Sadly, all good things must ultimately come to an end and that was certainly the case for the incredibly successful Steemfest. Hard to believe it was just one short week ago. Still, the posts reminiscing the interesting stories and views from all the various Steemians who attended have been proving many a great read. It’s similar to a Quentin Tarantino narrative in that we all experienced the same event but from different perspectives, lol. A very relatable and stark reminder of the time and effort put into planning it all by Hive account@roelandp and how much we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

My Somewhat Concise Thoughts on the Presentations of Steemfest

The speeches were all of the highest standard, ranging from illustrating where Steemit will be going in the future and addressing any problematic issues that we might be dealing with right now to presentations showcasing the many varied and talented individuals Steemit has to offer. From the very beginning with Hive account@roelandp’s entertaining speech about tulips and the gratitude he felt for the remarkable turnout of Steemians, I knew I was in for a great weekend. Followed by Hive account@ned and his nicely summarized historical look back how things have evolved over such a relatively short period of time. The guy has an aura and presence about him that is infectious, to say the least. He’s a natural when speaking and created a warm feeling of unity within the theatre. Top notch stuff.

The Hive account@kevinwong and Hive account@andrarchy talk was great about Project Curie, which has proved very poplular with the Steemain community. Very well done, guys!

The witness panel was also very insightful, giving people more than a glimpse into how they fit into Steemit ecologically and their thoughts on the upcoming changes in Steemit.

Props also go to Hive account@mrs.steemit for introducing her sensational video advertisement for Steemit at the fest. Great production value and cool dance choreography make for a first class promo! Her presentation the next day was also delivered in an equally slick stylisation.

In my opinion, one of the smoothest presentations must go to Hive account@wmougayar for a passionately delivered speech of his take on crypto in general and where he sees Steemit heading in the future. Very intriguing and beautifully executed. Was very, very impressed indeed.

Hive account@allasyummyfood’s exemplary way of explaining how to create one of her wonderful cake recipes was also a standout highlight of the day. Very personable and pleasant to be around, it’s no wonder she has gained so many followers during her career as a social media “foodie”! Great job!

Being a writer and all, two major highlights for me were the talks by Hive account@neilstrauss and Hive account@ericvancewalton. As far as I’m concerned, absolutely invaluable advice was imparted by the brilliant Mr. Strauss, to aid in improving writing techniques and increasing productivity. I must have watched his talk online at least 5 times already. Amazing stuff! Also, Mr. Walton’s reading of his book “Alarm Clock Dawn” as well as his brief introduction of himself, was so inspirational! Using the platform as a means of creation and expression and doing so well out of it, is a phenomenal achievement and deservedly so. My eyes were glued to him as he read the excerpt from his book.

The Great

Hive account@neilstrauss

An Unexpected Moment of Pure Gold…

Intertwined with all the greatness of the Steemfest itself was what I would call “one of the best moments of my life” and that is no exaggeration by any means. This is a play-by-play of how it transpired from my point of view.

I was sitting in the upper section of the theatre, talking and drinking with my new-found Steemian chums, when the “Golden Steemit Awards” were being announced on stage. Expecting to just sit back and enjoy the presentations, I was taken aback when displayed on a projection screen within a category for “Best Original Fiction” was one of my stories! I was literally lost for words! Frozen to my seat, I watched on as the beautiful Hive account@mrs.steemit started to announce the winner. Believe me, at this point, I was honoured just to be selected in conjunction with all the other such talented and well-known names. I’m definitely not used to being in the spotlight like that back in London!

I must admit, the butterflies were kicking in strong by now! Before I knew it, my article was plastered over the entire screen and my name was called as having won! What a surreal thing to happen to me! I suddenly became aware of Hive account@rea tapping me on the shoulder, telling me to go down to the stage immediately! I was just so unprepared for that outcome, lol! It was all such a blur! I paced down the narrow stairs, navigating each step carefully so as not to fall over and greet everybody with a bleeding forehead. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the fantastic Hive account@mrs.steemit, Hive account@burnin and Hive account@roelandp at first thought I might not even be there, lol.

That moment was, honest to god, one of the best moments I’ve ever had. I love writing so much and was pumped after already hearing from Hive account@neilstrauss and Hive account@ericvancewalton so to actually get that kind of recognition in the company of such a welcoming, friendly crowd was indescribable. Also, please let me take this opportunity to apologise for such a dire speech on my part! I was running in auto-pilot at that point as I was so overwhelmed. I really do regret not saying more as that was an altered version of me at that point in time, but please understand it was just nerves and shock, nothing more. I have that memory captured in my mind forever and am so humbled and grateful for that privilege, you can never know to what extent. Thanks, Hive account@burnin, for having that brainwave and helping create that treasured moment for me!

