Discovery, independence and giving back
In this world of digitalisation and urban life, making close friends has been a challenge for me. Because of my passion to travel and explore new places, I have found places on Google maps that are exciting to spend my spare time on my own or invite friends to check out a new place to eat or have coffee together.
I discovered the Local Guides platform from my husband. Since then I have discovered a lot of places to spend my time in the city of Bath (UK). Before visiting new places, I love to read reviews from others on Google maps to see how they have found their experiences. I get honest opinions that make me evaluate my expectations from a place before I go in or get excited to check out a place if the reviews are great.
Now when I travel or go to a new place, I instinctively want to read what others have experienced in that place before, take some suggestions - such as carrying mosquito repellent, rain gears etc., in situations such as trekking or mountain climbing. My fondest memory of my trip was with my newlywed husband to Mount Batur. The spectacular images of the sunrise and the mountain views from other local guides encouraged us to climb the first mountain together. The reviews on Google Maps allowed us to organise our visit well in time and plan our backpacks to avoid unnecessary disappointments. Eventually, this has made me a lot more independent and encouraged me to go to places that I would not have ventured before.
Driven with these experiences, I now want to contribute more, reach out to people and express my true experiences with every place I visit or the activities I get involved with. I want others to benefit from my experiences and share tips that they may not find from mainstream information sites. Also, I share my experiences with take-away shops or restaurants in Bath. Some of my reviews were appreciated by the restaurants, hence enabling them to acquire more views and customers. This has brought me a sense of belongingness to a bigger community which constantly encourages me to give back my feedback and experiences for the people like me who just want to explore and have a good time!