Hey, welcome to the community. Thanks for sharing your story. Hang around the forum and I am sure you will learn a lot more about Bitcoin.
To answer your questions.
1.What were your emotions at the time of buying bitcoin?
I was happy to find something I was able to reliably transact with I guess. Decentralized nature of the currency was cherry on top.
2.To those that hodl, what were your emotions during massive gains? Did you become nervous and cash out? or did you feel sheer confidence to hodl? Did you have a plan?
It feels incredible during massive gains periods followed by depressive downturns in market
I have cashed out a fair bit when I was in high school / college and had to support myself and family. Not planning on selling anymore for the foreseeable future now that I have a lucrative career.
3. Did any of you find an old bit of bitcoin you didn't know you had, or that you had forgotten about?
Alts yes, BTC no.
1. Do you consider yourself a successful trader? If so, why?
I try to stay off trading for the most part. Hodl is the strategy that works best for me.