Describe a hobby or activity that you used to do but have given up

Something I used to do but have given up is playing the piano. I began lessons when I was eight, after my mother insisted that every child in the family should learn an instrument, and I kept going for about nine years.

At first I enjoyed it a lot. I loved the feeling of mastering a new piece, and I remember practising for an hour every afternoon after school. My teacher was a kind elderly lady who lived in the next street, and she used to give me sweets if I played a difficult passage correctly. I even performed at a few small concerts and once won a prize at a regional competition, which I was very proud of.

The reason I stopped is quite ordinary. When I entered university, I had much less free time, and I also moved to a different city, where I didn't have a piano. At first I told myself I would practise whenever I went home, but gradually the hobby fell by the wayside. Other commitments, such as part-time work and exams, took over, and after a couple of years I found I was completely out of touch. When I sat down at my parents' piano last summer, I could barely remember the pieces I once knew by heart.

I would definitely like to start again. I've been thinking about buying a small digital keyboard for my flat, which wouldn't disturb the neighbours, and perhaps taking online lessons. I don't expect to reach my old level quickly, but I think playing again would be a lovely way to relax.