I would like to attend SteemFest2 because Steemit is the first place that made me feel like my dream of becoming an author was achievable. I’ve dreamed of being a professional writer ever since I was little, but it took the Steemit community to make my dream feel like something that I could actively reach for, rather than just wish for. The kind comments I have received on my posts mean more to me than I could ever express, because they are slowly teaching me to have faith in my own writing. In the time that I have been interacting with the people on Steemit, I have been awed by their generosity of spirit and encouragement.

Steemit is such a gift for content creators, because it gives them a forum in which to feel heard and valued. I would like to attend SteemFest2 so that I can meet some of the people who made this wonderful community happen, and so that I can meet all the other content creators I admire. I feel like so many of us would be friends, and the ability to exchange ideas and experiences in person would be amazing. To be surrounded by so many creative and passionate people, and to have the chance to speak with and learn from them, would be the experience of a lifetime.

Unfortunately, I am about to enter my last year of college in New York, and that comes with all the usual baggage of a college student. I have to be very careful about money, this year in particular because I am hoping to immigrate to Canada after I graduate. While I wish that a full trip to SteemFest2 was within my budget, I am trying to pull together the money for far more mundane things — application money for a visa, money to support myself while looking for a job after college, possibly even money for an immigration lawyer. So things are all a bit too complicated right now….

Needless to say, if I could attend SteemFest2, I would feel like Cinderella going to the ball. But even if my comment does not win, Vcelier, I just want to say how much I admire you for giving someone this chance. It encapsulates everything I love about Steemit — the kindness, the generosity, the sense of community. Best of luck to everyone else who is entering as well, and hopefully we will all be able to meet up at a SteemFest someday!