I’ll be completely honest…when Roeland messaged me last summer and asked me to be a first speaker at SteemFest 1 in Amsterdam I was worried. Immediately, my brain begin conjuring up all of the reasons why I couldn’t do and rattled off excuses like, ”I can’t afford it…it would be too hard to get the time off work…what will I talk about for twenty minutes?, and how in the h@ll does someone like me speak immediately after New York Times best-selling author, Neil Strauss?!”

Guess what? I told my brain to stifle the negative self-talk and said YES to SteemFest 1!

The result was one of the most life-enriching things I’ve ever done! That week in Amsterdam last November changed my life and, as an added bonus, forged some meaningful lifetime friendships.

If I would have said NO I would’ve missed out on all of it...meeting and conversing with fellow Steemians, the authentic Dutch pancakes (make by Roeland’s family), climbing the oldest church tower in Amsterdam*, and experiencing all of the wonders that Amsterdam has to offer!

*This ^^^ was the reward for climbing the steep stairs of Oude Kerk.

Along with the wonderful memories there are a few things I would have done differently. I thought it would be helpful for those of you taking part in SteemFest for the first time to share some advice I gleaned from my experience as a noob last year.

What To Do Now

• Mentally commit, don’t overthink.
• Book your flights and prepare to arrive a day early. If coming from the US, it’s best to take an evening flight and try to sleep on the way over (our flight left at 11:30PM CST and got us to Amsterdam around 10AM). This allows you to begin your day in another time zone and more easily adjust to the jet lag.
• Watch for upcoming announcements regarding hotel accommodations and further details about the event itself.
• Research Lisbon and any outside activities you’d like to experience. The SteemFest schedule last year was pretty full but there were unscheduled hours where you could go off on your own and explore.
• Start looking into your mobile phone carrier’s international plans or find a cheap mobile phone that will work in Portugal. Bring an external battery as a back-up for your mobile phone in case you’re out on the town and your phone dies.
• Make sure your passport is current and will be in November.
• Start thinking about the people you want to meet and get to know. Even begin to make plans for dinners/activities with these people outside of the structured SteemFest events.
• Listen to Rick Steves' travel guide podcast about Portugal. (Link for Apple users -
  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/rick-steves-portugal/id424966422?mt=2)

What to Expect

Try to set aside expectations and leave yourself open for the unexpected. Most importantly, be prepared to have a whole lot of fun! Most everyone I met last year was friendly, humble, fun, and were just plain good people.

One thing that really impressed me about the first SteemFest was how well planned it was. Roeland and the entire crew did a fantastic job planning and taking care of everyone during their stay and I expect SteemFest 2 will be no different.

What I Would Have Done Differently

Atop my list of regrets is not making more of an effort to socialize in the evenings and get to know more people. I had a horrible cold during most of the trip and felt like crashing in the hotel room after the day’s events but wished I would’ve foregone sleep and socialized more in the evenings.

I also wish I would’ve found an alternative to using my own phone in Amsterdam. Due to fine print and some misinformation from our cellphone carrier’s customer support department our Verizon bill was over $500 due to international charges.

Thirdly, would have been more careful and not have almost fallen down a whole flight of stairs after my talk. Yes, I learned that Red Wing boots with slippery soles and well-worn stone stairs do not mix. I never technically fell flat, but more accurately “surfed” all the way down the entire flight of stairs leading to the Tobacco Theater’s basement. I seriously didn't have a drop to drink (yet). To this day I don’t know if anyone saw me do this or not (I think @Ned might have witnessed the fiasco). If so, they’ve been too polite to mention it.

^^^ This was pretty much what I did only I never truly fell and looked far less graceful.

Lastly, I wish I would’ve learned more about the technical side of Steemit before SteemFest and connected with some of the Developers (Devs.) A big component of what makes Steemit so great is cryptocurrency and the technology behind it. If you’re a content creator, get to know some developers and what they’re working on and attend available workshops during SteemFest 2. If you’re a Dev, get to know content creators and become familiar with what they do.

For Those Who are Asked to Present or Participate in SteemFest 2

If you are approached to present at the event remember to breathe...and then say yes, even if you don’t yet know how you’ll fill up your time on stage. You’ll have months to figure this out and the experience you’re going to have will be worth any fear you need to conquer to accomplish it. The event organizers are super helpful and encouraging. They will do their best to make sure you are perfectly comfortable and have all the tools you need to slay your presentation. If I can do it, anyone can. Presenting at SteemFest gave my confidence a huge boost, provided me with an impressive addition to my resume, forged new business connections, and was a memory that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. No matter what remember this is your time to shine. ENJOY the experience and, if you present, make it your own.

Do you have any SteemFest experiences or advice to share? ( @fairytalelife, @heiditravels, @ned, @mrs.steemit, @neilstrauss ) If so, I encourage you to post!

All liquid rewards from this post will be forwarded to the @steemfest account to be used for event funding.

---

*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.

Eric Vance Walton - Media

www.ericvancewalton.net