June 2017 it was when I first set foot in the wondrous world called Steemit. I didn't know what I was doing, heck I didn't even know what I was supposed to do! Lucky for me, I have a wide range of interests, so while subjects like natural living, natural birth, health, homeschooling and cryptocurrency are on the top of my list, there are many others that will catch my interest. It didn't take me very long to find a few like-minded people and communities (like Hive account@familyprotection) where I found even more than just that. I found support in tough times, listening ears, advice and above all: I found friendship where I would have never suspected to find it. I mean, be honest: Who ever starts on a social media network site to meet friends unless you already knew them?

Not long after my initial introduction post, I heard of Steemfest2 in Portugal and everything in my body told me I had to do everything I could to make it there.
So I set a goal. I didn't have the fiat money to fund a trip like that, so it had to be all paid in crypto, financed by my trades and the SBD I was making here. And as the saying goes: where there is a will, there is a way...I MADE IT!

Steemfest2 in Lisbon was everything I expected it to be and so much more

To be honest, I didn't know what to expect. Sure, I was looking forward to meeting a few of the people I already knew through Steemit, but this time in real life. But I can honestly say that this trip was the best I did for myself in a very long time. And I was very selfish in this too, because even though I brought my kids to Portugal with me, Steemfest was just for me. One of the people I was looking forward to meeting was Hive account@markwhittam, founder of Hive account@familyprotection.
It was a short meeting because he had only one day, due to his family all coming down with the flu, but he was exactly the way I imagined he would be. Down to earth and straight forward.

But the rest of Steemfest just blew me away. The people, the energy...just being there with so many interesting, happy, real people who were also all very different was just something else. So many people I now call friends. It's hard to describe.

My plans for Steemfest3

All year, ever since I left Lisbon last November, I was sure: I was going to be at Steemfest3, no matter what.
And things were looking great, until one fateful day in July, when I received a phone call that I will never forget for as long as I live. My best friend was on the phone to tell me her 14 year old son had been in an accident and didn't survive... Her world was shattered and ours was completely upside down because I had to get to Holland (from Ireland) as fast as I could. Only one huge problem: it was the middle of the summer season and it was outrageously expensive to travel that time. I had to borrow money to even make the trip. And the only way of doing this was to ask for help. And so I did. I posted the story on Steemit and within hours, the first person sent me 200 STEEM! No questions asked. No strings. Just the message: Pay it back after you come back.
Not long after, others followed. I was overwhelmed with all the support I received and all the kind words.
And so, because of the help of a few fellow Steemians, I made it to Holland to be there for my friend and her family in this horrible time.

But with it, also became the realisation that Steemfest3 was just around the corner and the chances that I could go diminished. I had to pay back the money that those people send me first, before I could even think of spending money on this trip. So I started working harder. Posting every day is not something I usually do, because I simply don't have the time for it. But now I do, because I want to pay the money back as quick as I can. Long nights and short periods of sleep is pretty much what I've been doing for the past few weeks.
I am not even close to having re-payed everything yet, but I have my mind made up: I will make it to Steemfest again this year or I will regret it the rest of the year... However, this also means that I will not be able to purchase the ticket for Steemfest before the price rises. AH, we won't let that defeat us :)
I've never won anything in my life. Well, the box of crayons excluded from when I was 7 or 8.
So yeah, winning this would make ALL the difference.

I'll do whatever it takes

So far this 'whatever it takes' meant working my butt off in between lessons for the kids (who are homeschooled). Spending quality time with them is a bit on the low-low and I let things slide a bit more and give them more screen time than usual, but they understand and are really good about it. I'm there for them 100% the rest of the year 😁 plus a visit to Krakow, even though most of it will be without me, will be an experience to add to the curriculum.
Sleep? Ah, sleep is for the weak. A few hours less a week isn't going to kill me. There will be more time for sleep after Steemfest.

The People of Steemit

Since a few months now, I am part of the Utopian.io/DaVinci.witness translation team. As an LM I am responsible for proofreading work my team of 5 Dutch translators have done and of course: quality control. I take this very seriously.
I love to see this grow into something even more amazing. I know some people of that crew will also attend Steemfest and to be able to meet them in person would just be awesome to say the least.
And if only Hive account@canadian-coconut could make it this year...WOW, that would exceed all my expectations.
Some people of the Hive account@ecotrain would be awesome too.
Of course, I can't wait to meet all the great people I met last year. But with more than 1 year of Steemit behind my belt,
the experience will be quite different I think. It doesn't have to be better, but I know it will be...