40 Million Dollars

A blue mug with coffee and cream and a small plate of home made gluten-free fig and walnut toast sit to my right as I type this. This morning I am given to fantasy, after being asked the Facebook question, "if money were no object, what would you do"?

So, I daydream about winning 40 million dollars in the lottery. That seems like enough money to dream on. In my fantasies, first thing, I pay off my student loans. Next comes my car payment. Then, I send money to Medicaid - with a thank you note for them paying for my operations this year. If any of the kind people who sent me money this past year need a loan, I will take care of them. Finally, I send the remaining payments on my credit card and cell phone bills. Breathing a huge sigh of relief, I turn my attention to my family. Each sister gets a substantial chunk to pay off their own bills and fund some dreams of their own. My mother's upcoming hip replacement surgeries won't be a worry for her, and neither will her rehabilitation and convalescence. The finest caregivers are hired, so my sister, Linda, no longer has to stay in the godforsaken place where we grew up.

Then, I turn my attention to where I currently live. If I had unlimited resources, would I stay isolated, at this high altitude? I don't think so. I would travel. First, I would go back to France - and this time, instead of lodging in dorm rooms or one-star hotels, I would travel first class. And eat in Anthony Bourdain-recommended restaurants.And, finally view the art in the Louvre in Paris. Italy would come next. I want to see the town of my ancestors, Pitigliano, and the rest of Tuscany. Sienna, Rome and Florence. However, I cant fantasize away the mold I imagine covers Venice. Even with 40 million dollars, I skip the city of canals and lovers. 

In my dreams, there is no more political unrest in Egypt and I am able to travel freely throughout Cairo and the Giza Plateau. Also in my mind it is safe and welcoming for a woman to travel alone in North Africa and the Middle East. And, I have unlimited strength and energy to walk as far and for as long as I wish. I no longer suffer from anxiety and panic attacks as I take the Silk Road journey through China. I sample the food in Vietnam and Thailand. Then, I travel to India (in the coolest temperatures they have ever experienced). Without anxiety, the crowds and the noise and smells do not affect me. I find them exotic and enticing. The colors and tastes intoxicate my senses. 

Part of my 40 million dollars is invested in green businesses and innovative organic agriculture, with a portion helping women and girls in countries steeped in Sharia law. 

Once my obligations are handled and my wanderlust satisfied, I don't think I would stay in the United States. The future of this country is unsettling and not liberal enough for my tastes. I believe I would go back to Europe to live. I would employ a tutor to help me with my waning French and possibly, live near Nice or Lyon (although I do love Paris, I need a slightly drier climate to call home). 

Time for a second cup of coffee. And more daydreaming.