Very interesting post. As a brand new steemian, I don't think I would still be here if it wasn't for the homesteading community. Tapping into that community was like finding an instant circle of friends who were happy and willing to help me along.
I still do not understand the crypto currency aspect of it all, although it has dawned on me that we are talking about 'real' money. Honestly, for months before signing up and the first few days after, I was fully convinced that steem was an internal currency that could be used on the site, but served no purpose outside of it. Now I realise people actually pay their bills with it, which is very neat.