Following on from my last post, things were only going to get better from here on in. Upon reflection, an interesting thought sprung to mind. As far as individual steemians are concerned, they will present their own story of Steemfest 2 from an entirely new perspective. different from anybody else's. Yet at the same time, I can most probably relate to their retelling as chances are I probably knew the people or person they were talking about or referring to. How awesome and surreal is that, right? This growing network of steemians continues to spread as do the strong connections that are born out of such meaningful friendships. That, I consider something very special indeed.
So, in regards to my personal experience? Well, these are a few more recounts of the most memorable and enjoyable times I had at the fest. So if you happened not to go for whatever reason, hopefully reading these brief anecdotes will inspire you to save up for the next one and create your very own. I hope to see you at Steemfest 3 as pretty much I’m “already there”, so to speak! That's the passion I hold for this spectacular, annual event.
Well Known… Yet Ever So Sweet and Humble
After the first night of arriving in Lisbon and having that great evening dinner with @michelle.gent and @s0u1, a good old rest up was in order. Come the next morning and I took the hotel elevator down to the lobby area and happened upon two familiar faces. In fact, I was sure they were in attendance at the previous Steemfest also but I had yet to acquaint myself with. Instantly recognisable. They were none other than the couple that make up the famous @blocktrades.
Deciding to remedy the situation immediately, I went ahead to introduce myself. I soon discovered they had only just got to the hotel after stepping off the plane. But I guess the excitement of checking out Lisbon took precedence as they decided to come with us as a group and grab a quick bite. It didn't take long to determine just how cool and easy-going they were.
From therein, it was just awesome catching up with these friendly and endearing people. Hearing about how life is living out in America, discovering Dan’s love of table tennis and learning about their journey into the world of cryptocurrency and how it changed their lives as well as countless others on the platform through the use of their quintessential exchange service. It was indeed a pleasure to meet them and my only regret was not having done it sooner (aka, last Steemfest). We bumped into one another on numerous occasions afterwards and every single time they’d be just as cordial and warm as the first time.
So, thanks very much for playing a delightful part in shaping my personal recollections of the Steemfest. Bless you guys, Donna and Dan, and hope to see you both again at the next one!
A Moment to Remember
Another situation arose that was long overdue for a much-needed fix up. Meeting a gentleman who I respect immeasurably and was privileged enough to finally meet. The renowned and extremely talented @ericvancewalton. Again, he was at the last Steemfest and I didn’t take my oppoturnity to speak to this great guy. And to make matters worse, I doubt he will know this, but at the previous event, we actually rode down in the elevator together. I believe at the time he was preparing for his presentation so as much as I wanted to extended a friendly greeting at that precise moment, I thought it wiser to leave it for later when the time was better suited. Of course, that time never came to be and that was pretty much the “only” sore point I took home with me last year.
Well, not this time round. Seizing an opportunity later that day (just after another of his amazing presentations along with the affable @dougkarr and @andrarchy), I met the man himself. Such a genuine and modest person, it was an absolute delight to meet him and his lovely wife. Though fleeting because of the sheer amount of people present, it was a slice of my history I’ll treasure and I can only hope he will be in attendance at the next one to catch up properly.
A personal role model for me on Steemit and overall awesome guy. Bless you down to the ground, @ericvancewalton. The pleasure was all mine. Until the next time…
One of the Best Things to Ever Happen to Me
Big words, right? And of course, the sole appropriate answer to that question could only be Steemit, right? Well, that may well be the case as Steemit has changed my life in ways I could never have imagined. But an unexpected off-shoot of that is my meeting a sweet and endearing couple who have now fast become an integral part of my everyday life.
That of @exyle and his awesome girlfriend @bkdbkd.
You know what? I couldn’t care less how this comes across. “I ******* love those guys”! Lol, oh it’s true. As people who follow my blog may know, I met this guy at the last Steemfest and we have pretty much conversed "everyday" ever since. Yes, from a full year ago! I’m an only child but Mark is someone I could call the closest to having a “real-life brother”. Now a true life-long friend and all around phenomenal guy, I was over-the-moon when it was confirmed a few months back that we’d all be meeting up at this year's Steemfest.
So, I gotta say, the majority of most of my memories involve @exyle and @bkdbkd. We dined out together at various restaurants during our stay at the HF Lisboa and checked out many of the beautiful sights around the city. Now, there are too many stories to tell. I could easily turn it into a five part mega-post! So for the sake of conciseness, I’ll touch upon some main highlights.
