What is your favorite hobby or pastime?

If you had asked me a few years ago what my favorite hobby was, I probably would have said something simple — reading, gardening, or maybe even running. But today, my answer is a little bigger than that.

My favorite hobby — the one that’s grown roots deep into every part of my life — is homesteading. What started as a small hobby has become our lifestyle, our passion, and our way of seeing the world.

From Hobby to Way of Life

When we began, I thought homesteading would just be about growing our own vegetables or raising a few backyard chickens. But over time, it became something much greater — a connection to the rhythms of the seasons, the animals we care for, and the land we steward.

What used to be a pastime quickly became a purpose. The garden expanded, the chickens multiplied, the bees arrived, and before I knew it, our days were filled with the kind of work that fills your heart just as much as it tires your body.

Homesteading has brought a richness to our lives that’s hard to describe — a sense of pride, gratitude, and wonder at the simple things: a basket of eggs, a jar of honey, a healthy tomato plant thriving in the soil we built with our own hands.

Lessons the Homestead Has Taught Me

Every project and every season teaches me something new. I’ve learned patience from planting seeds and waiting for them to sprout. I’ve learned resilience when things didn’t go as planned — like when a frost wiped out early seedlings or a predator found its way into the coop.

Most of all, I’ve learned that I’m capable of so much more than I ever imagined.

There’s a kind of quiet confidence that grows when you realize you can build, repair, nurture, and create — not just for yourself, but for the life you’re shaping.

Homesteading has a way of humbling you and empowering you all at once.

Why I’ll Always Love This Life

This “hobby” has become more than a pastime — it’s become our story.

It’s what connects our family, what fills our pantry, and what keeps us learning every single day. The homestead has taught me to slow down, pay attention, and appreciate how much beauty there is in working with your hands and heart.

Every egg, every bloom, every harvest feels like a reminder that the best things in life are often the ones you nurture with time, patience, and care.

So when someone asks me what my favorite hobby or pastime is, I smile and say:

“This. This little homestead — it’s my favorite thing we’ve ever built.”