Your Ideal Life
 

I did this thread in OOT last year and I think it got a pretty good response. I thought it might make a decent lounge thread.


If you could be anything, anywhere, doing anything, where would you be, what would you do for a living, what would your life be like? The only restriction is you have to be you (so no Hugh Hefner or Jessica Alba's underwear). What is your dream life?

I'll probably bump this with some other ones that I think are cool, but I'll start with Astroglide's awesome response here, which has become one of mine:

"i would want to own amazing, breakeven businesses.

restaurants, car washes, you name it. anything where i went someplace and it wasn't great, or wanted to go someplace and realized it didn't exist. i'd love to be able to afford to dump whatever money was made into improving the place and paying my employees more, just making it a place that everybody from the workers to the customers totally loved."

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

full time musician - probably spend some time learning some new instruments and getting better in Ireland - then tour, drugs, groupies, and debauchery.

RB

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

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full time musician - probably spend some time learning some new instruments and getting better in Ireland - then tour, drugs, groupies, and debauchery.

RB

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Why musician? You can get all that playing poker.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

I've been in school/doing scholastic [censored] for so long that I'm just dead sick of it so I'd choose something physical and since I'm no good at team sports/golf/tennins (don't really wish to be either) it would probably be fighting

This includes boxing, wrestling and MMA. Of course it would be nice to be the best at any of these things and reap the rewards that brings but-this outsider at least- even grinding out at the "mid levels" holds a romanticism and passion which is/has always been totally lacking in my life.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

It's hard to beat Astroglide's, but here's what I'd ultimately love to do assuming ofessional poker player doesn't last forever (or in addition to if it somehow does). I'd like to finish learning Arabic and learn a ton of languages. French, German, Italian, Spanish, Farsi, whatever I feel like, and have some sort of freelance translation or interpretation business. I love languages. I'd make sure I could find time to travel all over the world at a whim, too. My girlfriend/wife would eventually go through with trying a career in writing, so we'd both be free to make our own schedules.

A harem would be pretty cool too, but I doubt that'd fly.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

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full time musician - probably spend some time learning some new instruments and getting better in Ireland - then tour, drugs, groupies, and debauchery.

RB

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Why musician? You can get all that playing poker.

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Music offers more personal and professional satisifaction then poker - I may never become a professional poker player even if I get the skills, but I see myself easily trying to make a run at the indie music scene again someday.

RB

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

My dream life is to be set up as I am now, but not to have to work at all.

I would spend my weekdays doing exercise every day, and dividing up the rest of my free time between reading, watching movies, going to museums, art galleries and suchlike, and doing various jobs around the house that need doing (eg painting, decorating, fixing up). I'd spend half my reading time on fiction, and half on non-fiction, and I'd try to immerse myself into a specific non-fiction subject for 3-month periods (though I'd probably spend the first 2 years like this just doing history).

I'd get everything done during this time that needs doing so that the weekends would be entirely free to spend time with my 3 children without worrying about what clothes need washing and ironing, cutting lawns and all the mundane jobs that currently have to be crammed into the weekend.

I know it's boring, but this is exactly what I'd do if I had the choice. My problem is I like the life I have, there's just not enough time to fit everything I'd like to do in it.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

I would want to be a documentary filmmaker. Obviously I’d need a good budget and total artistic control. It would be awesome. I would have a mission. I'd want my friend Robert to work with me since he has a great artistic eye and is enormously helpful and we work well together. I have thought of this for years now, and have many ideas for different films I’d like to make. I can't think of anything that would excite me more or make me want to get up in the morning. No one else seems to have my vision, and I'd love the opportunity to try to create something inspiring.

Mostly I like to find out about people and their lives and dreams and disappointments. I think everyone has a story to tell and I have a talent for getting people to talk candidly.

I'd definitely want to do a documentary on kids in foster care. I'm sure it's been done already but I want to try my take on it. Film is a powerful tool in the lobby for change and I think this would be my ideal job.

Oh I also like watching people dance so I would do a documentary on dance in America. There wouldn't be a lot of dialogue, mostly just dancing, kids from all different backgrounds and in various urban and rural settings. I really love it when it's in slow motion and in large groups.

I also thought about doing a documentary on a couple aspiring professional poker players, probably an older guy who is down on his luck and a young optimistic college-age guy. Might be depressing but I think I could do a pretty cool one.

I would either live in Albuquerque or Truckee, but in my ideal world I’d be rich enough to have an apartment in Boston just like the one my dad had years ago. I would work as a writer on the side. God I’m out of control. Ok, back to real life.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

I would do absolutely nothing. And I'd hope it would be everything I ever dreamed that it could be.

Either that or maybe two chicks at the same time.



(Sorry, DB I just couldn't resist!)

