Thanks for creating such a cool and engaging way for us to celebrate, @Julie_A! Congrats to the team for keeping this machine going for 9 Years!! We appreciate all of you.
Let’s go:
1. Where are you from?
I come from a little town called Apache Junction, in Arizona, USA. I still live in the desert, though I’ve joined the larger Phoenix Metro area.
2. When did you join Connect?
According to my records, it was January 14th, 2017. I missed the launch by a few months, I guess. 
3. How did you learn about Connect in the first place?
It must have been an email from Google letting me know. I’m typically pretty quick to jump onto new Google initiatives when they pop up.
4. What time of the day/week do you like to check what’s new on Connect?
I have Connect up in a browser tab all day, but I’m typically most active in the mornings. I’ll check through my notifications, read through posts of the people I follow, and then see what is topping the charts on the main page.
5. Have you attended or hosted a meet-up on Connect?
I proudly wear my New Connector Badge for the Meetup I did last year about the Road Mapper program. It was co-hosted by my friend, @PrasadVR and well attended, surprisingly! 
I regularly attend the monthly Trivia Meetup, hosted by @Denise_Barlock & @jayasimha78. I’m also a long-time TRAC participant, and regularly attend (and have even presented) @SholaIB’s meetups. And, in May, I was enlightened after joining the virtual meetup series on Accessibility, hosted by @EmekaUlor.
And, I am SO lucky to have been invited this year to the ULTIMATE Meetup: ConnectLIVE: NYC. It was an incredible time, and my first in-person meetup.
6. What’s your favorite moment on Connect?
This has to be when I received the honor of being a Guiding Star in 2022. It was quite a shock to be selected, and I proudly display my Inclusive Mapper award in my office.
7. Tell us about one Connect feature that you love.
Kinda small, but very very useful; I love the categories under the notification bell! Being able to break down and acknowledge or dismiss my notifications without leaving the page I’m on is such a great little piece of the interface. Way to go, Bell Designer!
8. What one feature would you add to Connect if you could?
I’d love to be able to find my local Local Guides. I know there are folks from Arizona wandering around here, I want to be able to connect with them!
I’d also really love to have the Road Mapper board back 
9. Tell us about one thing you’re planning to share or do on Connect this year.
At the rate I’m going, I think I will be hitting my goal of 100,000 contributions before the year is out. I put it out into the universe on @TerryPG’s New Year’s Resolution Post, and I have just under 9,000 to go. I can’t wait to hit that number & celebrate with everyone here on Connect (and then take a nap).