Over the years I have embarked on many different paths during my free time. Finding a hobby has always been a passion of mine. In my early years, the hobbies I chose were just shots in the dark with little thought given to them. Now, there is significantly more thought put into each one. For example, in my earlier 20's I thought I could pick up the hobby of casting aluminum or other metals whilst I was a geographical bachelor and living in an on post apartment at Fort Benning. This did not work for several reasons: Firstly, I didn't have the right or proper equipment to do so. In lieu of this, I crafted my own forge, complete with forced air induction via a hair dryer and used welding gloves and kitchen tongs to handle the stainless steel cup that I used as a crucible for aluminum cans I was melting for raw material. I successfully casted a single "coin" which was about a half in thick glob of aluminum that you could barely see the outline of the basic parachutist badge. I would later give this coin away to the man who beat me in a 12-mile ruck. My wife hated this hobby because it involved intense heat, noxious/toxic fumes, and liquid metal.
My most successful (and time consuming) hobby was brewing beer. I started by buying a one gallon brew kit that came with a small one gallon keg. My first batch was a pumpkin ale and it wasn't too bad. I was hooked though. I made batch after batch; each batch would take hours of painstaking attention to detail and note taking. I read books, articles and watched hundreds of videos on different techniques of brewing, the history, the styles, etc. I spent countless hours developing a sense of the beer culture by listening to beer podcasts on brewing and the beer culture. It was an amazing hobby but once I had kids, it was no longer something that was feasible for me. Brewing beer, all grain brewing, takes at least 6-8 hours. I have literally spent sun up to almost sun down brewing a batch of beer. Combined with my slowing down on drinking, my hobby died out after around 3-4 years. I loved beer brewing, and I wish so badly to get back into it but I wouldn't enjoy the fruits of my labor even if I did dedicate the time to it. I don't really drink any more but sips of this or that and my GERD has gotten pretty bad as of late. It was a hobby I enjoyed thoroughly.
One hobby that I have chosen recently was chosen for practicality and flexibility: Soap Bar Making. it met the few critical criteria that I needed to pursue it: 1) It didn't take more than two hours to partake. 2) I could do it all at home. 3) It's dirt cheap. 4) It produced something useful. 5) It's not very dangerous; except for the lye. I have made a few batches of hot process soap so far and it has been pretty rewarding so far. My wife enjoys using it in the shower and for washing hands and so do I. I have short hair currently so I use my soap only for washing my entire body. I can also experiment with smells by using different oils. I am looking forward to dialing in a great manly smell and producing a lot of soap for the future. I have also applied to the Guinness book of World Records to produce the largest soap on a rope. I plan on making close to an 80lb sphere of soap on a rope using my old Atlas stone molds.
I used to make Atlas stones. This was a great one that I may start doing again because it doesn't take long, it's dirt cheap and I can make some money doing it. I made several hundred dollars doing it for a few months at my last duty station and there's a market for workout stuff with all the COVID crap. Also, I just enjoy making huge concrete spheres. I think they look awesome and they are just heavy.
To list a few other hobbies I attempted over the years are as follows: Photography, videography, video games, watching dragon ball Z, mountain biking (real mountain biking), canoeing, fishing, PC building (which I did successfully), wine tasting, type writer restoration (one successful attempt), Lock-Picking (I am still able to do at a novice level), wood carving, painting, drawing/sketching, and probably a few more I don't remember.
To list a few hobbies that I still do: soap making, geocaching, disc golfing, blogging, working out/running, motorcycle riding, and watching Hockey. Who knows what I'll do next, but I just want to find a hobby that I could really feel like it'll be a lifelong love. After I retire, hopefully from the military and getting a paycheck every month, I just want to enjoy my hobbies and live a nice quiet life... maybe.