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

http://www.jeremypiven.net/entourage.jpg

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

I'd still have work, because without work we go crazy. But it would be something I really like.

In a totally perfect world I would have some big donkament scores, hone my musicianship, build a studio, make some awesome records, and be the sugar daddy for some non-profit social services. If you EVER need a day's work to keep you on your toes and make you grateful for what you have, working with adjudicated youth is a pretty good start.

I'd also like to build a bowling alley in my basement, practice practice practice and cash in a PBA event. Even just a regional event.

I'd also like to have at least one professional MMA match, and preferably win. It would be sweet to win by just punching a guy so hard right in the kidneys that he quit.

And I would still do demolition derbies, only I would demolish fully restored mid-70s Imperials with hydraulics and candy paint and [censored] on them.

Having a radio show again would be sweet too.

So I guess basically like a jackass of all trades who gets lucky and doesn't really need money. But definitely keeps busy. I'd want to travel a lot too, and learn some other languages. Right now I am learning a bit of Russian.

NT

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

I'd be a professional treasure hunter- don't laugh, seriously. You know- like those guys you see on the travel channel every once in a while.

I'd do my homework religiously. Research the history of various ships. Retrace maps and try to figure out where they went down.

I'd have a big chunk of capital to start with. I'd have all the latest and greatest technology. A well trained staff would be a must.

I'd live in Key West or the Carribbean with my beautiful wife, kids and dogs who are all just as enthusiastic as I am about the profession.

I'd then hit the score of a lifetime. A large Spanish Gallion chock full of gold bullion, gems, jewelry, and other artifacts. I'd be in awe for months as we excavate the stuff out of there. I'd keep some of the more interesting stuff, sell most of it and richly reward those that contributed.

I'd drink some good rum wearing a quarky pirate hat (because I can), laugh, rinse and repeat. Life is good.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

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I'd be a professional treasure hunter- don't laugh, seriously. You know- like those guys you see on the travel channel every once in a while.

I'd do my homework religiously. Research the history of various ships. Retrace maps and try to figure out where they went down.

I'd have a big chunk of capital to start with. I'd have all the latest and greatest technology. A well trained staff would be a must.

I'd live in Key West or the Carribbean with my beautiful wife, kids and dogs who are all just as enthusiastic as I am about the profession.

I'd then hit the score of a lifetime. A large Spanish Gallion chock full of gold bullion, gems, jewelry, and other artifacts. I'd be in awe for months as we excavate the stuff out of there. I'd keep some of the more interesting stuff, sell most of it and richly reward those that contributed.

I'd drink some good rum wearing a quarky pirate hat (because I can), laugh, rinse and repeat. Life is good.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow this sounds awesome! Can I be your quirky sidekick?

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

I'd like to be a middle-aged married guy with a big family and a decent job that I like, who still has the drive and abilty to create timeless art.

the end,
--GA

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

My ideal life just includes a job that I dont hate. Where I make enough money to travel once a year to a new place. Own a house (nothing too spectacular w/ a nice yard) and someone to share it with. Whether that be w/ a person or I just get a dog that kicks ass. Thats it. That's all I want out of life.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

I'd be really happy if I just had my current life and income and just didn't have to go to work. Hanging out with my wife and kid, playing games with my friends, reading, watching TV and movies. Eating food. That pretty much sums it up. What else is there? I'd satisfy my desires to "accomplish something" by trying to be the best in the world at various dorky games.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

I am living mine right now and I couldnt imagine anything better - other than being a Kip Winger clone frontman for a rock band in the 80s.

I started my neural net company 18 months ago and we got serious funding a few months ago. There is simply no better feeling in the world than winning big. To me, it trumps money by 100x. We are driving to the next stage and I love the constant edge and nervousness it gives me.

So, for now I get to sit around and dream of cool neural net things for our developers to build while my partner runs day-to-day. It is what I am designed for and I would want nothing else.

Or course, I have my dream girl in Mrs. Utah [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

I'd really like to make my living writing science fiction. I always have, since I was a kid. Fear of failure paralyzes me and prevents me trying. I keep telling myself that I'm going to get my act together and start writing again, but somehow I never have. It's fairly depressing. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

My dream would be to own a successful combination comic book store/bistro that is frequented by pet owners. I'd cook in an open kitchen and shoot the [censored] about comic books with nerds all day long. There would also be dogs and cats all over the place because animals just make me happy.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

I think I could make a good professional assassin. I'd see myself as a Martin Blank type of guy, only going after nasty, evil people. I imagine this would eventually eat at my conscience, but I think I could do it for quite awhile, especially if I was particular about who my targets were.

Obviously I'd need a completely different set of skills than I currently have but I think all those would be within my reach had I set my sights(pun intended) on such a career at an earlier stage.

Swede

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

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I think I could make a good professional assassin.

[/ QUOTE ]Yeah, that would be really cool.

