Yea, I also remember the day I got 60 str.  It felt like the biggest accomplishment I had ever made!  So much time spent chopping trees... 
I'll also always remember my first house.  I had spent an eternity makign fancy shirts and reselling them back to the vendors, just to save up what now seems like a puny amount, but back then was a massive 8,000 gold.  That was back when you could even place houses in towns, and I don't know how, but I got a spot not too far off to the right of the Inn closest to brit GY, right by the bridge to Blackthornes castle.