This post has an audio version, hit it and scroll down following my voice ;) 

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Hello! Hello! It seems like it's a special day today as @ruth-girl is already one Steemit year old (yeah, I wished this was the case in real life)!! 

It all started last summer when a person I love to hate and I hate to love introduced me to a "cool platform that gives you pennies for your shots" (a penny for your thoughts). And told me, "Go on, join it and you can just upload those tons of photos you've been storing on your phone and make a few bucks". I said "What the heck" and gave it a try, which at first was...

A total disaster

Yes, my first post was a photo with a lame caption (although the photo was cute!)

Some more pictures and memes followed and...

Then I left

for a month or so until I decided to take it more seriously (again, thanks to the man who introduced me to the platform). And I started writing: Nature soothes the spirit

See? @trumpman was always there to provide valuable feedback :P

And then I took it...

Even more seriously

I thought: I am a teacher, I could blog about things I do at work and tried to make what I like to define as "a decent post"

New Schoolyear Is Coming - How To Get To Know Your New Students

And then bizareness kicked in!

Bizarre Natural Phenomena Vol.1 - Volcanic Lightning AKA Dirty Thunderstorm

that granted me my first @steemstem upvote! (my Steemit long-term relationship)

And as things kept getting more weird

Bizarre Natural Phenomena Vol.2 - Bioluminescence, The Art Of Creating Light

I got my first curie upvote!! (hooray!)

My Bizarre Natural Phenomena series has kept going ever since and I admit I am proud of it!

Until of course the stories showed up!

Yes, Ruthie has always been a writer. Poetry, short stories, philosophical ramblings, vulgar rhymes, it doesn't matter! When she gets inspiration she will write!

Short Story: A Sea Of Scarlet (English & Greek Versions)

She will even sing

The Key To The Mystery Door (Dark Fiction)

I love it when my stories are read in the "right" atmosphere; hence the soundtracks, photos, even me narrating them:

The Abandoned Train Station (A Story Of Mystery)

I think I should do such recordings more often or do you prefer the video versions better?

Abigail Αnd Τhe Spider (An Illustrated Fantasy Story)

Who remembers the troll team?

SteemSTEM Science fair Entry - Newton's Third Law

Those little guys became superstars! I have missed them. They should come back soon, don't you agree?

All this time I haven't been alone

I met lots of wonderful people here!

My Greeks and the @greek-trail.

@steemstem and the science community.

@eye4art that aimed to help artists on Steemit.

@davinci.witness and the team that works on so many wonderful projects (involving art and languages).

I would like to mention each and every one of you, but for fear of forgetting anyone I'd better not. 

Aaah! I could turn this post into a journey back in time. As I am going through my post history I remember everything I wrote about and a feeling of nostalgia starts dancing around my brain... (weird picture, huh? a dancing lady inside @ruth-girl's brain like a ballerina in a music box)

Long story short

This has been a wonderful year, with ups and downs. I have learnt a lot. I have laughed a lot. I have got angry. I have had fun. I managed to make one of my biggest dreams come true thanks to Steemit (when I bought my camera using money earned from Steemit). I am still here even when prices go down (this month was only tough for me because I didn't have as much free time). I will keep being here and doing what I know best

TRY!

Thank you @trumpman! I wouldn't have been here, I wouldn't have got so far without you!

Thanks all of you, the whales, the dolphins, the minnows... the people! I wouldn't have become the @ruth-girl I am without your support! 

*All images by @ruth-girl

QUIZ: What animal did you hear at the background of the recording?

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Thank you so much for your time!

Until my next post,
Steem on and keep smiling, people!