There is an activity that I follow very closely and that I love to read and watch the Show Recap in @ph1102's posts, and that is the Hive Humpday Hangout! They have had the good will to invite me several times and have even integrated participants from all languages, including Spanish speakers like me, and yet with much regret I have never been able to attend, as it is difficult to find a schedule that suits everyone. Even now that I am on "vacation" it seems that I have more work than ever in my hometown and at home, but I liked this week's topic so much that I wanted to write this post as a retrospective of my 2023 in Hive.

The activity takes place on @ecency's discord every Wednesday, I recommend all my friends to come and participate, although I feel a bit cheeky to invite them when even I haven't attended, but just seeing names like @palomap3, @blind-spot, @incublus and @mypathtofire is enough evidence I have that it's a great space, since I follow them on the platform and they are real and wonderful people. I don't know if they did this by way of questions, but I'll go by the questions I read in the invitation post.

Did 2023 fulfill your expectations?

Definitely yes. When I started on the platform I had a lot of doubts about whether it would be profitable in the future, but with each passing year my feeling that I am in the right place grows stronger. In fact I have had many personal downfalls and I have relied on Hive which is holding steady over time. 2023 has confirmed that it is a solid platform and I even dared to invest a little and not only focus on the earnings from the posts.

What was the highlight of the year for you?

The highlight of my personal growth was reaching the Dolphin level in September, plus it was not a coincidence, but a goal I set for myself. I thought it would be for my birthday in June, but for reasons beyond my control it took a couple of months longer. I feel that shows my level of commitment to the platform and to myself.

Did you meet some new people and who were they?

For many years I was anchored to the music niche that gave me great moments and friendships, but expanding my horizons to other communities made me meet many interesting people with stories to tell, here above I have mentioned some from Germany, Turkey and Spain, but there are people of great value to me, it is impossible to mention them all at this time, but there are @nanixxx, @elbuhito, @equipodelta, @avdesing, @aibi93 and all his coven, @omarcitorojas, @ancnoticias, @achim03... In short, many wonderful people who have supported me a lot in difficult times.

Did you attend some IRL (in real life) events with other Hivians? (Hive Meetup, HiveFest, or such)

Yes I have attended Hive events, but not in 2023. My dad's death separated me a bit from that kind of meetings and even so I will never forget that his wake seemed like a Hive meeting with so many friends that came, especially @rosana6, @maitt87 and @jhonymedina, besides the rest of my family.

Did your account grow? (HivePower, followers, etc.)

Of course. I started the year very badly regarding Hive Power, since I had just finished a Power Down to help my family with my dad's medical expenses and I am going to close this year at almost 9,000 HP. Regarding my followers, there are already more than 1000 users who give me as much support as I give them. It's been a wonderful year.

What are the most interesting initiatives you participated in?

I have taken an important pleasure in participating in other initiatives and events other than the Hive Open Mic, such as the @holus-lotus community topics, the Wednesday Walks of @tattoodjay, Weekend Experiences of @galenkp and recently talking about movies and TV series in the community managed by @namiks. I think the best thing about the year was that I dared to create my own initiative, the Throwback Thursday Community that I am building with my best friend from Hive @mipiano and I am very passionate about it.

Did you go out of your comfort zone and how? Inspire others to do the same!!!

I dared to write down my experiences, take photographs, and even write horror stories. Most of my content is still musical, but I have left that comfort zone and dare to do more. I am also participating more as a curator in projects like La Colmena, OCD and now @liotes, our new witness.

What are your expectations for 2024?

I think it would be too bold to say that I will reach the Orca level in Hive, but why not? I have every intention of working hard at it. I hope to be able to do several Power Ups, and get the medal of publishing 365 days in a row, it is a great challenge, but I am very inspired. I found great passion in being a curator and appreciator of others' content, I would like to participate in more curation projects to support more people. My only problem is that my work outside of Hive is time-consuming and my computer is asking me for change, but I think I can work on it.

There is definitely a lot to do. In January it will be 6 years since I arrived on the platform and I wonder what would have happened to me if I had dedicated myself so much from the beginning. However, there is one constant in me and it is precisely my perseverance on the platform. It is difficult for a Venezuelan to work on their HP when the economy is so bad, but it is a long-term investment and a way to contribute to the platform and others, now that I have understood it I will try to strengthen it. Thank you for reading and sorry that I mentioned so many people, but it is inevitable in a year summary post. I hope one day the stars align and I can participate in the HHH, even though my English is still at a basic level 😅 Happy Christmas weekend to everyone!...