What can I say? It's been a blast so far.

My time here on Steemit has been great. I've had some very successful posts and some that didn't do so well, but I've gotten to know the platform, and I've learned a lot about meaningful interactions, building community, and curation.

Sure 500 posts is a small milestone, but I'm more looking forward to the ones that are to come. With that in mind, I want to take a moment to thank a few people who have helped me along the way.

How I Got Here

I first registered for an account back in November of 2016 after reading a news article about Steemit. I didn't invest any time in the platform then because I didn't have much free time to devote to a "new social network," so I forgot all about my account.

Fast forward to June of this year when I had a conversation with @vandeberg, who encouraged me to give the website another look. When I came back and discovered that I had some account value due to the appreciation of STEEM since last November, it seemed like something I should give a try. So I jumped in, and right away, after a timely upvote by @blocktrades, my introduction post ended up getting me a significant reward.

So I kept making posts (some good, some not so good). All the while, I was able to figure out the great and not-so-great things about the platform. I followed some really interesting people, made some comments, and soon I had a following of my own. I've enjoyed researching topics for my blogs. I've picked up some knowledge in subject areas that I normally wouldn't approach given my field of study in graduate school. Some of my personal favorite posts have been about the band I'm in, a PC game involving trains, a humorous but thought provoking article about Thomas the Tank Engine, and my recent post about one of my favorite hikes I've ever been on.

My most successful post was a review of a bluetooth speaker, thanks to a huge upvote by @hendrikdegrote. It's been interesting to see which posts are more successful than others, and the amount of effort I've put into them. Overall, I think it's been worth the extra effort to write high quality posts. They prompt more authentic responses and may generate some very interesting discussions.

Encouraging Others

One of my favorite things to do on Steemit is browse introduceyourself, looking for new users who have spent a lot of time describing themselves, telling the community about their goals, and including photo verification. I love giving these users an upvote and commenting to encourage them to keep up the good work. I had someone do this for me, and I know that encouraged me to stick with Steemit. I also try to point these users in some helpful directions, including the FAQs, the Steemit Etiquette Guide, and this very well-written guide on how to make great comments by @inquiringtimes. I think these steps will help new users focus on creating great content instead of falling victim to spam tactics.

Another great thing about my time on Steemit has been my involvement with The Unmentionables, which focuses on many of these same areas. The group is headed up by @fatpandadesign, and is designed to guide new users toward quality content and meaningful interactions on the platform. They've even created a community account, which is dedicated to promoting its members' content. Check them out if you're looking for help on how to improve your posts or just looking for a great group of people to interact with on Steemit. I would give all of the members a shout-out in this post, but there are so many who have taken the time to read my posts and ask questions and add comments, so all you have to do is go check out the comments on my most recent blogs. You'll find them there. :)

Looking Ahead

Looking forward, I will continue to post about my life, because it's fun to share my experiences with others. I'll also continue to post my thoughts on issues in the news or other issues I find fascinating. If you haven't checked out my past blogs about such issues, I encourage you to read my thoughts on free access to scientific journal articles and salaries for college athletes.

Regardless of what I post, I know my time here will continue to be great, so hanks to everyone who has made my Steemit experience fantastic! I look forward to upvoting and commenting on your posts in the future!

All images were obtained via PixaBay, a website providing free, commercial-use images. Check it out if you want to spruce up your image quality in future blogs!