Hello LGs,
I am delighted to announce that this is my 200th post on the Connect forum.
All of this is possible because of your support and encouragement throughout my journey.
I joined the Connect forum in September 2019 but made my first post on April 7, 2020.
I am a slow learner, so it took some time for me to grasp the concept of the Connect Forum after reading many posts, acknowledging, participating, and submitting a video in 2020’s Connect Live program, and then writing my first post.
I recall my third post being deleted because it did not adhere to the guidelines. It was about taking a good photo of the street dogs sleeping. A good learning experience indeed!
I’m not a big fan of numbers when it comes to achievement. I mentioned a few based on the number of views, badges, and levels achieved, but I wanted to make sure I was staying current with the community’s trends.
I haven’t kept track of my 50th, 100th, or 150th posts, but I believe I am celebrating something on the Connect after a long break with a medical emergency. And, nowadays, the “Celebrate” tag allows me to post and enjoy the occasion.
After restarting the Small Business initiative, and since Tushar began the series of meet-ups in Pune, my count of the posts has increased dramatically. It has also become a habit to connect with local guides through various posts and meet-ups. Meet-ups have provided me with a sense of connection as well as a thorough understanding of Connect activities.
My favorite posts/activities on the Connect forum:
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Celebrating the World Chocolate Day meet-up was fun. I am sure all enjoyed that.
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One of the best challenges I shared was the photo challenge of the roses; so many local guides contributed and shared the beautiful photos of the roses from where they visited and their own gardens. I really enjoyed this one.
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Dil Se Local was a superhit. Many LGs contributed to it.
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The Khaana Khazaana](Khaana Khazaana! – A Flavorful Challenge Series for Local Guides) challenge was a big success, as many of you participated and had fun sharing your recipes.
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Spam-free Google Maps activity was very important for me.
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Supporting small businesses opened the door for me to serve the community.
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Escalated the regional languages issue to Google.
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First time I used an animated GIF banner for the post here. Many got interested and requested me to help them for the same.
Some of the museums I had covered:
In addition, some of my personal favorites:
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A post on Barog railway station.
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Lunch with the legends was showcasing the best thali restaurant, Poona Guest House, Pune, I visited.
I am grateful to many of you whom I know personally and on the Connect forum.
My Pune LG team, @TusharSuradkar, @ShubhamWaman, @NERKARAMIT, @abhishekpatk, @DurgaK03, and Palash, @MerlinThomas and @NithinThomas, @Madankumarj, @Ketan_Kangankar, @Rushikesh_joshi, @Kuldip_Patil, and @framesbysumedh have joined lately.
From my beloved Mumbai, Maharashtra: @Shrut19, @Rohan10, @Sagarkanherkar, @SayliWalve, @MayuriKubal, @RosyKohli @Globe_trotter_Ish, Smita Patil, @The_Shreeish, and @Supriyadevkar from Kolhapur-Solapur; @MohanG from Akola; @Raj_Tayade and @Nidhish_Jaju from C Sambhajinagar; and @rupali from Jalna @Shubhu1 from Jalgaon.
@NareshDarji, @Tejal Ben, @KetanChhaniyara, Pranav Bhai, and the rest of the Gujarat local guides.
@TravellerG sir, @Gurukrishnapriya, @Arati, and @Anil6969 from the very early days of the Connect forum.
Many new friends, such as @ShreyaMusings, @Ssiddharth2000, @K.K.Sharma JI, @Kumaarsantosh, @shaileno, @Shaunak, @PritishB, @NandKK, @SonamW, @SwetaDhondoo from Mauritius, @Gvipin, @PrasadVR, @Velvel from Indonesia, @Annaelisa and many more LGs around the world, such as my dear friend and mentor, @KashifMisidia bhai from Pakistan, all helped, guided, and encouraged me to reach this milestone. I’m grateful to everyone. Thank you so much, everyone!
See you on January 3rd, 2026, for my next virtual meet-up.
Cheers!
especially Dil Se Local 
I enjoyed reading many of your posts and have participated in them too… Your creativity, attention to detail and thoughtful approach makes every post a worthy read 
Here’s wishing you a whole lot of success on this lovely journey of storytelling… Looking forward to the meetup 
century 
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