I no longer love Harry Potter. My passion for making scarves out of yarn has long been forgotten. The wands and skeins of yarn are now in my closet, not being used.
When I was 12, I was obsessed with Harry Potter. When my family and I visited London that year, we explored King’s Cross Station, so I could see where all the fictional kids had gotten on the train to Hogwarts; I was ecstatic to be there. In Scotland—on the same trip—we saw the inspiration for Hogwarts Castle and Diagon Alley; I will never forget the mystical feeling of walking down the real-life Diagon Alley.
We were trying to navigate the way to a shop, and Google Maps took us through a tunnel that cut across streets; when we got there, we were at Diagon Alley. We arrived there by accident, but it was magical to walk out of the tunnel and see all the colorful shops built along the curvy brick road—just like in the films.
The following year—less than a month before the pandemic—we went to Universal Studios. I had gotten my wand, ridden all the Harry Potter-themed rides, and I ran around the little village shouting spells trying to get the shops to light up. When they did, I was on top of the world. I loved sipping frozen butter beers and pretending I was a student at Hogwarts on winter break.
But, soon after my trip to Harry Potter World, my interest and love for the series was disintegrating. I had loved it for three years, and then, one day, I found that I didn’t anymore.
For better or worse, I had moved on to photoshoots, the TV show Friends, and Jennifer Lopez. All of these were some of my favorite things in 2020 and helped keep me entertained during the pandemic. But, soon enough, some of those faded out of my life as well. I had moved on to other musical artists, other hobbies, and—even though I still enjoy Friends—other TV shows, too.
My pastimes have changed tremendously; music-wise, I went from playing the piano to playing the guitar and ukulele. I was obsessed with diamond art for a while, but now I would much rather paint. I used to knit scarves with my fingers, but now I simply buy one if I need it.
My interests, tastes, hobbies, and passions have all come and gone, except for the rare few that stick with me. I try to experiment with different experiences as frequently as possible, and once I find some I like, I strive to keep them with me.
Even though I know things will end, that doesn’t stop me from trying to get the most out of it. Vacations, school years, and summers don’t last forever. It doesn’t matter how long something lasts, what matters is how it was spent.
“And just knowing / That everything will end / We should not change our plan / When we begin again”
-“All Things End” by Hozier
