Road to Steemfest - From Mexico To Thailand To Poland And A Year Of Slow Travel
@anomadsoul is continuing his great initiative called The road to Steem Fest | Next topic: The physical road, bringing Steemians together so we can get to know each other before we meet up in Poland this year for Steemfest. Great idea. I feel like I know a lot of you already from reading your posts.
Last year at Steemfest 2 in Lisbon, Portugal I made the decision to attend this year's Steemfest no matter where in the world it was held. Connecting with Steemians in the real world is a unique experience worth being part of and I wouldn't miss it. It's so much fun meeting Steemians you've gotten to know online first and reuniting with others from last year is going to be a blast.
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Since joining Steemit and getting involved with the different communities on the platform I've learned a lot and it has literally changed my life in so many ways. I've connected with people from all walks of life and met many of them in real life. The friendships formed through this platform have been lasting and rewarding.
Since October 2017 I've been living 100% on Steem and have begun traveling to places I've always wanted to see. I made a decision to travel continuously for the next 12-months and see where that leads me. There's something about traveling I'm completely addicted to and love the challenges it presents. My journey to Steemfest 3 this year is interesting in that I'm actually traveling full-time and have taken a long road to eventually arrive in Krakow, Poland.
I was literally online about to book a flight to Thailand when @roelandp made the announcement of this year's Steemfest location so I incorporated Poland into my travel plans. Amazingly I was able to book a flight from Cancun, Mexico where I was living at the time, to Mexico City, then Bangkok, Poland, and back to Bangkok for $1,400 USD.
This year alone I went to Acapulco for the Anarcapulco event, Merida, San Cristobal De Las Casas, Mexico City, and am currently living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Again, all funded by Steem.
I'll be flying to Steemfest this year from Bangkok, Thailand and as soon as the event is over I'll be returning to Thailand to continue my adventures there.
While in Krakow I'll be staying in a rented Airbnb with @anomadsoul who I last saw in Cancun, Mexico when he returned from Russian after the World Cup. He's someone I introduced to Steemit and it's good to see him doing so well. He was at last year's event and will be there this year too.
Looking forward to seeing you again @anomadsoul and meeting more Steemians who will be staying there with us.
I'm also looking forward to hanging out with the @steembirds again, seeing @quinneaker, @everlove, @prc, @lizanomadsoul, @coruscate, @meno, @world-travel-pro, and so many other people. Jeez, this list could go on forever.
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Last year I was fortunate enough to win a ticket to Steemfest in Lisbon, Portugal thanks to the generosity of @quinneaker and his ticket giveaway contest and the overwhelming, heartfelt support from the Steemit community.
This year with the help of @blocktrades and @anomadsoul, @openmic was able to help send someone to Steemfest in our own Steemfest ticket giveaway. Congratulation @coruscate!
You can read about that at WINNER! | The @blocktrades + @openmic Steem Fest ticket giveaway!
I've never been to Poland before and have been living in tropical climates for so long that I don't have any warm weather clothes, so I guess I'll have to find some for this trip. If anyone has a warm jacket they could spare or lend me for a week let me know.
My road to Steemfest this year started months ago, a continuous journey that's still unfolding as I go, but one of the most special gatherings of the year for any active Steemian.
On the way back from Steemfest my plane has a layover in Dusseldorf, Germany where my friend will be hopping on the plane to join me back in Thailand where we'll pick up the Thailand trail and see where that takes us.
If anyone attending Steemfest would like to go to Thailand afterward and join us please let me know. It would be an awesome after-steemfest party. @roxane said she would be coming to Thailand after the event and I know @waybeyondpadthai lives in Bangkok. I'll probably see her when I go to Bangkok next time. I think a bunch of Steemians just returning from Steemfest and arriving in Thailand to get some beach time in after Poland would be the most fun adventure. Let me know in the comments if anyone is interested in going to Thailand after Steemfest.
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To get to know me better you can read the posts about my adventures as they unfold. For the next 4-months or so I'll be writing about my experiences in Thailand and also plan to visit Vietnam. There's something about going to totally foreign places that inspires me and gets my creative juices flowing.