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Obviously I'd need a completely different set of skills

[/ QUOTE ]Do they have assissinations for dummies? If so, that may be a good book to start with.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

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My ideal life just includes a job that I dont hate. Where I make enough money to travel once a year to a new place. Own a house (nothing too spectacular w/ a nice yard) and someone to share it with. Whether that be w/ a person or I just get a dog that kicks ass. Thats it. That's all I want out of life.

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just come to Vegas and move in with me. I've got a cool house and a great dog.

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

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My ideal life just includes a job that I dont hate. Where I make enough money to travel once a year to a new place. Own a house (nothing too spectacular w/ a nice yard) and someone to share it with. Whether that be w/ a person or I just get a dog that kicks ass. Thats it. That's all I want out of life.

[/ QUOTE ]

just come to Vegas and move in with me. I've got a cool house and a great dog.

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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Dom, I'm there! I'll cook for you too! Ooh I love dogs!

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

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My ideal life just includes a job that I dont hate. Where I make enough money to travel once a year to a new place. Own a house (nothing too spectacular w/ a nice yard) and someone to share it with. Whether that be w/ a person or I just get a dog that kicks ass. Thats it. That's all I want out of life.

[/ QUOTE ]

just come to Vegas and move in with me. I've got a cool house and a great dog.

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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Dom, I'm there! I'll cook for you too! Ooh I love dogs!

[/ QUOTE ]

Cool deal. wanna get married by Elvis in a drive-thru? I've always wanted to do that.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

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My ideal life just includes a job that I dont hate. Where I make enough money to travel once a year to a new place. Own a house (nothing too spectacular w/ a nice yard) and someone to share it with. Whether that be w/ a person or I just get a dog that kicks ass. Thats it. That's all I want out of life.

[/ QUOTE ]

just come to Vegas and move in with me. I've got a cool house and a great dog.

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Dom, I'm there! I'll cook for you too! Ooh I love dogs!

[/ QUOTE ]

Cool deal. wanna get married by Elvis in a drive-thru? I've always wanted to do that.

[/ QUOTE ]

OMG, yeah..I do! Nice. Do I get a ring? I've always wanted a ring. It doesnt even have to be a diamond.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

If this were OOT you'd both be banned if you didn't follow through now.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

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My ideal life just includes a job that I dont hate. Where I make enough money to travel once a year to a new place. Own a house (nothing too spectacular w/ a nice yard) and someone to share it with. Whether that be w/ a person or I just get a dog that kicks ass. Thats it. That's all I want out of life.

[/ QUOTE ]

just come to Vegas and move in with me. I've got a cool house and a great dog.

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Dom, I'm there! I'll cook for you too! Ooh I love dogs!

[/ QUOTE ]

Cool deal. wanna get married by Elvis in a drive-thru? I've always wanted to do that.

[/ QUOTE ]

OMG, yeah..I do! Nice. Do I get a ring? I've always wanted a ring. It doesnt even have to be a diamond.

[/ QUOTE ]

hey, if you don't mind me recycling my ex's engagement ring - it's a white gold band with a 1 carat diamond - it's yours!

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

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My ideal life just includes a job that I dont hate. Where I make enough money to travel once a year to a new place. Own a house (nothing too spectacular w/ a nice yard) and someone to share it with. Whether that be w/ a person or I just get a dog that kicks ass. Thats it. That's all I want out of life.

[/ QUOTE ]

just come to Vegas and move in with me. I've got a cool house and a great dog.

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Dom, I'm there! I'll cook for you too! Ooh I love dogs!

[/ QUOTE ]

Cool deal. wanna get married by Elvis in a drive-thru? I've always wanted to do that.

[/ QUOTE ]

OMG, yeah..I do! Nice. Do I get a ring? I've always wanted a ring. It doesnt even have to be a diamond.

[/ QUOTE ]

hey, if you don't mind me recycling my ex's engagement ring - it's a white gold band with a 1 carat diamond - it's yours!

[/ QUOTE ]

ship it! I'm a coming Dominic!!

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My ideal life just includes a job that I dont hate. Where I make enough money to travel once a year to a new place. Own a house (nothing too spectacular w/ a nice yard) and someone to share it with. Whether that be w/ a person or I just get a dog that kicks ass. Thats it. That's all I want out of life.

[/ QUOTE ]

just come to Vegas and move in with me. I've got a cool house and a great dog.

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Dom, I'm there! I'll cook for you too! Ooh I love dogs!

[/ QUOTE ]

Cool deal. wanna get married by Elvis in a drive-thru? I've always wanted to do that.

[/ QUOTE ]

OMG, yeah..I do! Nice. Do I get a ring? I've always wanted a ring. It doesnt even have to be a diamond.

