Hello, dear fellow Local Guides,
I hope you’re all doing great!
As many of you know, this year’s Google Local Guides “ConnectLIVE 2026” event will be held across three different cities. Since I am based in Europe (Portugal), I was honored and excited to receive an invitation to attend the event in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, on May 7th and 8th 2026, was a truly remarkable experience. This was my first time attending the fantastic ConnectLIVE event.
The event was a wonderful melting pot of cultures. While many participants were Local Guides from various European countries, others traveled from afar. I had the pleasure of meeting @SwetaDhondoo from Mauritius, @ChinonsoOnukwugha from Nigeria, and @NarenChandra from India, currently living in Croatia.
I am honored to have spoken with Mr. @ErmesT, Mr. @JanVanHaver, Mr. @OmerAli, Mr. @LuigiZ, Mr. @LudwigGermany, @JaneBurunina, and @TheRealKristin.
I also had the privilege to speak with our TRAC champion, Mr. @MarcoDavoli, and Mr. @Lukas_B.
Additionally, I had the opportunity to spoken with: @AniaKiser, @NatalkaR, @Xander, @LudwigGermany, @YuliiaZa, @stephan.286, @Katarina_Cibikova, @JustynaMad, @Frank_H, @Stella2, @JoseGomez, @MarkAuchincloss, @PeteMHW, and the youngest of all, @clementlabarriere.
- Reconnecting with a Mentor
A personal highlight of this event was the opportunity to meet Mr. @MortenCopenhagen again. From whom I received many invaluable tips when we first met in Copenhagen back in September 2020. Getting the chance to catch up and share experiences with him once more was truly special.
However, the journey was not without its hurdles. As my application for Portuguese citizenship is currently in progress, I require a visitor visa to enter Ireland. I had to wait nearly eight weeks for the visa result, which was a period filled with a lot of anxiety and uncertainty.
Unfortunately, not everyone was as fortunate. My acquaintance, @mrinmoiHossain, a Bangladeshi Local Guide living in Germany, was unable to join us because his visa process was not completed in time. Similarly, several other Local Guides from the African continent were unable to attend due to delayed visa decisions. Their absence was deeply felt by many of us.
- Words of Gratitude
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Google Event Team for overseeing everything and for giving me such an incredible opportunity. It was also an honor to meet Googlers @David_K, @Kristen_NYC, @TinaWill, and @Julie_A.
The knowledge and experiences shared over these two days have truly inspired me to continue my contributions with even more passion. And it will help to make our community more prosperous and efficient.
Stay safe, keep contributing, and I hope to see you all again someday.
felicitaciones
I hope next year’s host country will allow them in or Google can find another way to say “Thank you” to them