldest, as he works, etc.), and they remember and appreciate and are fond of those times when they think on them. It may not be that they were necessarily interested in them, but the fact we enjoyed the time together is what counts.
Which is to say that trying to find a mutually interesting topic is futile--they all have their distinct interests and you can't change that. But what you can do is spend time with them, pursuing their interests. It takes a ton of energy and effort, but they will appreciate it and hopefully take the same habits into their own families.
I was expecting a lot of ambitious projects would be mentioned, but it seems as if a lot of HN wants the same as me.
I would Unplug.
Take the kids camping, explore a national park for a couple weeks and let nature do it's thing. Take the guitar, leave the tablet. Try to catch some fish, which I have never done.
Read a couple books that have been put off for too long. Maybe some Heinlein or Asimovs foundation series (which I seem to have never gotten around to reading). Definitely some Alan watts.
I would also try some of that legal cannabis I keep reading about.
I'm with ya there. I would Unplug. I'd sit and stare at the wall. I go for a walk. I'd do nothing. (I'd quote Office Space here if I could remember exactly what Peter said) Fishing... sit and do nothing.
I know this is true because I was only given one month. It would be different if it was indefinite. Having a solid limit, and just a month, is not bad. Having nothing in front of me for the rest of my life would be different.
Hey, if you want to do the fishing thing, it doesn't take a month or a national park. Just thought I'd chime in with a simple recipe that will catch you fish about 99 days out of 100:
Buy a "cane pole" (they sell non-bamboo versions these days). Tie on a hook, bobber, etc. Get some live bait--you can usually buy worms where you buy your fishing pole.
Ask the guy who sells you your pole a good place to fish, if you don't know of a pond or lake nearby.
Go to the lake, and the way you use a cane pole is you swing it out. No casting or fussing with lines and reels etc. When the bobber gets tugged on, you lift up. It's almost like cheating, you just pull fish out of the water!
I started fishing this way when I was 3. I would start any kid the same way.
If you go the other route--artificial lures, casting reels, etc--you'll get skunked a lot. Getting skunked fishing beats a day of work, but it's not great for youngsters' morale.
I put off going fishing for months after I bought my pole because my 'recipe' wasn't simple enough. Now I try to MVP my hobbies. I keep a pole in the trunk, hit the gas station that sells worms, and drive up to a small reservoir. It's not the perfect serene fishing scene we picture in our heads, but it is a lifesaver.
Edit: I guess it somewhat depends on the definition of "free time." Summer with kids? Road trip! School year with kids staying local? Other items. School year with kids on the road somehow? Japan to ski and learn. Sail the Caribbean and homeschool.
What I'm doing now: my podcast, Leadership and the Environment http://joshuaspodek.com/podcast, because I consider it one of the most important things I can do with my time.
69 comments
[ 1.7 ms ] story [ 136 ms ] threadThis might be the most profound thing I have ever read on HN :)
Always do what scares you the most.
So I would continue doing what I already do day to day
"Not really sure what you mean by free time".
Give me a break, you understand the question just fine.
The worst part is that you didn't contribute to the question at all. Why did you comment?
I do hear that "bullshit" everyday from countless people and think it's refreshing if people would share what they would truly do if they had the freedom to choose.
That not a leisure activity I participate in, or I already do things the hive mind feels is cool, is breaking the rules of the primate dominance game while being possibly good true answers. We're supposed to be fighting over if urban bicycling is cooler to the hive mind than homeless shelter volunteering, not pointing out its a ridiculous question for real life or mentioning there's no real reason why anything listed so far would require a month off. Its supposed to be more important that going to hipster bars is better for the hive mind, than pointing out we don't need a month off to go to the hipster bar.
Exercise: Hike, Bike, Yoga, Stretch/Mobility exercises; Learn to cook some new vegetable recipes; Meditate daily; Read books and give myself some time away from the computer; Probably binge watch some series on Netflix or HBO :)
- Practice playing an instrument (guitar, in my case)
- Meet friends and family I didn't see in a while, especially if it involves traveling
I would do things that need doing for a long time:
- I have an old server on its last legs running Windows 7 (yes, not even Windows Server or anything) with services which I'd like to migrate to my newer Linux server;
- I'd check and reconfigure some backups, and setup automatic backups for devices that don't have it yet (my own laptop and my grandma's new laptop);
- I'd reinstall my phone which is running Cyanogenmod based on Android 4.4, but it's a lot of work to reconfigure everything (considering how many custom settings I have to firewall apps, disallow most autostarts and wakelocks, deny most broadcast events to apps such as those from the Google framework, etc.);
- and finally a hobby project: I'd finish calendar software that I'm writing (I can't find open source, collaborative, self-hostable calendar software) and finally have friends and family be able to just look in my calendar instead of going back and forth, and my girlfriend be able to edit in it and I in hers, etc.
