cartwheels
backflips
hugglepounces all the people who like to be hugged

AHHHH! I’m so excited! And grateful. Soooooooo grateful.

On Tuesday I found out that I won a trip to Steemfest3. Not only that, but I get to perform for all the amazing people who will be attending!

Dreams do come true. For real.

Sometimes you have to hustle for them.

I don’t like promoting myself, but I tasted this chance and wanted it so badly I mentioned it in several posts and a handful of discord servers. I asked for what I needed and was rewarded with an overwhelmingly beautiful response.

MASSIVE gratitude to each person who chose to include me in their nominations in the @steemitblog Steemfest contest. May your generosity and kindness flow back to you.

It is a flow, this life. Sometimes I’m barely hanging onto my surfboard, but right now I’m up, flying along on a wave of joy and gratitude. How very nice.

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The Road to Steemfest: Week 11

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I’m finally jumping on the #roadtosteemfest tag, which is a fabulous collection of posts that help us get to know people who are headed to Steemfest. Kudos to @anomadsoul for encouraging this topic and the community building it creates.

This week’s Road to Steemfest topic is FEARS.

Yep, I’ve got those.

This will be the longest I’ve been away from my children since they were born. I’m a full-time mama to twin four-year-old boys. I’m due for a break. ;) They’ll be with their father and then at their grandma’s house, and I’m sure they’ll be fine, but for a while I was worried about leaving them. Now I'm too excited to worry.

I need to be there—want it with my soul, if that makes sense. So I’m letting go the fear of being so far from home and family, and letting myself take this adventure.

It’s not like I’ll be alone. This will be the farthest journey I’ve done solo, into a country whose language is a complete mystery to me, but I know it will all work out. I have many friends who will be there, and I'm sure I'll make lots more friends in Poland.

Yes, I have some fears of getting around, figuring out the currency, being safe, and am a little nervous about getting onstage to play music in front of the biggest crowd I’ve ever addressed solo.

But I’m also glowing, gushing, flying-inside giddy. Residing in the elixir of elation.

Yeah. This is good. I’m going to let myself enjoy it, because pleasure and adventure and this thrill of feeling so alive are wonderful things!

Besides, I’ve got goddesses and dragons watching my back. ;) They’ve gotten me this far, I trust that they’ll carry me through.

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^^ Me in a Live Oak in New Orleans, a really long time ago. This is one of my favourite pictures of me playing guitar. Hope to get some new ones at Steemfest3!

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The big question: do I bring my guitar on the plane?

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I guess the biggest thing on my mind (besides where to stay), is whether I bring my guitar or not.

I’ll be performing Friday night. I’m pretty sure someone will be have an instrument I can use, but it would be nice to practice before I play. @llfarms, @meno, @sjennon, @steembirds anyone bringing a guitar? May I borrow it for a bit of practice and a little performance Friday night?

It would be really nice to have my guitar with me. My hard case has a crack from the last time I took it on the plane. The guitar inside was fine, so my guess is the case would hold.

Part of me wants to go get a travel-size guitar, but I’m probably going to be spending more than I won getting there and back as it is, and a little acoustic/electric with a case is probably upwards of $500. I think I’d be more comfortable taking my hard case and used guitar with me… if something happened to it, it would be more easily replaced.

And then there’s the possibility of finding a travel-sized guitar while in Krakow,

Guitars are heavy. That’s the main thing deterring me.

I’ve hauled mine through airports before. The cool part is being able to play it during long layovers. The bad part is the way it makes my arm hurt from lugging it around.

I’m still on the fence about this. We’ll see what I decide.

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Thanks so much for reading! Be sure to check the #roadtosteemfest tag to read other posts from people who are headed to the Steem party in Poland.

In case no one has told you today, you’re AMAZING!

Whatever happens, keep singing your song!

Peace. @katrina-ariel

Photos mine unless otherwise credited.

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Author bio: Katrina Ariel is an old-soul rebel, musician, tree-hugging yogini, and mama bear to twins. Author of Yoga for Dragon Riders (non-fiction) and Wild Horse Heart (romance), she's another free-spirit swimming in the ocean of Steem.

dragon art: Liiga Smilshkalne

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