My journey to becoming a Level 10 Local Guide has been genuinely inspiring. First, I want to thank all the Local Guides, friends, and family who have supported me throughout these years! I couldn’t have achieved this milestone without all of you!
Looking back at this journey, I never would have guessed that the experience would help me grow so much as a person. It all started with my frustration over the inaccuracies of store locations in a mall. I took the initiative to update every store location and add photos. After completing the first mall, I drove to every mall and shopping district in the Kansas City Metro area. My intentions were not focused on the community back then, but on how many places I could update. Even though I was helping my community and local businesses, it was not my main agenda.
When I first started contributing, my reviews and photos were terrible. My focus was entirely on updating Google Maps, without any concern for the quality of the contributions; One-sentence reviews and random photos my five-year-old cousin could have taken! Jokes aside, it wasn’t until I started connecting with other Local Guides and was later invited to Connect Live that everything changed.
Hearing about how Google Maps and other Local Guides initiatives are transforming the lives of people in their communities is inspiring. By “simply” adding information about fire hydrants, water fountains, or even roads, they are making lasting changes that can significantly benefit their neighborhoods—something we often take for granted in the United States. I realized I needed to find ways to contribute meaningfully to my communities and truly serve their constituents. It began with organizing a Kansas City Barbecue Crawl, creating various lists, making contributions, hosting meetups, and writing articles to promote Kansas City. It wasn’t until 2019/2020 that I discovered the best way to serve my community.
I began my journey of Guiding the Urban Community while searching for a new park to meet friends and family that would be optimal for social distancing. I found it challenging to locate photo contributions showcasing park amenities like shelters, benches, tables, and playground equipment. During my search, I noticed that many parks in the Kansas City Urban Community lacked any contributions at all.
From that moment on, I dedicated several hours each day to mapping every single park in the urban communities of Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas. I continued to contribute to every park in those areas. More importantly, this effort has brought visibility and recognition to all the parks in the Kansas City Metro urban communities.
My next idea was to extend my contributions to schools in those Urban Communities. Along the way, I added new schools, educational facilities, and surrounding streets. This journey has allowed me to document multiple first photo contributions for several new schools. Each contribution provides students and their parents with the opportunity to view their new school for the fall and see what the building looks like for food pick-up and distribution.
After Guiding the Urban Community I spent the next few years making my goal as a local guide to explore neighborhoods and businesses typically overlooked by society. I focused on love and expanding my mind by trying foods from different cultures. As a minority, I felt it was time to challenge myself and explore new avenues. My original plan was to help beat the stigmas associated with the COVID outbreak and support Asian-owned businesses during this time of escalated hatred towards Asian culture in the United States. I ended up eating at nearly every sushi restaurant and foods from over ten cultures; Japanese, Chinese, Afghan, Mexican, Italian, Korean, Colombian, Mediterranean, African, French, Canadian, Spanish, Greek, Thai, and a variety of other cultures in the Kansas City Metro.
I proceeded to find other initiatives and gravitated towards the environment using the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) as my motivation because they’ve been neglected in American society. I would add plastic bags, general plastics, electronics, and other product collection centers to the maps, along with cloth and shoe donation bins and centers across the city.
One simple concept led to a shift in my contributions. I began to engage by contributing, dining, visiting local museums, and making an effort to purchase exclusively from local businesses. These are places I would never have explored without the influence of this program. I wanted to become a Local Guide, making contributions that would benefit the communities I was visiting!
I am so appreciative of the people I’ve met along the way as well. Visiting local places, hosting meetups, and truly connecting with others and Local Guides has changed my life forever. Friendships that would have never prospered if I hadn’t been a part of this community have flourished. Conversations at local bars, restaurants, and numerous other places have led to friendships, knowledge, and moments that have helped both them and me. I can’t thank the Local Guide community enough for influencing me and helping me become the person I am today! Thank you to all the Local Guides who made this happen, and a special thanks to the entire Local Guides Connect Community!