Happy New Year Local Guides!
How long have you been a Local Guide? For me, I am a Local Guide OG. I am now seven years strong!
Thanks, Google, for sending me this lovely email this week!
As for my Local Guides Longevity Tips, I want to say anything is possible being a Local Guide if you are passionate, motivated, and authentic (BE YOU!)–READ MY JOURNEY BELOW. You have to find something or create something that interests you. Be open to learning new things. Take on new challenges. Don’t be in a rush to move up Local Guides levels or be a Local Guide to JUST to receive Local Guides perks.
For me, on Google Maps, I am a foodie, a plant lover, a twins parent, a doggy momma, a supporter of small businesses, and eco-friendly. I love to share my daily experiences by writing detailed local reviews in the San Francisco Bay Area community.
I joined in 2015 because of Mexico City Local Guide @ReyLey’s one-month challenge we had together. We met through being on Google+ - how many of you remember G+??
And thanks to Rey, my now seven-year Local Guides journey has included being the 1st female Local Guides Connect Moderator.
I am one of 6 Local Guides (again, only female!) out of 150+ million Local Guides community that have attended all four global Local Guides conferences at the Googleplex:
Local Guides Summit 2016
Local Guides Summit 2017
Connect Live 2018
Connect Live 2019
And last month, I received my 28th Connect badge as 1 of the 50 Guiding Stars 2021, 1 out of 10 Guiding Stars - Community Builders.
Here is my Guiding Stars 2021 profile.
Besides being a Connect Moderator, you will find me here as a Local Guides virtual meetup host. It all began because of the Pandemic. I felt a need to bring the Local Guides Connect community together to discuss all things related to the Local Guides Program and Google Maps.
In 2020, I hosted 17 virtual Local Guides meetups, a majority of them with my Google partner-in-crime Local Guides Connect Moderator and 2021 Guiding Star @ermest. We are also Google Crowdsource Influencers that hosts virtual Crowdsource meetups too!
I hope to see you here on Connect now, in 2022, and one of Ermes and my virtual Local Guides meetups.
We have lots of fun! With a combined Local Guides Program knowledge of 13 years, you will learn how to be a fantastic Local Guide and meet Local Guides from around the world.
Cheers,
Karen
all the best 
(you - cat 
) year equals seven years. So in my estimate, we have known each other for 28+ years! And these years have been the best and most productive in true friendship and collaboration!
! Your kind words mean a lot to me!