The Pittsburgh Writer I found this writer’s tag a few months back and filed it away for a rainy day. Well, today’s far from rainy (nearly 92 degrees!), but I’m having a “pain moment” and thought it’d be fun to pull the idea out and dust it off for a brand new blog post. It’s time to dream about all the possible things I could do if I suddenly had a million dollars!
Buy a Cabin in the Woods
No, I’m not talking about the book or the film here. For many years now my family and I have vacationed in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinberg, Tennessee. Renting a cabin there is always a must, even over all the motels and hotels that dot the gargantuan strip of attractions, eateries and shops that call Pigeon Forge’s Parkway home. Speaking of “musts” in Tennessee, I must always get in at least one dinner and show at Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede (though it’s now simply known as “Dolly Parton’s Stampede).
Visiting a highly formulated tourist area is one thing; living there would be a completely different experience. However, I’ve always dreamed of owning a cabin in the woods. Ever since one of our first stays there while my sister and brother-in-law were in college.
Now, being a resident of Pennsylvania, I know full well that I can also buy a cabin or cottage in my own State. I mean, we’ve got the Poconos and the lands near the Allegheny National Forest. But there’s something about the Great Smokies that’s just nostalgic. Naturally, the cabin – wherever it may be – would have to have fun little nooks, a hot tub, and a library full of resources!
Build a Home Library
Let’s face it: nonfiction resources can get crazy expensive. Trust me, I get it. I wish the pricing was a little more…streamlined? Affordable? I mean, not everybody needs a full volume on Andrew Carnegie, but who really needs that much information about a single individual?
However, I’d still love to be able to have the freedom to own whatever resources I would like to have. I’m one of those who loves to own her own copies so I can sticky-note it, or highlight, or even make observations in the margins.
One can’t do that with library books!
At first I thought I just meant I’d like to buy more books for this new home library, but I think I’d actually like to build an addition on to the front or side of this house that’ll be a dedicated office space and library. We’ve got the land for it for sure, so it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibilities and it’s a bit closer to home.
Take a Research Trip
Way back in 2019, an idea popped into my head. I was going to go to Washington D.C. and spend a day exploring the famed marbled halls of the Library of Congress. Yes, even with all that political upheaval that was happening at the time. However, I really REALLY wanted to see more of our nation’s history first hand, and the trip’s been on my bucket list for a long time.
I thought about the possibilities as I saved money throughout that year and planned and planned. Heck, I even had my Megabus tickets booked and everything come early 2020. Then the world shut down. It was April, and I’d planned on going in June or July. Little did I know things would last as long as they did.
Then the government shut down, effectively closing the library for the majority of that year to visitors for an undetermined amount of time. Yeah, I was very sad, but at least I got my Megabus tickets (a whole $10 +tax) refunded.
Now that things are somewhat normalizing, I can dream about taking that DC trip again. Even without winning a million dollars, it’s definitely within the realm of possibilities once more. Though who knows? I might choose to go someplace entirely different with a million bucks!
As an adult whose been around these last 36 years, I know you don’t receive the whole million dollar amount when a lottery is won. Those pesky taxes are always ruining the fun, aren’t they. A girl can still dream, though, right? These are the top three things I’d do with my winnings, and I think they’re reasonable goals. I don’t need a fancy sports car or over-priced YSL handbag. I’d naturally treat myself, but who wants to own something so expensive they’d be afraid of messing it up when it’s used?
So here’s the question of the day: what would you do if you suddenly had a million dollars? Answer in the comments below!