Also, I would like to congratulate the excellent winners of the other categories too:

Best Photography - Hive account@sharker
Best Original Art - Hive account@katecloud
Best Undiscovered Author - Hive account@everlove
Best Life Advice - Hive account@luzcypher

I’m sure that this is the start of many Steem Awards to come, giving great content creators on this platform the awareness and kudos they deserve.

A Cherished Collection of Steemfest Chronicles

As well as all the awesomeness of the core Steemfest scheduled events, many other important connections were being forged away from the camera. The bonds formed with other Steemians. All this happening over the course of one, short weekend, may I add. So many people, so little time and everyone coming away with a sense of belonging to a brand new network of friends. That is, in my book, nothing short of astounding!

A beautiful testament to that was when the delightful couple of Hive account@shenanigator and Hive account@sharingeverybite had some unfortunate issues in getting back home after Steemfest had finished. The way the community rallied around to help out and support them was something very extraordinary and special indeed. I firmly believe that people are inherently good (contrary to what many others think) and that display of unity and kindness showed just that. The magic of Steemfest keeps enduring long after the event has finished. How great is that!

It is impossible to list all the good times I had at the fest as it would take hours to read, lol. But everyone who I interacted with knows how much I enjoyed their company. Here are a few standout highlights:

I had a dinner on the first night I arrived in Amsterdam with Hive account@allasyummyfood, Hive account@wings, Hive account@steemrollin, Hive account@rea, Hive account@michelle.gent, Hive account@s0u1, Hive account@sharingeverybite and Hive account@shenanigator. Little did I know it was a taste of things to come as we all pretty much got on instantly. After the food, we hit the town and ended up checking out the different venues in the area. A fabulous first night out with great company!

Another particular recollection I have was in the early evening of Sunday in Central Amsterdam, where I ended up sitting in a small cafeteria with the lovely Hive account@mammasitta and the fantastic Hive account@exyle. By the way, it must be said that Hive account@exyle is one of the nicest people I have ever met. We hit it off like we knew each other for ages right from the get-go, a rarity in itself. We sat there for a long time and talked about our involvement in crypto, the lives we lead back home away from Amsterdam and how Steemit had changed us all for the better. So glad to have met them and strike up a good friendship. Thank you, Steemfest.

Wouldn't have been the same without you there, brother!

The closing dinner meant a lot to me as that was the perfect swansong of Steemfest. All the people that I had grown to know and consider as my Steemian buddies were all grouped into a large room for one final time. Hive account@exyle helped solidify my great memory of that place by making me laugh so hard, I was almost in tears! Fuuny to the max and a real gem of a guy. And that final picture with everyone in it is something we can now all look back on and say “Yes,I was there when it all started.” A great feeling and fitting end to an unbelievable 3 days!

The Two Masterminds Behind The Idea -

Hive account@roelandp &

Hive account@ned

Top fella,

Hive account@nanzo-scoop!

The last few hours in Amsterdam were spent with the lovely Hive account@beanz and her brother Hive account@demotruk. The rain was gushing down as we scoured the vicinity for a place to grab a bite to eat. But once we found a small, quaint restaurant in Central Amsterdam, it was the perfect end to a perfect trip. Talking with them and re-living the good times of the last few days was superb. Till we meet again, Hive account@beanz and Hive account@demotruk!

An absolute pleasure to meet you,

Hive account@demotruk

Other Stars of Steemit

I would like to thank each and every one of you for taking the time out to talk to me and making my experience of Steemfest even more memorable than I could have possibly imagined.

Hive account@ak2020, Hive account@allasyummyfood, Hive account@anca3drandom, Hive account@andrarchy, Hive account@arcange, Hive account@ballinconscious, Hive account@beanz, Hive account@blueorgy, Hive account@burnin, Hive account@dan-atstarlite, Hive account@demotruk, Hive account@everlove, Hive account@exyle, Hive account@felixxx, Hive account@firepower, Hive account@future24, Hive account@gargon, Hive account@guerrint, Hive account@juanmiguelsalas, Hive account@kevinwong, Hive account@lisadang, Hive account@logic, Hive account@mammasitta, Hive account@michelle.gent, Hive account@mrs.steemit, Hive account@nanzo-scoop, Hive account@ned, Hive account@raphaelle, Hive account@razvanelulmarin, Hive account@robrigo, Hive account@rocket.chat, Hive account@roelandp, Hive account@s0u1, Hive account@saramiller, Hive account@sharingeverybite, Hive account@shenanigator, Hive account@shla-rafia, Hive account@steemrollin, Hive account@tatianamoroz, Hive account@the-future, Hive account@wadepaterson, Hive account@wingz, Hive account@xanoxt.

I’m so sorry if I missed anyone that I spoke to, but the good times are etched into our history and no one can change that. You guys are truly awe-inspiring and trust me when I say I can’t wait to meet all of you again at the next Steemfest!

(p.s. Hive account@getonthetrain, make sure you come to the next one, buddy!!!)