What do you take to do when you know that you will have to wait for a while? Do you check all of your social media? Read the online newspaper? Read a real newspaper? Read a book or a magazine? Draw? Colour in? File your nails? Stare at people? Listen to music or a podcast?
This morning I had to catch the Metro train and then a bus to get to an appointment where I would most likely be waiting. Entertainment would be needed.
My phone will do for a few minutes, but my social media life is not that exciting and I am not about to watch a webinar or TV show on the bus. So, I check my phone then delve back into my bag for a ‘Werthers Original’ and something to read.
I like a paperback so that I can read it standing in the bus station as well as sitting on said bus. I am reading ‘The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend’ by Katarina Bivald at the minute which is a brisk easy read so far, perfect for appointment entertainment.
My outdoor sketching needs some practice, so I thought I would pop in a little sketchbook and a couple of drawing implements – pens and colored pencils. Drawing in public is not something I am very confident at, I feel very self conscious scribbling away in a sketchbook, so I usually don’t. This is something I want to change, so as I waited at the Metro station for the train home I whipped out my sketchbook and pen to kill the 7 minutes until the train arrived. I did feel self conscious for a couple of minutes, but to my surprise I started to enjoy the experience, so I finished my rendition of the bus station opposite and was a little disappointed that I didn’t have time to tackle the skyline full of high rises and car parks.
As it turned out, I didn’t need lots of entertainment as my waits were not too long, but I do like to take a variety of paper with me! A book, usually a magazine and a sketchbook/notebook.
I am not a Candy Crush or Twitter kinda gal, I need an ole fashioned story in a book to keep me entertained!
When the kids were younger I always had a bag with pens, books and stickers with us to keep them entertained, so I suppose I am still following that habit when I go anywhere! Come to think of it, I would be quite happy now with a pile of stickers and a sketchbook.
How do you pass the time when you have to wait somewhere or sit on the train? Sometimes, it is just nice to sit quietly and do nothing, but I like the ‘entertainment’ option to be there too.
I might need to go and find some stickers!
Happy Wednesday x
Clare Davis Etheridge 
How fantastic to be able to sketch wherever you go….good for you. Stickers are definitely the way to go & little sticky post-it-notes…I’m such a stationery geek I just can’t help myself and am forever making notes and lists!
Oh yes, stickers are the best! My list runs on lists and post it notes.
Knitting!! I always have a small project (scarf or socks) in my purse so I can pull it out knit a few rows. I have become so much more patient with waiting since I took up knitting – I sometimes hope there’ll be a bit of a wait so I can spend some time with my project.
What a great idea! I have a crochet blanket on the go, but it is getting too big for my bag now!
I always overpack when I know I have to wait. While I do do social media and play games on my phone, I can’t always depend on me being in the mood for them. I’ve been known to pack LARGE bags of paints and papers and whatnot, I’ve packed a few pliers with beads and wire, and I usually have a book and/or magazine. Lately I’ve been carrying around one of those adult coloring books with some colored pencils. It almost always varies depending on my mood. In the end, sometimes I don’t even touch any of it and prefer to people watch or take in the scenery. I’m glad I’m not the only one who packs to wait.
Ha! Sounds like a regular trip to the dentist! If I forget to take something to do, a long wait is a nightmare, I would rather take too much than nothing.
I read books on Kindle so I either take my kindle with me or read using the kindle app on my phone. Sometimes I take earphones and listen to an audiobook – lately I’ve been listening to books more than reading books. Sometimes I take some knitting with me, if it’s at an easy point where I can knit without too much troubleshooting. And sometimes I go on instagram, feedly, chat on hangouts or whatever to kill time. I don’t have many waiting opportunities it seems because mostly I’m at home, in a car, or at the office at work.
I love to listen to books too, such a good use of time I think because you can usually do something else at the same time.