A wired and twisted Winning Experience of Connect 2019

No, I did not go to California to attend Connect 2019. Infact, I was not invited to the event. I did put my entry thou as Level 5 Local Guide. I was around 700 points when the even was announced and today I am at Level 7 and soaring towards 8. So what changed in these last few months? The one-word answer is my “Outlook” and hence I proclaim myself as “True Winner of Connect 2019 event”.

Like most of you, I was also excited to participate in the event and then came the questionnaire. Frankly, I felt underwhelmed with my own response and I got into thinking, do I really deserve to be among 150 googlers worldwide. While the obvious answer was as resounding NO, it did force me to introspect. Do I really travel that much and for that matter do I even love travelling? Well, I did love travelling but I was simply putting off the travel plans for later. Later never come. Filling the questionnaire, making video and exploring googleconnect website got me into thinking “Am I really that constrained to travel?” What happened next was the Winning experience of Connect 2019.

While I started taking few short trips to fulfil my grotesque hunger for travel, I had no idea that the biggest experience yet to come. In 26 days I covered 2000 Km including 200 Km trekking with max altitude of 5.59 Km through famed Himalayas. The was one of highly famed Kailash Mansarovar, The fabled home of Hindu Good Shiva and his family. Had Connect 2019 not inspired me, perhaps I would not have gathered courage to embark upon the travel of a lifetime – The mystic, The daunting, The one of its kind trip to Kailash Mansarovar. So thank you Connect 2019 for making me the winner, perhaps not in traditional way but in my own wired and twisted way. And special thanks to all the Google Local Guides around the world whose stories and photographs inspired me to take the plunge.

Scenic beauty somewhere between Almora (India) and Dharchula (India)A Ball of Fur plant in little village of Nabi (India)A cannabis (Marijuana) plant with unbelievingly huge leaves at a tiny place named Gunji, India

The revered AUM (OM) Parvat (Mountain) where Snow always fall in shape of Mystic Indian Word OM, Nabidang (India-Nepal Border)The Holiest of the Holy Mountains in Hinduism, Bhuddisim, Jainism and Daoism, The Mount Kailash, TibetThe Mystical lake of Mansarovar, Tibet (China)

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Hola @cynide123 , hermosos paisajes los que compartiste con nosotros en tus fotos, si puedes luego edita las fotos y colócales un comentario, indicando el lugar Del cual es cada foto :grinning: :+1: .

Con respecto al CL19, todos participamos en forma indirecta los 150 millones de Local Guides del Mundo, es verdad que solo 200 fueron este año, 50 LG mas que en 2018, y eso no es poco :slightly_smiling_face: , participemos y en una de esas el año entrante nos escogen y en una de esas en el 2020 estamos brindando juntos en el Google Plex de SJ, :clinking_glasses: :confetti_ball: :tada:

Saludos Farid, desde la Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.

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@cynide123

Great write up!

I find your story real and inspiring. I have never been granted anything uncommon for my participations, but my rewards have always been through my perspective. I think participation gives me a reason to make the time to explore and have adventures. I hope to see you at connect live 2020!

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@FaridTDF Thanks for the Wonderful words. I have updated the photographs with a little description and place where it was shot.

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@KenHaworth Completely agree with you, we always see the world with the lens of our perspective. We can always win with our attitude towards the life. Hope to see you soon in of the editions of CL.

@cynide123 thank you for sharing your experience and the wonderful pictures. I love this story and how the Local Guides Connect Live event inspired you. Finally I wish you good luck for next year.

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@cynide123 Good to see the positivity in you man. Nice photographs to share your story here. Always a next time best luck of future. :slightly_smiling_face:

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You have a beautiful hand with camera @cynide123 . Best of luck!

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@Tanvir_Hasan Thanks for your comment. The scenery itself was so mesmerizing that all I had to do was capture.

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@GaganMishra Thanks for your encouraging words. Yup, there is always next time and till then keep enjoying the beautiful journey.

@LudwigGermany Thanks man. It’s wonderful to receive comments from a moderator on post by newbie like myself. :slightly_smiling_face:

Moderators are not different from all the others here :blush: Hopefully kind and helpful.

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I loved reading how you took a situation like that to change your outlook and get out there and travel and document it as well, @cynide123 . Your progression has been steady as you’re now reaching level 8 - many kudos for your efforts and thanks for sharing a part of your journey through the Himalayas. Best of luck next time!

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@SP31 I am overwhelmed with the response I am receiving on my post. I am motivated to write few more posts and share my experience of Himalayas.

I am planning to write a post about my experience from a non-traveler to traveler. Hope that it will inspire few others to take the beautiful plunge.

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