I joke a lot about "when I win the lottery." I do play, not regularly, but as the mood strikes me. That means winning is a possibility, even if an extremely remote one. I essentially feel that I get my five dollars' worth of entertainment thinking about what I would do if I were rich.

Tonight's jackpot is over $200 million. What would I do, if I won the lottery tonight?

First, I think, I'd find myself an accountant and a financial planner. I would want experts to make sure the money was secure and well-protected, and to set up the most sensible way for me to have enough money for the rest of my life. With that much, I don't think that would be a problem. My tastes are moderate. I would also make a will.

Then, I would buy a new car. With heated seats.

Next, I would buy a house, near my friends. (This provides hours of entertainment all by itself, as I design my dream house and then furnish it, all in my head.)

Only after that would I quit my job.

Once I'm settled near friends, and never have to work again, then I start traveling. There are so many interesting places to go! At the top of the list:

- the British Isles
- Italy
- Australia
- India
- Japan

But I wouldn't stop there. I'd keep traveling, to 2 or 3 international destinations a year, until I'd seen all of it.

I would travel inside the U.S. as well. I would go to all of the National Parks (actually, that's not a bad idea for a lifetime goal as it is). I'd visit every state, and do as many of the interesting things as I could. I would go to every ren faire in the country at least once. I would go to SF cons, all over the place. Wherever I went, I would visit the zoo. And I'd ride every old-fashioned railroad.

In between trips?

- Blog it all, of course. Actually, at that point I think I'd do a proper website of my own, for pictures and travelogue.
- Volunteer at the Philadelphia Zoo. And other places, as I find ones I like.
- Study as much as possible of the language and culture of my next international destination.
- Take classes in all sorts of interesting things.
- Be home a couple of weekends a month for gaming, of course.

And that's just what I've thought of so far this morning...

I would want to take people with me on my trips, of course. If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, and the only restriction was that I would be going with you - where would we go? What would we see? What would you think of to do that might not occur to me?