I love both Ladies of Hive questions of this week. I intended to answer them both this time, however, I just remember that I had a post last month talk about what I love most about this time of the year - the Spring season. So to avoid taking about it again, I will answer the question: How I would spend one million dollars.
It is a coincidence that last week my colleagues and I talked about what to do if we would have won 20 million dollars for a lotto ticket. They all talked about crazy stuff they want to do with the money like going to live in the most luxurious places, eating the best, stopping working... I didn't say anything because I know I won't get a single chance to win that prize.
However, thinking about how to spend one million dollars is realistic to me so I will give it a go. To be honest, I haven't set up a target to reach that amount of money at this time of my life so it is not easy to put myself in that "real feel" of having a million dollars in hand. Well, one million is for sure a good amount of money to spend on things I love.
First of all, I am planning to be financially independent in 10 years. So probably a part of that million dollars would go to my investment portfolio for the future. I don't have to wait for 10 years to do things I love without worrying about my financial situation. Meaning I could easily move to the next stage of my life.
Secondly, I would use part of the money to fund more time off work so I can start exploring new things, new aspects of my life. Even though I would achieve my financial goal, I won't quit my jobs as I enjoy what I am doing now. However, I can certainly work less and spend my valuable time for myself and to do the things I am passionate about.
Let's see what I have in mind. Right now when I close my eyes, I imagine myself working in my own vegies garden. I always deny it when my partner says I need to have a garden for myself but right now at this very moment, the next thing I want to have when I have a million dollars is a garden, not luxury clothes, not expensive phones - nothing like that in my mind.
In that garden, I see myself growing lettuces, spinach and basils for this summer, making more room for some Vietnamese herbs that I get from Sunday markets so I can prepare our special meals often.
It is almost lunchtime so I would go picking up some edible wildflowers and mushrooms from the other corner of my garden. On the way back to the house, I stop by the place where my chickens and ducks live to get some eggs for lunch. Oh wow, feel like I am living there for real. I already master my imagination to a next level.
So back to my "real life", I think the next thing I would spend my money on is to find a bigger place with a proper garden so I can start growing more plants. At the moment, I only have a small space in my flat with full sun for some basils, Vietnamese herbs and dwarf tomatoes.
I love wildflowers such as daisies and dandelion so part of my garden will be spare for them to grow. I would like to have some fruit trees like lemon, mandarin, peach, pear...And of course, seasonal veggies so I can easily get them and prepare our quick meals whenever I want.
Together with setting up a garden, I would make room for my worm farm to compost the food waste from my kitchen. This way I can reduce the waste and use it to fertilize the garden.
Basils, vietnamese herb and tomatoes love the natural "food" that I gave them
At the moment, I am living in a small flat so it is not possible to have a worm farm or a compost bin. However, I learn a method to create natural-non-toxic dishwashing liquid from fruit skins and vegetable waste. I also can use it as fertiliser for my basils, mint and tomatoes plants. They love it.
Puppies at my parents' house
My partner loves to have a dog so for sure we will adopt a dog. We would build a small house for the animals like chickens, ducks as well. So they can provide us with eggs as in my dream earlier.
Power panels next to a hut
I also want to power the place with solar energy so I will use part of a million dollars to set up the solar system panels to provide us with enough energy to power our own home.
Oh talking about having the earth harmony living, my partner and I would love to participate more often in projects to help restore the planet, like growing the forest, planting native trees, rescuing the wild animals. At the moment, we only can set up a monthly fund for the organisations that do so but we are not able to join them.
Are you living in the conditions that I listed above? If yes, congratulations you are living in my dream ☺️ If there is one thing that I learn why answering this question, it is we are living in each other dream. This helps to remind me that even though I am not in my dream now, the life I have at the moment could be another person's dream.
I am a realistic person so I think it is not too hard to make my dream come true. I ask myself, do I have to wait 10 years to do what I list above? Or do I need 1 million to do the things? The answer is no. I can start working towards it right now, step-by-step at this very right moment.
Thank you so much 
To my awesome friends 
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