There's some evidence that the propensity for traveling is inherited or in our DNA. You can read more about that at The Constant Traveler - Why Are Some People More Prone To Travel Than Others?
Whatever the reason it sure inspires me to blog more and provides more to blog about. When you're in a foreign country exposed to new experiences and new people every day there is never a dull moment really. There's always something new to see, taste, try, and discover and then, of course, blog about it.
It also allows me to introduce many new people to the Steemit platform. Once people realize I'm traveling for months, not weeks at a time, they invariably ask me what I do. "Are you retired?", they ask. This gives me the perfect lead-in to tell them all about Steemit and how it helps fund my travels and they seem very interested in learning more.
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Some join. Some don't. So what? Those that join and really apply themselves start getting involved and before you know it it has changed their lives too. It still feels a little strange to me saying that a website has changed my life but it has.
You see, I love slow travel. What is slow travel?
Instead of the normal tourist experience of traveling to a resort, booking as many activities as possible, and coming home exhausted from your vacation, slow travel encourages you to indulge in the local culture, to really soak in the local experience and get to know the place, the customs, and the people.
Spending more time in an area and leaving gaps in planning every detail of your trip invites room for unexpected events to unfold. You really start to make more local connections and friendships because you are in town longer than the typical tourist and locals can get to know you. You get to see and experience the culture on a whole other level than someone there for a week or two.
Slow Travel is a mindset that rejects traditional ideas of tourism and encourages you to soak in your environments and keep yourself open to new experiences.
Slow travel is not so much a particular mode of transportation as it is a mindset. Rather than attempting to squeeze as many sights or cities as possible into each trip, the slow traveler takes the time to explore each destination thoroughly and to experience the local culture. source
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Often people think that you have to be rich or retired to slow travel but that is not the case if you pick the right locations to travel to. Working on Steemit and earning Steem really helps because it's a geographically independent income source. Truly life-changing stuff.
Another expert on budget travel here on Steemit is @world-travel-pro. He's been doing this kind of thing for years already and is a wealth of info about budget traveling.
So, as I travel I've been starting these little clusters of new Steemians and bringing them to the platform. I know I'm not the only one doing this but in my small way, it feels good to recruit new people and also meet existing Steemians along the way.
The world of Steem is growing and reaching every corner of the world. One thing I really love about introducing new people to this is the look on their face when you explain it to them, like a light bulb going off in their head. Some get so inspired they can hardly contain themselves and they know just what to do next. Others think it's too good to be true and don't take action at all. All I can do is lead them to it, like Johnny Appleseed I plant the seed. The rest is up to them.
To those of you hearing the call and preparing to make the journey to Krakow, Poland this November, you are my kind of people. The early adopters that know a good thing when they see it. The explorers willing to be part of this new way of interacting with each other, but open to connecting the virtual world and bringing it into the real world. Weaving us together into the strong, global fabric of humanity, ready to see where this journey takes us.
I look forward to connecting, meeting, sharing, and knowing you all at Steemfest 3 this year. Until then, may Steem be with you.
Related Posts
My Long And Winding Road That Leads To SteemFest 3
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Slow travel is my kind of travel. Doing it with @quinneaker, @saramiller and Lucca after SF2 was truly a blessing. So many synchronistic moments and opportunities opened as we just lived in the flow! So glad to hear you are able to do your travels all on Steem. What a great example of a real world way to engage this platform.
Was such a blessing to meet you last year and spend some time in laughter together. You're such a genuine guy and such a joy to be around. Hopefully we will connect again and enjoy another journey.
Many blessings to you @luzcypher. I know you'll bring many joyous moments to SF3 all on your own.
Awe, you're so sweet. I"m hoping to see you at SF3 this year. Heard Quin may not make it but are you going? If you"re not going this year know that you'll be there in spirit, at least in my mind.
Perhaps you guys can come to Thailand for a visit. It's so beautiful here.
Please give a big hug from me to yourself and Quin and Sara. Miss you guys.
