For about the first three days of no school, I was basically in heaven. No homework, basically no responsibilities, and enough time to catch up on all the TV I’d been missing out on during school.

But then reality hit: a full month and a half off (at least.) Even with a few teachers posting some online work and my parents assigning chores, I didn’t really have enough to fill the day. And honestly, even I get a little sick of watching Netflix for hours straight. 

So when my parents told me that now was the time to learn something I’d been wanting to learn for a while, I jumped at the chance. I’ve never been the musical type, but the idea of playing the guitar appealed to me for some reason. Also, my dad just happened to have one.

I started the process of teaching myself guitar through Youtube videos. I will admit that at first, I was terrible. I still kind of am, but it’s fun. It gets me out of my head and keeps me from thinking too much about the reality of our situation because all I’m really thinking about is getting the chords right. Plus, it fills up some of the hours in the day. On top of that, it’s just a lot of fun. 

So if you’ve ever—even mildly—considered taking up a new skill, do it. Whether it’s learning how to bake something elaborate or how to knit, try it. You won’t regret it. Besides, you’ve got plenty of time now.