Nadya Hutagalung has been perfecting the art of juggling: "I drop a few balls here and there but I along the way I get some things right." The Australian-Indonesian model and former MTV VJ, now a mother and environmental activist, is relieved to have completed her eco home in Singapore. "It took every ounce of patience and creativity I had for three years, and almost killed me. And that's no joke," says the spokeswoman for a major cosmetic company.

I wish I could tell the 20-year-old me ...

"Take it easy, Tiger." But there is no way I would have listened and yet I have no regrets. Everything I did in my 20s has brought me to a place now in my 30s where I am relatively at ease with who I am and thankful that all the madness has passed.

I'm proudest of ...

My three wonderfully creative, passionate, artistic and beautiful children who radiate pure love and joy. There are ups and downs, of course, but right now the balance at home seems to be just perfect. I am grateful beyond words to have them in my life.

And saddened by ...

Greed, people who lack tolerance, overconsumerism, ignorance, cruelty and those who "don't care" about our future survival on this planet. And the breakdown of the education system that is so crucial and yet so underfunded. I could go on and on but I shan't.

Me, in a sentence ...

A girl who is not ready to grow up and wants to explore everything without fear of failure, but is still fighting the procrastination monster.

My friends are ...

Like a mixed bag of treasured old-fashioned sweets. I learned long ago that the good ones are hard to come by, so the ones you do have are like gold.

I still want to ...

Do so many things, I feel like my life is just beginning. I want to create, shoot, cook, dream, fight for freedom, raise awareness of the causes that concern me and should concern others. I want to find a balance between work, family, social work and spiritual practice, which is very easy to say but it's incredibly hard to honestly say you have reached it.

I can't live without ...

Dancing in the kitchen, loving in the sunshine, long afternoon shadows and picnics in the park, my mum's culinary capers, sharing food with friends and family, good organic produce, fresh air, laughter echoing through the house and lots of love and kisses.

The place I love the most ...

Dharamsala, India, in the foothills of the Himalayas, where the clouds come down and kiss your nose. The sound of the conch shell echoes through the valleys and makes your heart stand still in awe.

I would never ...

Be able to play games, be manipulative or deceptive. It takes too much effort and it's so hard to keep track. What's yours will be yours.

Guilty pleasure ...

Afternoon snoozes with kids or cats or both. Ahh.

I wish I knew the answer to ...

Acquiring knowledge while sleeping.

My greatest fear ...

To leave my children before I am ready. To not be ready for death.

The most Indonesian part of me ...

My soul.

I tell people who say beautiful people have it easy ...

That outer beauty does not last - it is but a flicker in time - and that no matter how beautiful you are outside if you're rotten inside it shows.

My thoughts on plastic surgery ...

Prevention is the key to staying away from the knife. And I also feel that if you have that inner confidence as an individual who is charming, witty, smart and engaging you are beautiful, and all of those things can be acquired. That which is outside is outshone by that inner you, so most times there really is no need for plastic surgery.

Money means to me ...

Not much really, as long as we have money to be able to keep our kids happy, travel when we need to and give some away then that's all that counts.

The song I can't get out of my head ...

Only the Lonely by The Motels and Summertime by Billie Holiday.

The biggest change I made for the better ...

Learning to love others more than I love myself.

I can't understand …

When and why people live without giving or receiving love. Giving is free, and you are sure to get some in return.

The expression I live by ...

It's OK, I am easy la.

The habit I wish I could stop ...

Procrastination. That's my worst habit. Without it I would already have a double PhD in happiness.

In 10 years I want to be ...

Me but 10 years wiser and making a difference in someone's life.

And 20 ...

Me but 20 years wiser and making a difference in many people's lives.

Remember me as ...

Someone who loved, lived and ate her way through life with an almost naive outlook.

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