SteemFest

Many of you are on your way to Krakow or are already there and valiantly battling jet lag. Seeing all of your posts about your travels to Poland, I can't help but remember the excitement and nervousness I felt as I boarded the plane to SteemFest 1 in Amsterdam. It was my first trip to Europe and it was also my first time presenting at a conference of any kind. I can't normally sleep on planes but had just enough red wine over the Atlantic to catch a few hours of shut eye. The very first person to greet us as we walked into the hotel was @Roelandp and his energy was enough to brighten us up even in our exhausted state.

The view from the hotel lobby in Amsterdam (2016).

If it's your first SteemFest, mark my words, the experience will change you. For one, it'll give you much more hope in the future. You'll have special access to some of the culture of the city and this will give you an experience you'd be hard-pressed to get any other way. It'll make you feel a bit like a local and you'll discover new things you didn't know existed. I remember this distinctly from Amsterdam Roeland and crew do a fantastic job of designing it this way. My wife and I have become lifelong fans of Stroopwafels and fresh mint tea ever since our trip to Amsterdam. We also still have dreams of one day moving there (or at least spending part of the year.)

You'll also meet what will turn out to be a few lifelong friends. My advice is don't worry too much about sleep while you're there, make the most of each and every moment. Also, prepare yourself for the post-SteemFest blues. After days of having that much fun boarding the flight home will be difficult, it'll feel like you're leaving family. But don't worry too much about any of that now, live in the moment and have as much fun as you possibly can.

That first SteemFest feels like a lifetime ago already but the memories are a part of me forever. I'm sad I can't be there this year but will enjoy seeing all of the posts, pictures, and live streams from Krakow.

Poetry

Below is a compilation of some of my original poetry paired with a song called, "O Barquinho" from Stacey Kent's album The Changing Lights.

Jazz

My wife and I are lucky to know Stacey and her husband Jim and try to catch their shows whenever they're in town. We met years ago during one of their concerts at the Dakota Jazz Club here in Minneapolis. Years ago, (speaking of other lifetimes) Raymi and I owned a tea shop called, "The Perfect Pause - Fine Tea and Accessories" from 2006 to 2011 and Stacey and Jim used to buy our tea. They liked one in particular, ice wine white tea, it was a nice white tea with a hint of Canadian ice wine.

Fun Fact: They recorded their song Ice Hotel while sipping our ice wine white tea in the studio.

Stacey Kent's, Ice Hotel

As we get older we begin to realize that we live more than one lifetime from birth to final breath. If we're brave and a little lucky, we live many. Each dawn can bring with it a new and different life. My life has become infinitely better as a result of this platform. Even though it's far from perfect Steemit is still changing lives, in different ways, every day.

Make the most of your journey.

Eric

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*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.

Alarm Clock Dawn, one of the first full length novels published on the blockchain, and the book that started it all for me can be found HERE.

My book on meditation, The Perfect Pause, is priced at $12.99 (paperback) and $4.99 (eBook). Buy the paperback and receive the eBook for free!

Connect with Me

www.ericvancewalton.net