In order to apply to Connect Live 2020 we were asked to upload a post here on Connect in which we answer one of two props, I have chosen the question “What is the most interesting thing you’ve done as a Local Guide?” and I will not provide a simple answer, but a complex one (as it would be expected from anyone who knows me, or has read any of my previous posts). My answer consist of two parts: 1) to the outside world and 2) to myself. Why? Because, to be honest, this is a very tough question! 
- The most interesting thing I’ve done as a Local Guide: To the outside world
I think that, if seen from the outside, the most interesting thing I’ve done as a Local Guide could be the fact of being chosen to go to Connect Live 2019. But I actually believe that this was just the first step, the one that empowered me to serve as an ambassador for this program in my country, the Dominican Republic.
I have, ever since, been doing my best to spread the word about Local Guides, because there I made the promise of trying to start a LG community back home (I even remember asking a lot of questions to @ErmesT about this, while in San Jose!).
It has been a fun process which first took me to the digital media, then to a printed magazine and even to a live radio show, all to end in making the first ever meet-up of “Local Guides Dominicana”.
The coolest part is that this meet-up was not only featured / highlighted here on Connect: it had more than 40 participants and it was published in more than 20 local media outlets, both printed and digital, including 2 of top 3 newspapers in the whole country! And to think about it still makes me feel super proud!
How did that happen? First I need to say that I take no credit for it: this media coverage was thanks to @isorianom , who works as PR/Publicist and donated her knowledge and contact list as a way to support my initiative, helping it reach a wider audience and getting more exposure.
Besides this, I also created an Instagram account, in which, as of today, we have more than 400 followers and has allowed me to answer doubts / offer some guidance about the Local Guides program both in public and in private messages, and not only to Dominicans, but to people from the region who by Google searches have seen some of the posts previously mentioned.
2)The most interesting thing I’ve done as a Local Guide: To myself
While everything surrounding “Local Guides Dominicana” has been super exciting, I think that to myself, the most interesting thing has been the fact that I was able to identify and include both Google Maps and the Local Guides program in my PhD thesis (which due to the deadline proximity, I have been writing in the last months, and that is the reason why I have been a little bit absent from this beloved community).
I bet that at this point you must be asking yourself: how is that even possible?! Well, my degree is in Cultural and Communication Industries and I have identified that both the app (Google Maps) and the community (Local Guides) can serve as a possible solution to help democratise cultural destinations and activities. While I can’t share it completely yet, because it needs to be unpublished / original until the official dissertation, here’s a bit of the insights I’m using in how they both can help this goal:
- By adding/monitoring the patrimonial sites to Google Maps, making sure that they have both proper information and quality photos and videos.
- By making curated lists of different cultural experiences in town, which can then serve for guiding both locals and tourist.
- By organising cultural meet-ups, in which the knowledge of a cultural manifestation or destination can be deepened and better understood by the participants.
So, if I would have to summarise both in one same sentence, it would be that:
The most interesting thing I’ve done as a Local Guide is to give the first steps to create a Local Guides community in my home country, spreading the word about how awesome this all is; and to be able to find ways in which both theLocal Guides program and Google Maps can help us enjoy and (re)connect with our own patrimony, by taking advantage of the app features and the community that evolves around it.
And that’s all for this post.
Looking forward to see if anyone found this two things to be interesting, and to learn what have YOU done as a Local Guide.
Sending you greetings from the Dominican Republic, wishing good luck to all other applicants, and my best wishes of health and wellness for my fellow Local Guides (and their families) all over the globe.
Virtual hugs,
Maricha Martínez-Sosa
