In the hot summer days of April, have you ever found yourself looking back at the hobbies that once gave you fulfillment? Back when you weren’t worrying about bills, deadlines or pleasing a boss?
Summer days in Cebu can feel heavy and long. They stir a longing for that elusive work-life balance — a desire to exist without the distraction of a phone or the need to spend a dime. Even students are feeling the burnout, craving the outside world after growing tired of the “bat life” spent in the glow of monitors and late-night study sessions. These hobbies aren’t just distractions; they are vital links to our identity.
Nostalgia of ‘trying’
Summer is the perfect season for trying. It was ingrained in our souls as children that this was the time to hang out with friends, play video games all night, walk the local beaches, or climb trees like a make-believe Tarzan.
In every phase of life, there is something we once wanted to become. Do you remember reading your first book and dreaming of being a writer? Taking a photo of a family member and wanting to be a photographer? Strumming a guitar chord and imagining a stage? Our lives are mosaics of these aspirations — small tiles of dreams that show us who we truly are.
Science of self-continuity
As we grow up and pursue a “better life,” we tend to forget to slow down. We grit our teeth to get through the day, forgetting the foundations that made us.
Psychology calls this Self-Continuity. Researchers have found that when we look back at our past selves, we aren’t just being sentimental; we are weaving a thread that keeps us from feeling lost in the modern grind. By picking up that old camera or notebook, you aren’t just “trying” a hobby — you are reclaiming the person you were before the deadlines arrived.
Finding your flow
We often think that “trying” requires a heavy effort — the same grinding energy we use to finish a report. But there is a different kind of effort found in the hobbies we love. It is the effort of Flow, where the brain stops worrying about the future and settles into the safety of the present.
When we return to these foundations, our minds exit survival mode. We aren’t just “playing;” we are giving our souls a safe space to breathe away from the weight of adulthood.
Above all, this season is a chance to reflect on being human. Build real connections through genuine emotion and simple kindness. Being a “perfect adult” doesn’t mean having total success or immense wealth by 30. The perfect adult is, quite literally, the kindest one.
So, as the April sun hits its peak, let yourself be a beginner again. Dust off the lens, tune the strings or open the sketchbook to a blank page. The goal isn’t to produce a masterpiece for the world to see, but to find the person you left behind in the rush of growing up. In the end, the most productive thing you can do this summer is simply to exist — kindly, authentically and with the curiosity of the child you used to be.
