How I got into Crypto Currency and my current adventure through it

What a perfect way to start my first post on steemit with my experience with crypto. It all started a few years ago aroun 09-10 when I started inviting in silver. I bought my first 2 oz of silver and would watch the market very day even though in didn't move much. It eventually moved from $16 to $18 and I was excited that I made a whopping $4 profit. I was hooked ever since. I would look up advice on youtube and listen to multiple sources from different background stating how silver was at a buy price etc.

One day I ran into a crappy video from what seemed to be a 3MP camera phone. The video took place in a basement of two gentlemen on a couch and very dim lighting. That dim lighting really helped that 3MP camera, pfffft yeah right! Anyways I continued viewing this low quality video of 2 gentlemen speaking of a "Bitcoin" stating it was the future. At the time of the video Bitcoin was worth $2 and one of the guys had 50BTC on those BTC physical coins.

I then thought to myself with logic, you can't start your own currency! If that is the case I will buy my lunch with monopoly dollars! I then skipped the video and moved on to other "silver" related topics.

I eventually came across Max Keiser a talk show host and I really respected his opinions. I was pro precious metals, anti over governing, and liked to through big bankers under the bus. A few months passed and I continued watching his show the Keiser Report. He eventually had a show where he briefly went over the price of "Bitcoin" and it have reached $20. I was in complete shock!!! I was thinking to myself I could of made 10 times my money.

I though to myself I am the kind of guy who is willing to think outside the box, take calculated risk, and take advantage of opportunities. I looked up more and more information on Bitcoin seeing that it was into anti over governing and anti big bankers. I also like the rule Satoshi gave it in its White Paper and seeing that this was a new world. I was sold.

I bought Bitcoin on a bull run and got in around $65 but I didn't have enough money at the time so I didn't get many coins. However I felt that I was coming in at the top and I wasn't going to make much profit. How little did I know. It eventually hit $100 and I flipped. I started telling everyone about it and everyone brushed me off. They were not sold on the idea and concept.

I eventually saw that 70 more cryptos came to market and I thought it was a saturated market. I then took my attention off of Bitcoin because of fear I made the best of my investment. I was not interested in learning more and I had fear. The fear of losing a few hundred dollars invested.

Bitcoin eventually hit $200, $300, $500, $800, and $1100. At around $1100 it was on NPR and RT. Then everyone would just ask me how many do I have and I never told. The answer was always "not enough" and it still is. I was told to sell my investment and cash out as I made great gains. I didn't do it because the advice was coming from people who didn't have knowledge of this world, but most importantly the advice came from people with fear. I heard fear, saw fear, and event smelt it. I knew fear because I had fear. Fear of losing at that point, the fear of being ridiculed on my investment from my peers. I stated to myself I will not make a move just because someone with no reputation in crypto world is telling me to.

I kept listening to Max Keiser and he was always bullish on Bitcoin and then some other well known people became bullish on Bitcoin.

I didn't know exactly what to do but I just didn't want to dig deeper. So I kept one foot in and one foot out. However living in California has proven jumping all the way into the water is a lot more fun. I continued with my Bitcoin frozen sitting on a paper wallet for a few years letting it mature. I saw many ups and downs in the market and I just rode with it.

Eventually a few months ago I was playing basketball at a local gym. Some random guy came up to me and asked me if I knew what a bitcoin was and I said yes. He asked how much did I buy them for. I told him $65 each and he thought I was rich. Haha no I was broke at the time. I barely scraped a few hundred together. He said he was looking to invest into the new coin called Ethereum and asked if I heard about it. I told him no and I was not interested in learning more I was ok with my Bitcoins.

At the time the chart he had was on his phone and it showed ETH at $30 up from $12 a few months prior. He was telling me he didn't know if he should buy it or not and he would just stare aimlessly at his phone watching the chart move up and down a few cents.

There it was again, the same smell, the same look, the same aura...... FEAR. I noticed it again in this random guy. I told him if he was interested in it that much he should just buy some and ride it.

I never ran into that guy ever agin playing basketball but a few months passed and I accidentally ran into ETH again but don't remember where exactly. What stood out was its price, $300.

And there it was again that same smell, the same feel, the same taste.... FEAR. I was marinated in it for years and didn't realize it. I told myself I was not thinking outside the box anymore and afraid to do it.

From that point on I told myself I was not going to miss out on anymore opportunities and not be afraid of FEAR.

Since then (early Summer 2017)I have been marinated, breaded, deep fried, and glazed into the crypto world. Just in time too I have invested in more Bitcoin, ETH and some ICO's. I am now on Steemit and listen to youtube every day. I want to thank everyone who has read my story as it doesn't need to be read.

If you do read this entire thing write me a brief comment on how you got into crypto I would really like to know.

Sorry for the typos in advance. Thanks!

Gaston