I don't really see SF3 happening for me either, though there is still time, so who knows what will pan out. Miracles happen!
It was an awesome time together. Thailand sounds like a dream---would be a real delight to be there with you. Thanks for the invite. It may be that we knock on your door! <3 Hugs to you @luzcypher. Have an amazing time at SF--will definitely be there in spirit.
I'm really going to miss you guys and many others will be sure to miss you too. If you knocked on my door in Thailand it would be the most awesome surprise. Life is funny that way. Who knows? You guys would be most welcome.
Yeah, some people we just know are our people--was obvious you're one of them before we even met. Perhaps we'll give you a surprise at your door like we encountered at our first meeting on the street. Magic happens. Glad we're in alignment with it.
Have a great time in Poland. I have no doubt that it will be another amazing experience. Much love to you @luzcypher.
If I was a puppy I'd be wagging my tail at the thought of this.
Hahaha---I can see you doing that with your bright and cheery face--the tail not too hard to imagine! Love you @luzcypher.
hahha I can see why you like meeting the locals!
Yes Brother, SteemFest2 was awesome. I am happy my contest was able to sponsor a true Steemian such as your self. Its right you won as you have been a part of so much great growth in this community. The exact kind of person the contest was designed to reward!
I may not make it to SteemFest this year, if I don't it will be a bit sad but know you and everyone else will have a fantastic time!
SteemOn!
Oh no. That's sad news. I was really hoping to see you again. If you don't make it come to Thailand instead.
Yes, Thai women are beautiful as are all women around the world.
Ya was hoping to see you also. One of the first posts I saw about SteemFest 3 was yours and last year our SteemFest journey started off together as you won my contest ticket, we hung out every day and then we started talking about SteemFest3 in the cearribiean right afterwards!
Its still possible but not likely unfortunately.
Slow travel is THE BEST! Years ago my partner and I spent a couple of months in Nicaragua, a week in Costa Rica, and another two months in Ecuador. We took our time, allowed for serendipity, (the week in Costa Rica wasn't pre-planned), and soaked in the experience of being in one place for a while before moving on.
^^ This. I've got some serious wanderlust. I just won a ticket to Steemfest and I am SO excited to be joining you there. Travelling to new places to have fun with amazing people? That's my idea of a dream life. I'm working towards what you're doing, or at least supplementing my travel income with Steem, and look at it becoming a reality!
Thanks for the inspiration, and, as always, huge gratitude for Open Mic. It's a big part of the reason I'm going to Poland, because it's helped me grow so much as a musician. 💞
I'm so happy to hear you won a ticket. That's exciting!
Yes, wandering around the planet is a dream life to me too and I've been living that dream for many years now. Thanks to Steem it has reached a new level and it's a lot of fun introducing people to the platform along the way.
It takes work though. When I first started on this platform and began to realize that it actually works I made a decision to work it like a job. For the first year, I worked 8 or more hours a day on Steemit. It didn't make me rich by any means but it does allow me to budget travel and I feel grateful.
I love Costa Rica and hear great things about Equador and Nicaragua. Look forward to meeting you in Poland. You're going to love meeting Steemians at Steemfest, it's so much fun.
Keep your music alive and may Steem be with you.
Tempting offer to go to Thailand after the conference. I was actually thinking about doing that already because I miss Asia a lot and I need to meet certain Steemians there like @waybeyondpadthai. Right now my schedule after Steemfest is open so we'll see what happens. I think I'm not making as much as you from Steem so I have to watch my wallet a little more carefully, haha.
Come come!!! My place is open if you wanna come crash for a few nights as well yayayhay gonna be such a talkative days and lots of collabs! <3
I just bought my flight from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and will be arriving on November 1st and staying until the 6th when I fly to Krakow. My schedule in Bangkok is totally open between those dates so, see if you can get some Steemians together and we'll have a meet up any day, time, or place you would like between those dates. I look forward to meeting you.
Look forward to meeting you as well. Can't wait!
