Good day Goede dag, Steemians!

@everlove and I are in Amsterdam for Steemfest!!!!!!! I am so excited to share yoga on Sunday, and of course @everlove will share ART and her divine connection to creation, as she does every day--what an inspiration is this woman!

All thanks to @quinneaker for making this journey possible. Quinn is the epitome of generosity and consideration. Not only does he set an incredible example for being a great human being, he has fully supported us and sponsored our plane tickets! THANK YOU, QUINN!!!

Because we respect and honor Quinn and the fantastic standard he holds for a better world for ALL, we set a goal for ourselves to spend as little money as possible on our journey. As Eden Knights, our resources are devoted to service. Everything we earn from our operations (including rewards on Steemit!) are dedicated to feeding, clothing, housing, and educating others. We feed 40,000 free meals a year, save 350,000 pounds of trash from the landfill annually, achieve a negative carbon footprint, and share sustainable realities with tens of thousands of people in person and online; this is possible only through our radical commitment to service. We consider ourselves revolutionary, because rather than supporting the global military industrial complex and the USD, we support humanitarian works and social outreach.

This is why Steemit is so exciting; I for one had no idea that alternatives to central banks existed until I heard about this platform! I learned about Bitcoin the day before I joined Steemit, and I am thrilled and inspired by the potential for cryptocurrency. This is a money supply that aligns with my values! This is why I am a committed and consistent Steemit user and supporter, and when I heard about Steemfest I wanted to share my wealth of knowledge and experience in person with more inspired and inspiring individuals. (Thank you again @quinneaker for supporting my steemy passion, and thank you for offering me an outlet for my bliss to align with the greater good for all.) 

I am an experienced traveler, so keeping costs down for an epic undertaking such as this is a fun and easy game for me!  

Legit.

In order to achieve our goal of the most inexpensive trip possible, we did some preemptive research and found round trip flights from Miami to Amsterdam for under $500 each with Tuifly airlines! 

With much excitement, @everlove and I set out on our journey from DFW. We each had a carry on and personal item, as well as enough snacks to last the trip.

It cost us $4 just to be dropped off at the airport, but we did save money by not checking a bag. Thankfully, the airline offered complimentary bag check when we got to the gate.

We flew from DFW to Orlando, where we had a long layover. We passed the time with yoga and rest.

Then we took a short flight to Miami.

We had an even longer layover there, and again occupied ourselves with yoga and rest.

This video ends abruptly, because a nice man thought we were taking selfies instead of video and offered to take our picture for us. We thought it was cute, so we let him.

Then it was off to Amsterdam!

I was very grateful the airline served a hot meal on the flight. Because we #1 didn't eat much on the day we left because we were too excited and focused on packing, and #2 don't eat at restaurants, we hadn't had a real meal in several days. Even airline food tastes significantly better when you feel lots of gratitude! 

We arrived after an uneventful flight (save for the flight attendants snatching our leftover food off our tray tables as we slept, not realizing we were saving it and the containers for later).

When we arrived in Amsterdam, we took a quick ~15 minute train to Amsterdam Centraal Station. There was lots of graffiti on the way, which is my favorite style of ART! 

We had a bit of time to pass before finding our accommodations, so we spent it exploring Dam Square and the Nine Streets district. It was cool to notice that Dutch people are generally merrier and healthier than Americans. We had numerous encounters with kind folk excited to share their country and experience with us. In the States, people avoid personal interaction and even direct eye contact like the plague. It's refreshing to be in a city that feels welcoming and communal!

Despite the kind Dutch people, super touristy areas are not exactly my cup of tea. I'm more of a homebody than a city girl, so I was excited to get to our couchsurfing host's home. Couchsurfing is a great resource for travelers who want to save money and get a local's perspective on their destination! 

We returned to Amsterdam Centraal to take a very quick tram to our couchsurfing host's home. William has been extremely hospitable! Both @everlove and I took hot baths upon arrival (which is a super luxurious blessing, considering back home at the Garden of Eden we have an outdoor well shower with groundwater that is 55 degrees year round--we appreciate every drop of both HOT and BATH!), and William has stuffed us full of chocolates, wine, and cheese!

I'm grateful for a dry, warm, clean place to be. Opening one's home to strangers takes an incredible kindness and huge heart; @everlove can relate because she has shared her home for almost a decade with travelers from all over the world. I'm thankful to learn from her and @quinneaker's example that everyone deserves a chance. 

(I might spend the rest of my life thanking Quinn for everything he has done for me! Sponsoring this trip is awesome, introducing me to Steemit is awesome, sharing his house and food and resources with me is awesome, but the guidance he has offered me over 2 years is absolutely priceless...I'm tearing up just thinking about it...this man has literally saved me from my own destructive tendencies by showing me a better way to be. He has shown me how to devote my energies towards something that supports and builds a better world, rather than allowing myself to be consumed by my traumas, pain, and scars. He opened my eyes to my own dysfunctions and showed me how to take responsibility for them while helping others. It is a miracle that I could not have done on my own, because I simply could not see while I was acting out of anger and hatred! I don't intend to turn Steemfest into Quinnfest, but realistically I would not be here without him--I wouldn't even be who I am now without him--and my infinite gratitude overflows!! Plus it feels really fucking awesome to give thanks...)

Thanks to Quinn's incredible support and our couchsurfing host William's generosity in sharing his home, our only costs for this trip have been about $20 USD for the train and tram!! We are successfully achieving our goal! 

Tonight, we will meet the Steemians for the first time! @allasyummyfood is hosting a dinner party, and we may join for drinks. Tomorrow, we will host a steemy photoshoot with our hand painted Steemit gear, then Steemfest officially begins in the evening! 

I am so excited to be here! Thank you Steemit for the chance to see a new city, thank you @roelandp for hosting this event, thank you @quinneaker for supporting me! Thank you @everlove for being my ever patient laughing buddy! 

I'm looking forward to the adventures and opportunities that lay ahead this weekend! Please join us for yoga on Sunday! 

💛 Sara!