When the pandemic hit, I was, just like anyone else, shocked. One of my jobs was to write articles, mostly related to cultural and touristic activities. During those complicated times, my writing became harder and harder. How could I write about places I was not visiting? How could I invite people to go somewhere that might have been closed? In Spanish, we have a saying that translates to: “need is the mother of invention,” and exactly that was my case when I was forced to reinvent my writing strategy.
The few times I went out, I was surprised about Santo Domingo, about its changes, about the toughness of its classics, and about all the things that my eyes were recognizing. It was like rediscovering my own city! And that was when the idea hit me: I was probably not alone, so why not write about it?
What did I do? I started to write a series of articles that I named “Tourist at Home,” and I decided to work around the Google Maps lists I had created. Under each place mentioned, I added the pin in Google Maps. The series ended up having several articles but was missing the one that connected all. So I wrote that one too and called it: “(Re)Discovering Santo Domingo” a few weeks later, I decided to send it to see if it had what it takes to be nominated for an international award in touristic journalism.
I was excited to learn that I had been nominated under the category “Originality,” and I had no doubts that it had to do with my Maps approach. I was not the only one who believed so: a few days ago, I was interviewed in a radio show, and the host told me she loved that Maps integration so much that she was considering doing it in her own writing.
This last weekend was the award ceremony. It was virtual because it was still unsafe to do it in person with so many people coming from many places. To my surprise, I won!
I wanted to share this achievement with this Community because being a Local Guide was critical to the creative process that led to this series of articles. And I wanted all of you to know that sometimes it pays off to keep on creating and innovating, to keep on thriving as a Local Guide, and integrating this shared passion into other parts of our lives.
If you didn’t know: Google Maps is such a powerful tool that it can become an award-winning strategy!
) “Turista en casa: (re)descubriendo Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional” 
Congratulations For Your Wonderful Achievements 
I am Very Happy For You
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