Somewhere along the long winding road of 2020, I completely forgot how to have fun. For months I was only focused on not losing my sanity while being locked in my house with my family and making sure I could secure food, cleaning products, and toilet paper (I still don’t understand the run on toilet paper). Fun had completely fallen off my To Do List and it wasn’t until recently that the need for it came back on my radar. After a few weeks of virtual school this fall (parenting during a pandemic is super awesome), I hit a wall. A concrete wall. I was miserable. COVID had stolen the fun from my days and joy from my life.
I allowed myself to indulge in a pity party for longer than I care to admit. I ruminated about how unfair it all was and how much everything sucked. I cried. I sulked. I stomped my feet. I cursed. A LOT. Then, I did what I do best and got to work. I canceled the ongoing pity party and embraced what an amazing opportunity 2020 presented to find NEW fun things to do since I could no longer do the things that had brought me joy in the past, e.g., travel, VGK Hockey games, dinner parties, women’s conferences.
Out of my brainstorming, Project Fun was born. I know. Not the most creative name. My teenage son rolled his eyes and informed me it was a “stupid name,” but I pressed forward anyway. I researched fun things to do in my area and committed to doing at least one new, fun thing every week. Luckily, I live in the large, metropolitan city of Las Vegas so I had tons of options to choose from…
I signed up for my local hiking club. On our first hike we explored Red Rock Canyon. Despite being born and raised in Las Vegas, I had never hiked those famous trails. I even met a fellow Boston University alumni and made a new friend on the hike.
I went axe throwing with my 10-year-old son. We royally sucked but it was a blast.
I bought a bunch of clear containers at my hobby haven, The Container Store, and started organizing my closet. Yes, I find organizing fun. Don’t laugh. It’s just my form of gardening.
I know I cannot be alone in having needed to reignite joy in my life. Have you forgotten how to have fun, too? Or maybe you just need to redefine what fun means during these crazy times? If you’re ready to stop self-commiserating and start leveling up your fun game, check out the articles below for inspiration. Also, I invite you to join me in celebrating Project Fun! Simply accept that there’s still tons of fun to be had during a pandemic and post some pics of your joy-filled endeavors on Facebook and/or Instagram. Tag them #projectfunjb. You can bet I’ll be posting all the fun I’m having, and I can’t wait to see what fun you’re up to as well!
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