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Before every man and his boy on hive jumps on the promotional blog writing bandwagon promoting @roelandp fantastical hive wonderland event, I thought I'd give it my best go at showing you why you should attend at least one if not two or more, steemHivefests if you're serious about hive... and having fun 😂

HiveFest⁷ 2022: Close counters, is happening from Thursday 15 September until Sunday 18 September. The sweet smell of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Europe, is where it is all at this year.

Source: Roelandp's announcement post

The title of 'Close Encounters' makes me think of a Halloween alien-themed hivefest, and one thing is for sure Roelandp really knows how to throw a shindig as I can attest to from visiting Krakow... let's call it HF3.

As I visited Krakow in 2018 when the event was held under the name of the blockchain that shall not be named, I have some pictures and memories of that extraordinary event. But to be honest, the party and activities distracted me so much that I didn't get as much material as I would have liked. But what I did get was something more valuable than content (figuratively 😂), memories.

From the extremely impressive venues, the city of Krakow and the day trips planned at the event:

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Pictures from my post - Steemfest Snippets - Opening Day ☝️

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Pictures from my post - Steemfest Snippets - Wandering the City ☝️

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The extremely sobering day trip to Auschwitz on one of the weekend days after the main conference...

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The language used - 'special treatment' - still makes me feel sick to my stomach.

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Pictures from my post - Auschwitz - Putting a Face to the Name ☝️

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To the inevitable comedown after the event...

This is part of what Steemfest 3 and Steem in general means to me. I risk putting myself way outside my comfort zone, meeting hundreds of new people, where I've floundered and failed in the past meeting tens of new people in social situations. I risk everything on the roll of a dice in a very new tech space. I risk putting my creative writing out in a space where it is etched into the blockchain forever. But it is in taking these risks, and the successes that come, that regret loses its power. Building the balance needed to find long term answers to depression and social anxiety. This past week at Steemfest has been a wonderful cavalcade of chaotic fun. The joy of connections made and the realization that those old social anxieties are becoming less with each positive experience.

Source: my post SF 3 musings

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Hivefest is something that will affect you deeply if you're active on hive. In one way or another, the event has the power to change your hive experience forever. Whether it is through successful networking to help build projects, or just promoting yourself and your blog, travelling to an event like this is a must for building lasting connections, and inspiring creativity.

https://soundcloud.com/rowan-joyce/steemfestdreams?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
A Poem I wrote and performed prior to HF 3 in Krakow ☝️

Meeting people who you've only interacted with online is a strange and often amazing experience. I met @jayna at Hivefest 3 and she has now taken over The Ink Well community that I started when my health got worse and I was unable to continue managing it, building a vibrant creative writing community. It is this type of trust and understanding that you often find meeting people IRL from hive, as well as it just being a laugh and a half.

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Pictures from my post - Back from Steem Fest - Dapps, Strippers and Romanian Harry Potter ☝️

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Anyway, I am unable to ensure I will make it this year. My chronic health issues have reached such a level that I literally can't plan anything until about 2-3 weeks before any planned trip. So for me, if I can make it to Amsterdam it will have to be a last-minute thing.

I hope to be there in September and meet all the attendees, maybe take the partying a little easier this time and really get to know some new people.

Thanks for reading, and check out @roelandp's announcement post below to find all the deets.

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Save the date! HiveFest⁷ 2022 - 15-18 September - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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All images in this post are either mine or CC licence, linked beneath the pic. If you have enjoyed this promotional blog, please check out my homepage @raj808 for similar content. Thank you.

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