Well, I never really considered myself as someone that would be deserving of winning a sponsorship.. I mean, what do I really have to offer to steemfest (or steemit for that matter) that would make anyone want to sponsor me to attend such an event? I wasn’t trying to be negative in anyway.. Just not something I ever even considered.
Then, (after being called out for my self deprecating tendencies) I realized that that attitude is exactly what I was trying to get away from… I am working on a journey of self growth after all, and thinking I am unworthy in one way or another is sort of going against what I am trying to achieve. So, after much nagging from 
The truth of the matter is that I am committed to going to Steemfest whether I win this contest or not, with the goal being to pay for the trip with Steem. I do have a bit of a good head start though.. you see, since starting this platform I haven't made many withdrawls of the steem I have earned, both through blogging and curation efforts. I have either powered it up or left it as liquid steem, It has always been my personal belief that investing in this platform itself was important and so that is sort of what I have done. My plan was to use the decent amount I have already built up (without powering down) and any future earnings to fund my way to steemfest.
I know! But, I wanted to change that… you see, another part of my Unexpected Journey - Year Of Firsts, is to share more of myself here on this platform and use it as a space to not only encourage others, but to help myself grow as an individual as well.
So, if I started to really hustle ...the idea of paying for the trip in steem really isn't that crazy. Well it wasn't crazy a few weeks ago, with cryptos current condition the goal is beginning to look a bit more difficult to reach.. But hey, I am not giving up.. I am in it for the long haul after all.
Minnowsupport (found on the PAL Discord Server) was my first home here on steemit, it was where I not only learned the ins and outs of the platform, but also started to build those relationships that we all know are such an important part of it.. And those relationships are still going strong today. I was even awarded (by nomination and votes cast from my fellow minnows) the Make A Minnow title, which gifted me the ability to use 5000SP for one months time to curate the amazing content that I think adds so much value to this platform... all made possible by the team 
Helpie actually was a community project that branched from the PAL discord and the relationships I built there. The idea was to make a community of individuals that would help support each other in many different ways, through collaboration, curation, individual project support among many other things. The goal is to find those individuals that are engaged and consistently adding value to this platform, in their own unique way, and help not only reward them for that... but to educate them, through tutorials and one on one mentoring from other members. Not only does this make better content creators, it educates those members on the crypto side of the platform that some find a bit confusing and most importantly, it builds a village of support around them… which ensures those individuals are much more likely to stay on this platform. It also means those individuals keep improving over time through what they learn and therefore add more value. Communities are essential for Steemit, and Helpie is one of the best.
The name many know, but some just don't understand right? Curie is a project that I truly believe has made such a difference for so many on this platform, myself included. I stumbled upon it while doing some personal curating and have been a part of it every since. The projects sole goal is to improve the platform.. and it does so through many different initiatives.
Their goal is to find those amazing content creators who are committed to the platform and consistently adding value. They then lift them up, to not only reward them for their efforts.. But to help them find their audience. Because, without an audience, many will not stay on the platform.. we have all seen it happen before. In my time there, I have heard many now successful users say that being recognized by Curie is what kept them here, just when they felt like giving up.
What many people might not realize is that Curie isn't just about curation, it also sponsors many community projects that focus on engagement and user retention, always with the goal on how best to help improve the platform. While also providing services (free for all) including the first search engine, 
@c-squaredC-squared is a project that was started by 
For me it is an amazing way for us all to come together in support of real posting, by real humans. It is a place for the curation efforts of 
This is probably the most difficult part of this contest entry for me.. I could talk for hours about why I think the projects I mentioned above are worthy..but myself? What value do I add to steemfest? What unique abilities could I possibly add?
Well, besides my charming personality ... I think it would be a pretty amazing opportunity to offer a class on herbal medicine and how to make some of the products I have shared here on the platform…
I am very passionate about educating others on how to be more self reliant, and one of those ways is encouraging them to stop buying certain items they could easily make themselves. I am also passionate about using pure ingredients and the healing benefits of herbs, and include these ideals in every recipe I have formulated.. which I have been sharing here on steemit over the last few months.
If I were to win the opportunity to have some of my travel expenses to steemfest covered, it would allow me to offer classes free of charge to attendees of the conference. I could show them step by step how to make certain items and even possibly send them home with their own product … with a custom steemfest label of course. I am not sure if it has ever been done before, but it could be a interesting addition...Herbs and Steemit just seem to go hand in hand...
Thank you so much to all of those who stuck this extremely long post out to the end.. I really did try to shorten it, but I just can't squeeze that much passion into a few paragraphs. Also a big thank you to the individuals behind the #steemfestdreams initiative, and for giving people this amazing opportunity.
Much love and keep on Steeming,
Justine