One being when we had a chance to sit next to @ned at the dinner hall on the first day of presentations. The two of us chatting about Steemit with the great man himself is something I won’t be forgetting in a hurry, lol! Might I add that @ned is humble, well-spoken and an extremely logical, intelligent thinker. Keeping that in mind, we discussed SMT’s, user-related politics and various other issues pertaining to the blockchain technology itself. It was mind-blowing the focus and dedication this man gives on a daily basis to the very same platform we all hold so dear to us. And what was the single most stand-out message I took away from that group discussion? These guys are on our side and they see a bigger picture that will benefit us all. We are in good hands, please rest assured of that.
On a lighter note, another cheerful recollection is that of @exyle and I gaming on his laptop down in the lobby every night. You know, to like unwind from a hectic day and all, lol! One time @cryptofunk came over and joined in. That was awesome as he’s a “gamer” through and through and we both found out the hard way! Some serious skills you got there, @cryptofunk. And again, what an overall awesome guy he is! The next night (whilst again in the lobby area but taking a break from gaming on the laptop), @exyle and I had the pleasure of a nice chat with super cool @terrybrock. He’s so knowledgeable in so many facets of life and we had a blast talking more about the future of Steemit and where the direction we see the platform ultimately heading. Bless you, @terrybrock. It was simply fantastic to meet you and I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again at another upcoming fest.
Lol! That post was way longer than I thought it would be! But that’s just a mere snippet of the great times I was lucky enough to enjoy at Steemfest 2. And I know what I wrote may sound quite “gushy” or “over-enthusiastic” but every written word I put down on this post comes straight from the heart. I’m not one to say things just for the sake of it. Like the last Steemfest, this event has changed my perception of this platform and grown my adoration and respect for "it and it’s incredible users".
Each and every one of you had a part to play in making the whole thing gel in the way that it did and I want to thank everyone I met there for the opportunity to get to know you that little bit better.
May our paths cross once again in the near future. Much love and respect for you all. Until Steemfest 3.
Bless…
O wow! Such kind words. Thanks, man! Can't wait to meet again Saturday and have blast. Better sneak in that controller :). Thanks for all the amazing times so far and the many times that will follow. Who'd thought the Steem blockchain could produce real-life friends. Proof of friends :)
For real! That controller is ready for shipping out! But our story should highlight the intangible benefits of Steemit and the miraculous tangents in your life it could lead to. You guys are a blessing in my life, no doubt.
And so looking forward to some Saturday mega-fun! Proof of friends to the max! :)
Wow!!, I really love the way you guys are enjoying your life and flexing on steemit, to be sincer I really want to be like you guys.
But most time I get discouraged on how some whales on steemit does, they only upvote there fans post. Many minnow has left there blog just because of this same reason. After they spend of there time trying to create a post they want get any good upvote.
When I first join steemit I have introduce more than 30 of my friends. But all have left the platform, just because of this same reason.
Most time you see some steemians with high reputation posting content that's not up to 50 words, and they receive upvote from there fellow fans, while the minnow while write a article with a content of 1000+ words with on good upvote $0.00, to me me it's discouraging.
Am only share my mind here!!,
@exyle has be a steemian I really love, I can't even afford to miss his post a day. His blog is all about his lifestyle which I love every thing about it.
Happy Birthday @ezzy, I wish long life and prosperity in advance. I got to know you from @exyle post.
Hey buddy.
Thanks for the comment and your personal thoughts on the platform itself. I admit, things are harder than they were when I first joined back in July 2016. But that's not to say they are impossible. I see an "as yet unseen" wave of new users coming to Steemit in the future and they will consider "you" as the ones who were the early adopters. Because that's what Steemit is. Still a relatively new-born baby. So much still lies ahead in terms of development and mass adoption. There is still so much that we all are yet to see coming to fruition. Therefore a combination of time and patience are essential ingredients to making this work for you.
So my advice to you, bro. Concentrate on providing useful and quality content. Helping your blog "and" the platform organically grow as a self-contained unit. Establish yourself as we all did when first starting out. I firmly believe that if you give it everything you got and consistently "push" your way into the community, you will get noticed and you will start earning. It's a tried and tested formula that always seems to work for Steemit.
