A hiatus is what I call it, in reality I was completely gone for three years with the exception of the occasional quick crypto research when I wasn't satisfied with Google's answer.
A lot has changed since, other things not so much...
Why did I leave? I kinda didn't, just got busy with other things. The type of content I generally consume here requires a lot of thinking and additional research; if you want to really get to know crypto I'd suggest creating an account on HIVE and join a community like LeoFinance as soon as possible. Creating an account is not free but you don't need to pay money.
I felt like I needed to produce more income than I thought I was able to get in a timely fashion using this network, but I was also very much tired of trying to keep up with blockchain news and producing content that could compete in this creativity market that is HIVE.
One piece of advice if you're just now getting into crypto, don't try to keep up, you can't, it's impossible. Even with photographic memory you simply can't digest all that information. Sleep! Don't just stay stuck to the computer or phone watching the charts. You can do it, maybe you're young and you can even do it for a while, but it's not sustainable. I've been involved in blockchain for 11 years and have met plenty of people who've almost lost their marbles by speculating on a proof-of-concept a little too much.
The one thing that hasn't changed on HIVE is how few comments are made, it seems like people still don't understand the value of comments. I get the largest rewards from commenting, it's generally less text/imagery than an actual post and you gain several things from it. First of all there's a variety of subjects to comment on, you can take a crypto break if you want to and if you're not really into crypto you'll probably find something else you're into.
Another added benefit of commenting on HIVE posts is that you're actually becoming social, which is the main driver for people to keep coming back besides the money.
You're enabling your own personal network to grow. You might not get a vote on that comment, or the next one, but by the third one you'll likely get a follow and from then on your content is on that person's feed.
A HIVE presence needs to be built, you can't just bypass good faith with stake. HIVE Power sure helps grow faster, but it's not necessary and doesn't even guarantee you'll do well here. Your key to success on HIVE is in your personal network and their network, which is your extended network. You may advertise and benefit from the visibility alone as a brand, but as a person you're going to need people to either like you or your content, preferably both, unless you focus on curation and not creation.
What will guarantee many fruitful years on HIVE is caring about doing your best, not better than others but your personal best. That and try to learn all ways in which others are going about their business here, find all the ways to make money (HIVE tokens), which include commenting and reblogging. Play the long game!
Most importantly, try to be as sincere as possible in your interactions and you'll get the best results. If you don't like a piece of content don't comment just because you want money, find something you do like so your words can inspire.
Lastly, if you ever need to take a break then do so. The HIVE blockchain will welcome you back with open arms and it's like riding a bike, just gotta get back on it.
