My wife and I love to go on dates. It’s been a staple of our relationship since we first met at Mojave in Astoria. Cut to five years later and we have a baby. Some people might think their dating life is over. We thought, yay! Now we have one more member of our party.
My wife is a New York City hotel concierge. She works for one of the leading brands of boutique hotels. Her career has been on the rise ever since we met and when she got pregnant it became apparent that I - the aspiring novelist and screenwriter - should be one the to stay at home and raise our son. We both thought it was perfect. She could keep getting promotions and ascending the hotel concierge ladder, and I could do my writing. Little did I know that being a stay-at-home dad is a full-time gig and then some.
As my son grew up, I found it increasingly difficult to find time to do what I love most: write. When he took a nap, maybe I could sneak in an hour or two of writing, but I was honestly exhausted and wanted to nap with him. So, I started writing google reviews when my wife, son, and I went out on our dates. I snapped a few pictures here and there, spent about five minutes writing the reviews and posted them. It was fun. It was the creative outlet I craved. And then something crazy happened.
About a month into my life as a Google Local Guide, I got an email saying more than 30k people had seen more photos. Those emails kept rolling in and the numbers got larger. Yes, I mainly review places in Midtown Manhattan so they have a lot of traffic, but I felt so proud that people were checking out what I thought about these places. In my own way, I became a digital concierge for the Google Maps community.
I absolutely love going on dates with my wife and I love to bring my son along with us. My favorite thing to do is snap some quick shots of our meals and drinks and then write a detailed review on our ride home. I feel blessed that anything I write and shoot gets in front of people who are eager for suggestions. Being a Google Local Guide is a lot of fun and easy to do. I look forward to sharing more with everyone.