ETA- If you’re reading this & if we met/talked/laughed together at CL2019, please leave a comment so we can Connect on this platform or otherwise.
The epic-4-day-journey from November 12th-November 15th earned most of us the very best of friends,
The fairest of edification,
An abundance of inspiration,
& more fun than we collectively envisioned.
Trust me, CL2019 was way more lively, elegant, fancier & grander than I could ever imagine it to be. So, I’m going to tell you how my experience of each Googler & Local-Guide, who I had the honor to meet & greet, was like.
Googlers- During those 4 days whether at the Google event center or at a different location, I know for the fact what amount of toil Googlers had put into making this event life-size for all of us. Making sure each local guide who landed in California for the event, had the time of their life & went back home with hope in their heart.
For example, @TraciC literally the Queen, in every sense. In spite of the fact that she was managing tons of things simultaneously, she made sure to personally talk to each one of us, click selfies too, silly or serious.
Like @brittym who was managing the whole caboodle ensured all the local guides were comfortable. Overworked at times, because of our silly request of clicking selfies with her, (Of course everyone wanted a picture with them) made sure everything was well taken care of. (A moment of Awww)
At each step, these people were an integral part of the memories we were building during the event.
Also KatieMcB without having to realize how clumsy the situation has got, during our silly-exchange of endless selfies that we clicked at the photo booth, we could eventually transfer pictures. Yay!
People in the background- Besides these wonderful people, plenty of other Googlers in the background, the
Security people with a very sharp eye on our badges, the cutest ever service dog with his master, the cameramen capturing every smile, every hug, every gift exchanged, were bending over backward simply to make those 4 days a Life-like experience for all 200 of us.
People on Stage- Back to back Informative sessions with Googlers-on-stage echoed the auditorium with applause each time & we (LGs) were hungry for more.
A couple of Googlers arrived at the HQ from Japan, who I had a chance to converse with, made sure that all our concerns/questions were answered.
Fellow Local Guides- Meeting 199 Local Guides representing their respective nations was what I call euphoria. Not only Googlers but also these local guides are no less in making sure the fellow local guides were at ease every single time. For example-
@AdrianLunsong , as we all know, has done an abundance of work throughout the event, from making sheets to adding intricate details, from creating helpful posts to the virtual meetups prior to CL2019, ensuring all of us knew enough before & during the event. Not sure if he had enough sleep before/after the event.
@JustineE from Australia, who upon my request of a picture with her, informed me—her son was graduating that night. Being a mom, I could totally relate to her how she might be having mixed feelings all that time.
@SoniaK from Bangladesh, walking & chatting was the only quality time (Post accessibility walk) we both could afford to know about each other’s life. She is a real-life go-getter & I wish her the very best of her future.
@SP31 from Florida, an eye contact that led to hugs and eventually selfies! Meeting Him while boarding the bus (on the second day) didn’t feel like we were meeting for the first time.
@IlankovanT from Srilanka, on the third day, shared in an extensive conversation with me on how at a very young age of 10, he began doing the charity work for the society & is still going. No wonder he’s an inspiration.
@StephenAbraham from Malaysia. I now know how this one guy is bringing most of the Indian local guides together. He is doing true justice to the fact that his roots are in India despite living out of the country for a long time.
@ErmesT from Italy, in an informal chat during a break I asked him about how he does what he does with such dignity & dedication & now I’m the proud owner of #CleanTheWorld badge.
@KarenVChin Other than hugs, gifts & selfies that we exchanged, I wish we had more time to just talk.
@Marie from Canada. On our way to Sunnyvale informed me how often she travels around the globe & her volunteer opportunities in countries like Cambodia. Lots of luck for her upcoming voyages.
Isn’t it strange how these people, mere strangers to me days ago, are now one of the most inspiring people I ever met? These people taught me how, all of us, being so diverse, are still the same, working individually for the same cause—collectively called the Local Guides. Yes, Googlers are local guides too!
Meeting friends from India & Pakistan, that too in another nation, & talking in our common language like we knew each other for a long time was the icing on the cake.
@architojha (an exuberant personality)
@kinnari (Oh-so-photogenic)
@riya (The real Diva)
@gaganM (brilliant dancer)
@Omerali (The perfectionist)
@sakshi (Ms. Techie)
@rabia (Very elegant)
@abhishek (the wizard)
@aiman (Ms. happy-go-lucky)
All of this gained me nothing but friendships & memories of a lifetime, inspiration to do better every day, hope to see them again in the future & strength to keep going.
Special mention- Cindy Yanci- My in-flight partner. Vandana & Floria- My dance partners.The Frisbee Game at Google Event Center on the second day. (Guys, please if you have the images)
I, from the core of my heart, would like to thank each one of you, here on this platform, for being an integral part of my life now.
You were the true inspiration!
-Wondering why there’s No mention of the Goodies in the post?
An entire article dedicated to Goodies is a #WorkInProgress.
