For the past six years, I’ve intentionally tried a different barbershop for every haircut. I get my hair cut about once every three weeks, so I’ve now tried more than 100 barbershops.
I understand why people stay with a barber they trust. But I’m always curious about the next place: how the barber works, what the shop feels like, or what we might talk about. Sometimes, it also gives me a reason to explore a different neighborhood.
Some haircuts have been great. Others have made me question my choices. Somehow, three weeks later, I’m curious again.
That curiosity is a big part of why I still enjoy contributing to Google Maps, even after writing more than 10,000 reviews.
There are many ways to use and enjoy Google Maps.
For me, Google Maps is an experience maximizer.
It doesn’t give me more hours in a day. It helps me get more experiences out of the hours I already have.
Those experiences make ordinary days more interesting. And when I take the time to compare them and learn from them, they help me make better choices, too.
That’s why it has become something I rely on every day.
Exploring Is the Hobby
People sometimes ask me:
“What’s the incentive to keep reviewing on Google Maps?”
It’s a fair question. But for me, reviewing has never really felt like something that needs a reward.
Think about other hobbies.
What’s your incentive to play sports, cook, play video games, or travel?
People do these things because they enjoy them. And that’s enough.
What feels like work to one person can be genuinely enjoyable to someone else.
For me, exploring places is fun. Google Maps simply gives that curiosity somewhere to go.
It turns an ordinary day into a small new quest.
Writing a review is part of that enjoyment. It gives me a moment to think about the visit and share something that might help the next person.
In my previous post, I wrote about how reviewing became part of my everyday life.
Finding More Experiences in an Ordinary Day
Exploring doesn’t always need a special trip.
If I’m already going somewhere, I often check Google Maps for interesting places along the way. Maybe there’s a small park, a temple, or a café I’ve never visited.
With a little extra time, a trip I was already making becomes a chance to discover something new. Many of these stops don’t cost anything.
Each meal offers another opportunity.
Sometimes, when @KhanhDinh and I want pho (Vietnamese noodle soup), we visit two nearby restaurants. We share one bowl at the first, then walk to the second and share another. Each of us eats roughly one bowl in total.
We only do this where sharing is allowed, and we usually go outside busy hours, when plenty of tables are available. We want to enjoy our lunch without making things difficult for the restaurants or other customers.
Same lunch. Roughly the same amount of food. Two different restaurant experiences.
We share a bowl at each stop, so each of us eats roughly one bowl in total—and has two places to compare.
That’s a small example of what I mean by an “experience maximizer.” Google Maps helps me find another nearby place to try.
I’m not trying to fill every spare minute. I just enjoy finding more variety in things I already do.
More Experiences, Better Judgment, Better Decisions
The first bowl is still fresh in our minds when we try the second, so the differences are easier to notice. How do the broths compare? What about the noodles, the meat, the portions, or the prices?
Trying more places gives me more to compare. Thinking about the differences helps me understand what I enjoy, what feels worth the price, and where I feel comfortable spending time.
Over time, that gives me clearer reasons for choosing where to eat, which places to return to, and what to try next.
Trying different places gives me more to compare. Reflecting on those differences helps me choose what fits my needs.
The same habit of comparing experiences has helped me with a much bigger decision: where to live.
Choosing Where and How to Live
I’ve lived in Japan, the US, the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Bali.
Living somewhere gives me a different understanding of it than visiting on holiday. I find out what an ordinary week is like, from buying groceries to getting around town.
Those stays gave me plenty to compare: the climate, local food, infrastructure, everyday convenience, and ways of life.
For example, I’ve found that the local food suits my tastes better in some places than in others.
Those experiences helped me choose Vietnam as a place to live.
That doesn’t mean everyone would make the same choice. Different people want different things from daily life.
And choosing Vietnam wasn’t the end of that process.
I’ve now tried living in seven different cities in Vietnam. Each stay helps me understand daily life there at that time of year.
As I compare these experiences and notice how I feel in each place, I’m getting a clearer idea of how I want to live. I can use that understanding to choose which city to stay in and at what time of year, gradually shaping a lifestyle that fits me better.
Life in different countries helped me choose Vietnam. Comparing life in seven cities is helping me understand how I want to live—and decide where and when to stay next.
The same idea can help close to home, too. Trying a new café might help you find a new favorite—or understand why you like your usual one.
Remembering and Sharing What I’ve Learned
Of course, trying lots of places gives me one small problem: remembering them all.
That’s where my reviews become a personal memory bank.
Sometimes I find a restaurant on Google Maps and can’t remember whether I’ve been there before. Then I see my own review.
Problem solved.
Other times, something I wrote years ago brings back a meal, a neighborhood, someone I was with, or even what that period of my life felt like.
Reading those notes again helps me see how my preferences have changed—and decide what I’d like to try next.
A review can help someone else choose, too. But what matters to them may be different from what matters to me.
“Great restaurant!” tells people I enjoyed myself. Details about the food, prices, seating, and service help them decide whether they would enjoy it too.
I also mention things I didn’t like. A noisy room might bother someone hoping for a quiet conversation, but matter very little to someone stopping for a quick meal.
A review isn’t just about whether I liked a place. It’s a note to my future self—and a way to help someone else decide whether it’s right for them.
Why Firsthand Experience Still Matters in the AI Era
I benefit from the details in other people’s reviews, too. AI can help me make sense of that information, compare options, and decide what to explore.
But choosing well also means understanding what suits me.
I can read about a city’s climate before going there. Spending time there helps me understand how that weather affects my daily routine—and how much it matters to me.
Firsthand experience helps me understand both the place and my own preferences.
That gives me clearer questions to ask the next time I’m choosing. I have a better idea of what to look for and why it matters to me.
AI makes information abundant. Firsthand experience remains scarce.
I can read about far more places than I could ever visit. Every real visit still takes someone’s time and attention. It’s also a chance to notice something they hadn’t thought to ask about.
That’s where Local Guides can help. We don’t need to know everything about a place to share something useful. We can describe what happened during our visit, what surprised us, or something we wish we’d known before going.
Those observations can help the next person choose, whether they read our reviews directly or use AI to help compare the options.
Google Maps helps me choose where to go. Experience helps me learn what suits me. Sharing what I notice helps someone else choose.
And while AI can help me find a promising restaurant, I still look forward to tasting the broth.
That’s why I use Google Maps as an experience maximizer: to discover more places, learn what suits me, and make better choices.
How do you use Google Maps to make an ordinary day more interesting?
I’d love to hear your ideas and discoveries in the comments.
Let’s Meet in Ho Chi Minh City 
@KhanhDinh and I are hosting another Local Guides meetup in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Sunday, November 15, 2026. We’ll be at Focus Space Binh Thanh from 2–4 p.m. (Vietnam time).
Join us to share discoveries, learn useful Google Maps tips, and get ideas for where to explore next. Whether you’re a longtime Local Guide or simply curious, you’re welcome!
Bring a question, a favorite place to recommend, or just your curiosity.
See the meetup details and join us—select YES on the event page to let us know you’re coming.
Hope to see you there!
The experiences and opinions in this post are my own. I used AI to help refine the writing and create the illustrations.