* Replace your server with Dropbox and/or a VM outside the home (I use Dropbox @ $100/year and a Digital Ocean VM)
* Switch to Backblaze or another backup service of your choice instead of self-managed backups (I use Time Machine with my 2013 MBA)
* Put your calendar software away for now, use Google Cal or Fastmail (depending on funds and level of Goog wariness, I still use Google Cal because laziness, but have a paid Fastmail account to support them)
I'm not saying anything you outlined doesn't have value (I think it all does!), I enjoy learning more Python by contributing to open source digital archivalist projects. But automate those mundane tasks and go spend time with your girlfriend, your grandmother, and the rest of your family.
"Technical debt" will expand to fill the free time you allow it to, and time is the ultimate non-renewable resource. Spend that time making memories with those you love instead. One day they'll all be gone; no one lays on their death bed wishing they had tweaked that one last backup script, or tried that additional custom rom on their mobile device. They wish they had spent more time with loved ones [1].
[1] http://www.bronnieware.com/blog/regrets-of-the-dying
There are advantages to having it in your own home like latency/bandwidth, offline availability and self-reliance (that one evening a year where internet is down, it's definitely nice to have things local), privacy, and of course the price. Downsides are physically upgrading yourself (that will be easier once I get beefy enough hardware to run everything in a VM) and less flexibility, but so far that has been worth it.
> Switch to Backblaze or another backup service of your choice
Exactly what I was going to do: another backup service of my choice. Restic is what I'll probably use, but I have yet to find time to do a test setup.
> automate those mundane tasks and go spend time with your girlfriend, your grandmother, and the rest of your family.
I've been prioritizing that, which is why I have the technical debt ;). But nevertheless, not bad advice.
Apart from that, NOTHING.
Aside from trekking I spent a few days in Pokhara and Kathmandu (Thamel), but much preferred the mountains to the cities.
I would likely spend it trying to teach my kids as much as I can through play, experimentation, discussion, and research.
The problem is, we would likely have to find a mutually interesting topic for a 6 year old, a 10 year old, and myself to keep engagement up.
I helped one of my sons learn some basic electronics and he showed a lot of skill with it, but he soon lost interest when I tried to turn it over to him to explore. He didn't seem interested in pursuing the topic as much as spend time with me. Nowadays it's mostly talking about the software projects he's implementing and how best to architect or design his code. He gets annoyed when I become too pedantic, so mostly it's asking questions and validating (and guiding) his choices.
I've had a challenge doing activities with my oldest, as our interests hardly match up, and I wasn't able to keep the interest (I'm stubborn and self-centered). Mostly I have to listen--I'm not sure whether he enjoys me listening, but he keeps doing it when the opportunity presents itself.
My youngest--I'm at a loss. He's high-functioning autistic and plays games most of the time. He's smart and witty, so he enjoys the nuances of conversation and actually doing things with the family. He often doesn't care what we're doing, just that we're doing it together.
We do some activities (plays, musical performances, etc.) as a family (most of the time minus the eldest, as he works, etc.), and they remember and appreciate and are fond of those times when they think on them. It may not be that they were necessarily interested in them, but the fact we enjoyed the time together is what counts.
Which is to say that trying to find a mutually interesting topic is futile--they all have their distinct interests and you can't change that. But what you can do is spend time with them, pursuing their interests. It takes a ton of energy and effort, but they will appreciate it and hopefully take the same habits into their own families.
I would Unplug.
Take the kids camping, explore a national park for a couple weeks and let nature do it's thing. Take the guitar, leave the tablet. Try to catch some fish, which I have never done.
Read a couple books that have been put off for too long. Maybe some Heinlein or Asimovs foundation series (which I seem to have never gotten around to reading). Definitely some Alan watts.
I would also try some of that legal cannabis I keep reading about.
Also: Take a nap every day.
I know this is true because I was only given one month. It would be different if it was indefinite. Having a solid limit, and just a month, is not bad. Having nothing in front of me for the rest of my life would be different.
"... two chicks at the same time, man."
No, wait, that was Lawrence.
Buy a "cane pole" (they sell non-bamboo versions these days). Tie on a hook, bobber, etc. Get some live bait--you can usually buy worms where you buy your fishing pole.
Ask the guy who sells you your pole a good place to fish, if you don't know of a pond or lake nearby.
Go to the lake, and the way you use a cane pole is you swing it out. No casting or fussing with lines and reels etc. When the bobber gets tugged on, you lift up. It's almost like cheating, you just pull fish out of the water!
I started fishing this way when I was 3. I would start any kid the same way.
If you go the other route--artificial lures, casting reels, etc--you'll get skunked a lot. Getting skunked fishing beats a day of work, but it's not great for youngsters' morale.
There's many other perfect situations, too, like the cover of a river runs through it.
Organize photos. Scan all physical photos.
Read.
Ride my bike.
Organize.
Write code.
Edit: I guess it somewhat depends on the definition of "free time." Summer with kids? Road trip! School year with kids staying local? Other items. School year with kids on the road somehow? Japan to ski and learn. Sail the Caribbean and homeschool.