Thank you steemians for the support, you are now part of my family!

Thanks you all for the support that you have shown with your donations! I appreciate you all! I have never received the type of support from people that I have only met once like I have from you all. Some of you I don't even think I have had the please of meeting. Feeling so much love!

Happy Thanksgiving to my steemit family! Even the ones outside the country who don't celebrate it, I celebrate you and thank you for what you have given!

Right now I am with my family writing this at my aunts house in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A. We all gathered here today for Thanksgiving; A yearly tradition that was started by the U.S. to remember the gifts and hospitality that the native Americans showed to the European immigrants when they visited the Americas (with a f@#$ed up colonialism ending, but I won't get into that today). When the Pilgrims were hungry and needed help the most, the Indians (native Americans)were there to help feed them by sharing their harvest when they had nothing to give in return.

I traveled all the way from Dallas, Texas with my mom, her boyfriend, and my girlfriend @danilamarilu to be here today. It was about an 8 hour drive yesterday to get here. It reminds me a lot of my travels to #steemfest to meet my steemit online community for the first time. I was first inspired to connect with everyone at steemfest because of the unconditional gifts that I have received from the steemit community.

Another aspect that inspired me to go was the fact that @infovore gave me a free ticket from his giveaway from his steemag and that @t-r-f fund would reimburse some of my travel cost; Seemed like a good deal and an experience I would never
forget.

I was right, the experience was more real and amazing that I could've ever imagined, yet all things comes to an end.

All giving and receiving must be an equivalent exchange

Because of the society I've grown up in, most of my life I have always thought of things as two way transaction deals; With any giving or receiving needing an equal equivalent exchange to take place . The only exception to this is family and close loved ones; Then ones sided transaction can take place, without it being necessary to have to reciprocate in some way in that moment. Family and close loved ones will be the ones that will be there for you to show support when you need it and have nothing to reciprocate at the moment.

When I chose to go to steemfest I saw the support from @t-r-f as one of those two way transactions. In exchange for my time, attention, and attendance @t-r-f would help me pay for my plane flight. It was a good deal for the experience and that is part of the reason why I decided to go
.

My reimbursement & extra travel costs from my mistakes

So my original travel cost to buy my ticket to Amsterdam and back for steemfest was about 1085$ USD.

For my reimbursement I received about 280 SBD & 37 Steem. Paying me back for more than 1/4th the ticket. Pretty amazing, first time I was reimbursed for my travel cost.

So I was happy with how it turned out. It was finished, both parties had completed there end of the deal and I considered that the end of the transaction.

Then something horrible happened, I missed my plane flight because I woke up late!

When I booked my original ticket I stupidly didn't think about how early I would be needing to get up and all the time it take to get through the airport. Since it was my fault there was nothing the airline could do for me and I had to buy an entirely new ticket. I talked on steem chat on #steemfest to try to find the next cheapest price for a ticket home.

Called my family and of course they wanted to help me as much as possible. My mother found me a ticket for a great price for 525$ USD. My family was there for me, helped support me and now I had a way home.

Then when I logged onto steemit the next time I was greeted with a surprise. I received another donation from the @t-r-f fund supported by @roelandp, @liondani and others. Then a donation from @anduweb.

Then more support from my girlfriend @danilamarilu and friend @christoryan from Texas!

This was amazing to me and touched my heart because it was not necessary. There was no agreement for these gift to take place.

Then I missed my second plane flight because of being held by security for having a spoon and fork swiss army camping tool! Completely devastated!

Which really sucked by the way, It looked a lot like this one, which I had completely forgotten I had.

I had it with me the entire time on my plane flight to London and then to Amsterdam. Yet on the way back they noticed it stopped me for it, and held me for a while because of it. I ended up throwing it away and running towards my gate number.

I arrived ten minutes late. I saw my airplane outside but they said they would not allow me to enter as the gate was already closed and they sent my bags back to baggage claim. Walked all the way back, picked up my bags and talked to the airliner British airways to get help but they told me since I booked it with a travel agent it wasn't even in there power to change it even if they wanted too. Exhausted I collapsed, called my family and of course they were there for me to buy me another plane flight for 525$ USD again. Paid my mother the 1000$ for the missed flights. Completely depleting me of almost all my money I had left.

I finally made my third flight (third times a charm) and made it back home safely. Now I am here with my family on thanksgiving. Feeling very thankful for everything and everyone!

Then again this morning I received even MORE support from the steemit community!

I really don't even know what to say. The only time I have every received support from my mistakes and unfortunate incidents like this is from family.

So Thank you steemit family. Thank you @arcange, @opheliafu, @liondani, @michelle.gent, @spiz0r, @chessmonster, @logic, @donkeypong, @roelandp for this extra emergency fund payout. I truly appreciate this and I will remember this.

This last donation, I received 365 SBD and 804 steem. Which paid for more than 4/5ths of my last ticket that I missed because of security. This is just so amazing, thank you.

Thank you all for the support, I am almost paralyzed with feelings of love, it's hard for me to even write more!

I no longer believe in the process of equivalent exchange in the way that I did. I now have a stronger belief that from these gifts of unconditional giving, a strong feeling will be created inside the receiver to give back. Just like the process of breathing, with the natural flow of the inhale and exhale sharing of love between plants and mammals, I believe this is the truth of what equivalent exchange of love really is.

I want to give back right now but I really don't know how I would, except to say thank you all again for your donations! Thank you @roelandp, @liondani, @anduweb, @danilamarilu, @christoryan, @arcange, @opheliafu, @michelle.gent, @spiz0r, @chessmonster, @logic, @donkeypong, Anon givers and everyone else for supporting the steemit network!

I have to go, everyone is gathering together to say grace and prepare for thanksgiving dinner. My family is so crazy, so much chaos from all the kids before we prepare to sit down. I love them so much. I am going to find a way to support steemit in the future even more, definitely here to stay!

I LOVE YOU ALL!

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