I am on the list of speakers at STEEMFEST4.

This is one of many reasons why i am participating in the '#roadtosteemfest' contest sponsored by '@blocktrades & @anomadsoul' title; 'Why I Want To Go To SteemFest. Help Fund My Trip'.

Steem is special to me. I have been on it, stayed on it, seen its stories and histories and 'i am surpassing google with steem'.

I have been on steem for more than 3-years. My affection towards steem is the same as it was on the first day; my affection towards steem is ginormous!

I have seen what steem represents, where it can head and how i can help and i have become also about these things.

Among other amazing things, to me, steem constituted 'a CCTV in the truest state of the world' and upon it, i accomplished my 'most learning'. I sat on it and paid attention to 'life and humans', evolving the 'vision within the dream (surpassing google)' into levels of spanlessness

I have seen many of steem's forks. I have been present its 'ups and downs'. I have been a part of steem. I really love steem.

From a lowly writer, i progressed towards starting the 'steemgigs' witness, offering a 'full public RPC node' to steem (in the past), overseeing many communities and emanating a number of 'down-to-earth innovations', some of which are enlisted below:

marlians.com (SCOT-tribe)
ulogs.org
steemgigs.org
teardrops.network
macrohard.pro
legit-illiteracy (a school that every(any)one can school in)

Yes, before i found steem, i knew nothing about the cryptosphere, tokeneconomics or technology. Till date, i am a 'legit-illiterate'.

One of my down-to-earth innovations, '#ulog', has been used so far by '5700 steemians'. See stats!

Thus, one other valuable reason behind my desire to attend 'STEEMFEST4' is to expand my learning, make connections that can enable my steem-based projects to attain 'full-realization' and to create awareness to the importance of emanating down-to-earth innovations on the steem blockchain.

Many STEEMFEST(s) have gone by me! I didn't attempt to attend SF1 because i was new to steem at the time. I had relished the opportunity of attending SF2 but notice of its location deterred me a bit as i was worried about a visa-denial and overall, i wasn't very-ready at the time.

When i eventually attempted to attend at SF3, i also got news that my mum was dying. After being away from her for 5 years and alone in the Philippines, with the sole intention of bring her 'her first whisper of good news', i got news that she had Leukemia. (We eventually saw for 16-days only and she passed).

If i had succeeded in going to STEEMFEST3, among other things, it would have constituted a 'small healing' but i was denied a visa. After a 30-mins interview, the woman said 'NO'.

Before then i had applied to attend a STEEM-event in USA and i was denied a visa too.

Now, STEEMFEST is in SE-Asia, nearby and visa-free; should i miss it too? If i attended this time, it will be my 'very first rest in life'. Yes, i haven't slept in years!

Besides, all the many steem-related things that i do, i stay at home now with my dad '24/7', who is ill. I live in the Philippines but i rarely see sunlight.

Upon his relocation here, to live with me in the Philippines (after my mum died), he arrived with many illnesses. Shatters me! It shatters me each day as i watch him suffer.

On the day that i heard that STEEMFEST4 was in Thailand, i gave way to un-fell tears. The news was some sort of 'breakthrough' on its own. Months before this venue was established, i had reached out to the STEEMFEST-operations via a chat to push for SF4 to come to the Philippines. Thailand thus, is a win!

This is a very valuable chance to be at STEEMFEST4 and one more reason that i want to go to STEEMFEST.

Being in STEEMFEST4 will help me heal a bit. I have had excruciating pains 'all body long' for years now, lost all ability to relax and i haven't slept for three years. In Thailand, i will seek my 'first two weeks of rest'.

There is more....

There are many steemians that i long to see. Besides Ned himself (if he is present), i will love to meet with a lenghty list of steemians, many of whom i have interacted with over the course of my steemit journey, something that would have been so far-fetched assuming STEEMFEST4 was to be in Europe etc and involving of a visa-application.

All this aside, here is why you may want to help fund my trip...

My first power-down on steem came after more than 2 years of being on steem. It was depressing. Steem wasn't money to me. It represented way more!

Since then my 'STEEM' has exhausted very rapidly. Besides, all the expenses for servers, the 'steemgigs' witness, projects-development, sustenance etc, there has been the 'daily-medicine expenses for my dad and other hospital expenses' and coupled with 'low steem price', my 'valued steem' exhausts so rapidly.

My @surpassinggoogle account now has a 'minnow' status.

My expenses will not abate any time soon and the date for STEEMFEST4 is still faraway. Recently, i started the marlians.com SCOT-tribe and my expenses related to 'steem growth' continues. (Speaking of 'steem growth', that is one major paradigm of all my aforementioned projects).

There is no doubt that regardless of a 'financial disability', i will push hard to make it to STEEMFEST4 and 'not miss this valuable chance', especially considering that i am among the speakers and that it is in THAILAND but to increase my chances of being present at the event, i have decided to participate in this '#roadtosteemfest' contests.

I am 'your boy Terry and i have highlighted some of the reasons behind 'why I want to go to SteemFest4 and why you may want to support the me'.

Your Boy Terry

@surpassinggoogle

My witness name is 'steemgigs' to represent the words "everyone has something to offer".