If money were no object, what would I do?

A friend of mine raised this interesting question in her blog. And it got me thinking - especially as my husband keeps buying LottoMax tickets and also talking about what he'd do if he didn't have to work. For him it was simple: World Series of Poker and golf and travel. Done.

But what would I do? Which begs a bigger question - just how central is my job as a professor to my identity, my sense of self? I fear it is more central than I'd like it to be. While I'm okay with not being a 'star' with megabucks in research dollars and dozens of graduate students (too much stress!!), I do know that being a scholar, a researcher, is who I am. I think I'd do it even if they didn't pay me. I just like to know 'stuff' and learning new things is interesting to me. Lately I have been getting more into theory and concepts and - gasp - philosophy. So yes, I'd still be a scholar whether I worked at a university or not. 

Still - what would I DO? I think I would love the book trade - Kindles be damned! I've thought about having a little shop, that focused on cooking and travel and well - cultural / geography stuff. I'd call it 'The Professor's Shelf'. I'd have reading groups and themed nights where people could come together over good food and good ideas. If the place broke even I'd be happy. I'd have all the good parts of my job, without the bureaucratic mess and without having to grade anyone on anything!

So - I still haven't answered the question of how central my job is to my identity. Can you separate the 'job' from the 'vocation'? Thoughts?