Lesson 3 · Reading

My name is Sara. Many of us spend a lot of time thinking about money, but I try not to. I don't usually buy much — I hate buying nice things just because they look good. Last year I spent all my savings on a flight to Thailand. I was born in a small town in the mountains, so I love being in warm places. "Here's what I think," my friend said, "you need to enjoy being outside more." I agreed.

Around the world, people spend their free time in very different ways. I don't have any free time during the week — I work long hours and get home from work quite late. I'm not good at switching off after work. I need to tidy the house most evenings, and I rarely have a little sleep before dinner. I'm tired almost every night tonight included.

Not very often do I go out dancing — maybe once a month. I enjoy doing courses online in the evenings. I want to try activities like yoga and painting. I used to do some exercise outside the shop near my flat, but there aren't enough quiet places close to each other in my area. I prefer doing sports alone, not in a group. "That sounds nice," people always say when I tell them.

I have visited lots of different places around the world — Asia, the capital of Thailand, and a quiet island on the coast. Switzerland is my dream destination. I want to go there and try skiing in the mountains. "See you later!" — I say this when I leave work, and I always think about the next trip. I'm not sure when I can go, but I'm saving money now.

At the weekend, many of us want to answer the question: what should I do with my free time? I like to check my phone for ideas in the morning. I sometimes go through the town on Friday nights, but I don't do much — it's quite noisy and there's nowhere to go near the main road. I prefer a quiet place. Doing courses or reading a book — that's the most similar to my perfect evening. Hard work all week means I need to rest.