i did the same as you OP, house atop a hill, one side of the hill was a steep cliff face overlooking a vast body of water, my first night, i was ambushed by a creeper, decimated my dirt shelter, i spent the remaining night terrified and punching zombies out of the hole that was my 'house'..
several days later, i had a proper fort where that hole was and standing on the tallest turret, i saw room for expansion..
the next week my fort had turned into a Keep, sprawling down the hillside and my dungeons and tunnels throughout the hill's underside.. i later added aqueducts with flowing lava, i set a nether portal atop the then, tallest turret.. it was glorious..
i lost it all one day, having to reformat my PC.. (bluescreen)
that's my story of playing minecraft, my first world, my first night, my first building..