[/ QUOTE ]

hey, if you don't mind me recycling my ex's engagement ring - it's a white gold band with a 1 carat diamond - it's yours!

[/ QUOTE ]

ship it! I'm a coming Dominic!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh crap! Wait! Are you cute???

[img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

ok you 2 lovebirds quit it here, go to pm or aim or whatever before I cool you both down.

back on track please.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

I have been thinking about this posr a lot today and could see two "ideals"

I love to make jewelry and have been doing it for a while-I sell some occasionally too-I would love to continue with learning the craft-silversmithing and lampwork-all while living somewhere either in the mountains or near the ocean on a ranch with lots of horses and critters.
Just to be in a place that I love and to learn and create.

The second would be to continue my education and become a midwife. I love what I do as a labor and delivery nurse. I am honored to share in what I would consider to be a very intimate experience with people. I am lucky.
The downside is that I am only with these people for a very short, but intense period of time. I usually take them right to the point of delivery but then turn it over to the physician.
I have "caught" a few babies when the docs can't get there in time, and it is the greatest!
Becoming a midwife would let me take a couple through their pregnancy as well as labor and delivery...it would be a more complete cycle.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

http://rapidshare.de/files/29187959/...e_Day.mp3.html

Whoops, thought this was OOT.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

what many are talking about could be done as a community that found ways of marketing skills on the net and live to pay for some land and talk to felicia lee about how to develop a sustainable lifestyle. the main thing would be to have land that was affordable and close enough to a major city to have access to goods and services of a city, but not the cost.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

Pro basketball player. Retire in late 30s. Go live somewhere warm and beautiful near a beach with my family. Travel and play in all the big poker tourneys.

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Oh and just to add: I would've gotten married around 30 and taken full advantage of the fun life of a pro athlete before then.

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Hopefully in a year or two when I graduate I can do the first part of this;

I'll be in Japan tutoring or playing online poker whenever I feel like it. From there I'll leave for HK/Korea/China/Vietnam/Taiwan/etc. whenever I feel like it to visit friends.

I'll stay in touch with friends, eat all sorts of delicious local food, explore, and improve my languages.

After a year or so of that I'll get some sort of job (not sure exactly what) and live in a nice little condo on the 20th floor with a nice city view in HK or Tokyo. I NEED to be in a crowded noisy city, quiet and open space makes me go insane.

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I would own an open-air, seaside palace on the southern island of New Zealand. Around it I would build a small town where all of my friends and their families are able to live as they please.

We would travel by lavish horse-drawn caravans across the island every summer, stopping every night at dusk to eat, drink and party in general.

I would own a ship that I dock in the Andalusia region of Spain. The ship would be used to hunt down pirates off the african coast in the fall.

In the winters I would embark on various expeditions with my friends (Tibet, Amazon, Serengeti) and go surfing in Australia.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

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what many are talking about could be done as a community that found ways of marketing skills on the net and live to pay for some land and talk to felicia lee about how to develop a sustainable lifestyle. the main thing would be to have land that was affordable and close enough to a major city to have access to goods and services of a city, but not the cost.

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Ha, I wish. This is something that I suspect is going to take a quarter century, if not a lifetime. Perhaps in areas with more water we could speed it along, but here, well, it takes ten years to grow an evergreen to even 15-20'. Tough to build a windbreak when trees only grow a foot per year. Sometimes my "cherry" tomatoes are only the size of a dime (or less!!). Hard to be extremely self sufficient here. We'll never freeze to death, but where is the food and water?

As far as the OP, well, I think I'd like to be great at something. I mean really great. I'm a decent vocalist. I'm a decent actress, skater, poker player, writer, etc. But I've never been great at anything, just "good." Good can be disappointing.

Felicia [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

i bet you are great at what you are doing...you are one of the most popular people on several of these forums. perhaps you are just assuming that is "nothing" because it is something easy for you.

Re: Your Ideal Life
 

just point of discussion...making a community on somewhere around 10-40 acres takes an eternity to "finish" but could be dried in with comfortable living quarters and the beginning of an office and town within 5 years and probably less. that would even allow for garden, pond/stock tank of course internet access.

20 to 100 people could start something for about half a million bucks. these days that is not impossible for an extended family.

$250,000 for 10 acres, another $50,000 for water tanks, tractor, septic tanks and propane and another $50,000 for a few trailors for starters would still leave a budget for some outbuildings and taxes.

i believe there are even places that will set up a wireless internet access for something this size for almost nothing.

set up a non profit school and have people come and build adobe, or strawbale, domes or earthsheltered dwellings. add a few fun activities like dude rodeos, spa, chiropractor and masseuses and you have the start of a real retreat.

of course it doesn't take much to have an ongoing poker game...and it would even be legal if it were a home game in most states out west at least.

people bring their skills and willingness to work and enough passive income to pay for food and living expenses until income could be generated by the members.