When you’ve visited all the museums, eaten at all the new restaurants, walked through all the parks, and done everything you can think of, what is there to do?
I have a couple of friends in my hometown with whom I’ve explored our city numerous times, trying out everything we can think of and find out about. At some point, we ran into a bit of a rut: we didn’t have the time to go to scheduled events and struggled to find entertaining activities.
So, we started to get creative. I did a lot of TikTok research looking for things to do. Now, post-research and post-trial, here are some suggestions for what to do when there’s “nothing to do,” coming from a girl who’s done it all.
- Chopped at Home
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One of the more unique things my friends and I have done is Chopped at home. If you’ve never heard of Chopped, it’s a long-running Food Network show where contestants are given four “mystery ingredients” and expected to create a dinner course (e.g., appetizer, entree, dessert) using all the ingredients.
To do it at home, one person serves as the judge, chooses the mystery ingredients, and provides help as needed. The others are the chefs, and they use whatever they have in the house to make food. When my friend group did it, we gave ourselves an hour and a half to cook, and we were off.
One major benefit was the cost factor. Instead of buying anything new, we just used what was in the house. There was a lot of cleaning afterward, but honestly, it just meant more time to spend with each other, so none of us minded.
I highly recommend trying this out if you and your friends love competitions!
- Binging a Show? Try a Challenge
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One of my love languages is watching the shows my friends enjoy. Reacting together in real-time, yelling at the TV, and talking about what’s happening are some of my favorite things to do. However, watching several episodes of one show can get draining, so that’s when you add the challenges.
Over the past summer, my friends and I watched too many episodes of Boys Over Flowers, an older Korean drama based on the manga with the same title. The show got super repetitive after a while, so we made a game out of it.
When there was a montage, we’d run around the house until it was over. If the main character did something stupid, we would do jumping jacks. It’s a similar vibe to “drink when someone says this,” but without the drinking.
For us, this was a great way to stay active and engaged while watching a show that can get slow at times. I highly recommend making up your own game for your favorite group watch!
- Recreate Food from Your Favorite Movies
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Some of the best movies have unique or delicious food throughout them. I’m obsessed with the animation of meals and treats in Studio Ghibli movies and wanted to try them for myself, so I did.
A few of my friends and I have seen a bunch of animated films from the company, including Ponyo, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and more. In all of them, one dish or another had our mouths watering. I was right on board with Chihiro’s parents when they walked by the stalls of delicious foods. One friend thought Ponyo’s ramen looked warm and inviting, and another thought the cake from The Wind Rises looked perfect.
We set out to make a bunch of different foods from those movies and have done it a couple of times since. Making all the pieces as a team, working and laughing together in the kitchen, and finally sitting down to a hard-earned meal was a satisfying and healing day.
- Game Night
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A classic thing to do in my family is play a board game or some cards — it was the same for my friends growing up, so we started playing together, including some of the more fast-paced alternatives.
Although Go Fish is loved to death, I tend to suggest games like Spoons, Speed, and Slaps before the classics. They are cutthroat, which is part of what makes the competition so enjoyable and a fantastic way to connect with your people face-to-face.
I also feel like there’s always a new board game coming out; the industry felt kind of at a standstill when I was younger. One newer game that I’ve played and delighted in, despite my frustrations, is Poetry for Neanderthals.
There’s always something new to discover with the classics, and they’re activities best explored with friends as most games are meant for multiplayer. Except for Solitaire, of course.
- Take a day trip
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When I finally have a full 24 hours off from work, I love taking a day trip. It makes an adventure out of something simple, and I get to try something new.
For Tallahassee, I highly suggest the local springs in the area, including Madison Blue Spring State Park, which is about an hour away, and Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, which is less than 30 minutes off-campus. The FSU Lakefront Park and Retreat Center is also a great getaway for students, as entry is free, and there’s lots to do, including kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming, volleyball, and more.
A classic day trip is Thomasville, Georgia, especially during December and January when the small town is decorated for the holidays. The little stores are great for window shopping, and there’s always something cute to buy.
There are also so many parks around Tallahassee that are great to spend the day at. One that comes highly recommended is Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park, which will be in bloom within the next month or two. I’m a huge fan of botanical gardens and can’t wait to visit when everything is at its peak.
Lastly, if you’re up to a bit of a longer drive, there’s much to do closer to Jacksonville and St. Augustine. Some examples include going to Ichetucknee Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach, the shops and museums in St. Augustine, and more.
- Appetizer, Dinner, Dessert Roulette
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Appetizer, dinner, and dessert roulette is another fun way to get out of the house that I learned from TikTok. Every person in the group picks three places, one for each round. The options have to be different so there are no repeats, even across courses. Then, you use a randomizer program or app to decide where to go for the appetizer, dinner, and dessert.
For my friends and me, this was a great way to break up the people-pleasing norm of going to the tried and true. Instead, we picked new restaurants and treat destinations that we individually wanted to try, leading to the others in the group being encouraged to explore more with their food.
Boredom is a plague, but there’s always something to do. Sometimes, a little more creativity is needed, but it’s always worth it at the end of the day to be able to spend some more time with friends.
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