@mayasiam @earworm @travelling-two @hangin @tangmo @kaminchan @heartscally Hope you guys see this and let's discuss somehow :)
See if you can contact them and pull a meeting together. We can do more than one if we have to. My schedule is flexible while I'm there. Just let me know where and when.
I have to watch my budget too. That's one of the reasons I picked Thailand. It's affordable. I'm renting a place for 237 USD/month in Chiang Mai as home base.
It would be so cool to get together in Bangkok and do some meetups with @waybeyondpadthai's friends. Then maybe hit some beaches down south as it's the perfect time for that weather-wise. But hey, the cool thing about slow travel is it makes for the most flexible schedules. Hahahaha!
I guy I met here from Washington said to me the other night, "Living here, you have to pick your Monday's. Pick one day to be the start of your week." Thanks to Open Mic and Steemit for creating my work week for me.
Aww @luzcypher you are one of the people I am most excited to meet too!! I feel like all the people you tagged are pretty top of my list as well. I feel a group photo coming on!
Wish I could join you guys in Thailand afterwards. Maybe one of these days when I don’t have a job to get back to. ;)
So cool that you’ve been a nomad this last year. What an awesome experience. As a WA girl, I have plenty of jackets and would totally offer you one - but my jackets might be too girly for ya.
Did I read it correctly that you introduced @anomadsoul to Steemit?? Wow, that’s amazing. I bet that feels pretty incredible knowing how much this place has changed his life. ♥️
So cool to hear that you won a ticket last year and then were able to reciprocate that this year. It means more to me than you know. My flights were super expensive and so it ended up being a huge help. More than that though - the process of applying was one of the best experiences I’ve had in my entire Steemit journey. I’m seriously going to go back and read all those comments if I’m having a bad day. ♥️
Ps... I’m getting there several days early - so feel free to hit me up before the event if you are around. 😊
Yes, @anomadsoul was a bartender at a hostel I was staying at in Mexico and he saw me Steeming every day and finally asked what it was all about. This was just before Open Mic created a team of judges. It was just me then and we hooked my computer up to the speakers at the bar in the hostel and played the entries so everyone there could help me pick winners. A bunch of people ended up signing up to Steemit because of that.
He ended up flying to Belgium I think and hitchhiked from there to Lisbon last year. It was so good to see him go even though he was so new to Steemit back then. Yep, group pic coming on for sure.
See you soon @coruscate!
Wow, that’s an amazing story. You never know how one conversation can totally shift your whole trajectory. So cool.
That's so true, especially when there's drinking involved. Let's just say that Playa is conducive to and fully supportive of partying. And it's a perfect place to recruit Steemians
And then, of course, there's @anomadsoul who rocks! He's really good with directing trajectories.
I actually read that I felt like I did not know anything about the world of Stemite and you are now lighting my eyes, ignited the enthusiasm to continue working on it even though I am still a beginner, your great passion was awakened with determination. Thank you very much for this special publication. It is an encouraging and stimulating place for all newcomers. I have already been given a shipment for hard and continuous work in Steam. My warm regards to you.
This site has changed a lot of people's lives but it does take some work to get involved with the community. If you work it, it will work for you.
Thanks for your encouragement.
Hi @luzcypher!
Your post was upvoted by @steem-ua, new Steem dApp, using UserAuthority for algorithmic post curation!
Your UA account score is currently 6.214 which ranks you at #234 across all Steem accounts.
Your rank has dropped 3 places in the last three days (old rank 231).
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I read with interest about slow travel and full time on steemit. That would be my ideal way of life. Thanks for inspiring the possibilities and your life adventure. Cheering you on.
Thanks so much for reading my post. Happy you enjoyed it. The possibilities of Steem are endless.
I love slow travel too! And omg, I want to learn more about living in Cancun. I considered it or Playa del carmen for my next base!
Although, I've gotta go back to Thailand after steemfest for a lil' while so I'm down for meeting up! I'll be in Bangkok
We should definitely meet up. I'll be in Bangkok the week before and week after Steemfest. Will also be at Steemfest so we can meet there.