Never mind about anyone else who gave up after a few attempts. They won't help improve your situation, but instead just drag you down with them. So focus on "you" and everything should fall into place like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
I wish you nothing but the absolute best and thanks for the heartfelt, kind words. See you around! :)
You got to sit with Ned? Haha! Nice! I knew that you're already on a whole other level for months now, but now you're already in the inner circle haha! I'm glad I got to know you before you became out of reach. I will always cherish the times we interacted haha!
Hey my bro!
And where do you think I'm going? Lol, I'm in no inner circle! Just @ned being the same charismatic and friendly individual that we all saw him as at the fest. So yeh, it was a mighty privilege for me to chat with the man himself. But I'm sure you're working on coming to the next one. Am I right? Please say it's so.
Coz that was the missing element from the last one. Catching up with the awesome @jedau. Bless, my brother. I'll never be out of reach for you or anyone, man! We're all in this together as one! :)
Sadly, I'm not haha! I'm just trying to get scraps from the reward pool hoping to get by. I feel like the sand people from Star Wars haha! Don't worry though, I feel like our paths will cross in the future, maybe at the EzzyFest or the EzzyCon, whichever of those two conventions dedicated to you would have the cheaper airfare haha!
Lol! The "Ezzyfest"... Man, I've got more chance of an "Ezzycoin" coming out first, lol. :)
With SMTs in the horizon, I'm sure Ezzycoin isn't far behind. I'm sure that's going to soar!
It was great meeting you guys and hanging out, hopefully see you soon! Didn't realise you were gaming every night damn I missed out!
Likewise, was a real pleasure to meet you and the fam. If you're ever in London, drop us a word and we should hook up again. I'd really love that. And yeah, now I wish we'd given you more of a heads up in regards to our gaming sessions downstairs.
Never mind, bro. I hope a similar situation arise again someday soon. :)
Those are mighty fine words there. I'm sure everyone you mentioned in the post feels the exact same as you do. This idea of a Steemfest seems to be a hit with so many people. I've been reading a few posts and everybody is very positive about the experience. Will seriously think about making the next one.
Hey there, @myb!
Yes, the atmosphere was buzzing! I lead quite a quiet life here in London so getting the chance to meet such so many awesome people in one place is something I consider as very "different and special". Come to Steemfest 3 if you can, buddy. :)
Amazing to meet people on Steemit and Steemfest who become lifetime friends! Have fun next weekend 😉
Hey there, buddy! It's a real crazy ride, man. So glad we're all aboard this train! And yes, this weekend should be a blast... ;)
Hey Ezzy, that's so sweet and nice of you, you bet you both are just equally special to us, the love is reciprocal! So glad to have found two new amazing friends, friends I know are for life! I'm also thankful for your friendship with @exyle. And we are madly happy for having you guys over this week. So looking forward!
Bless, @bkdbkd. The feelings are completely reciprocal and we feel absolutely the same. Many more good times on their way, so much to look forward to.
All the best and "seeya" in a few dayz! :)
so this how half of blocktrades look like.
i have use them a couple of times and no complain😎
They're really cool people. Come to the next fest. :)
‘May our paths cross once again in the near future. ’
So touched by your beautiful lines!
Thanks for the sincerely sharing! Appreciate it!👍
Hey Ezzy, that's so sweet and nice of you, you bet you both are just equally special to us, the love is reciprocal! So glad to have found two new amazing friends, friends I know are for life! I'm also thankful for your friendship with @exyle. And we are madly happy for having you guys over this week. So looking forward!
very interesting, nice photos, thanks!
Beautiful summary of steem fest two.
Thanks very much, @pardeepkumar.
Feel happy to see and read the story.
this might great for you you have a nice fun out there in the fest i love to see this word from you really like it to have a fun with the friends have a great
Glad you are having a great time and meeting some very cool and talented people. I was unable to make it there myself, although it nearly happened. But I enjoyed reading your account of events.
No problem, buddy. I hope to see you there at the next one. And yes, it was really awesome. So many cool people with whom I was already quite familiar with. Surreal and unique, but very enjoyable.
Thanks for your kind words, man. Steem on, my brother! :)
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Hey there, @travelchain. I'll be sure to take a look. Thanks for the kind words. :)
(I love all the post talking about Steemfest, I realize that I miss it already so much...).
And where have you found time to play game during the night ? :D
Love the last pic with @rea and @exyle...
Lol, so true. Thanks for the nice words and stopping by. :)
Great impressions from the Steemfest, thanks for sharing bro!
Thanks, buddy. :)