What a lovely post! And lovely photos. Your post reminded me that my "breakthrough" post was a competition entry - the first time I received more than a couple of comments, and a few dollars too. My first 15-20 posts were like a roller-coaster ride, some of them earning a lot due to wonderful curie votes, while others seemed to disappear into oblivion. After a while I stopped noticing how much money my posts were making - I was more interested in the interaction, and whether people were enjoying my posts. Communities like @thesteemengine are what makes Steemit special.
Great way to put it like a rollercoaster ride. I definitely felt that ride. Sometimes it just comes to you the least you expect it, just waking up one day with a pleasant surprise. I loved the learning experience in my past year. Being appreciated is one of the greatest rewards.