When I started thinking about what the Local Guides Program meant to me, I recalled how it all began and realized that I had to share my story. I assume many Local Guides had noble reasons to start their paths, and for me personally, it was terribly ordinary and funny in a sense. I believe everyone on this planet (who has internet access) used Google at some point in their life, maybe for information, reviews, pictures, or something else. One day I asked myself: “How do all of those photos end up in Google? Can I upload my photo there? Would I be able to find my own photo when I google it?”. Funny? Probably, and that is how my journey began, as an idea to find my own photo on Google search. I found out about the Local Guides Program and started uploading my photos. Did I find my photos on a google search engine? Honestly, no.
There were tons of other photos and I was just tired of scrolling.
But one day I received a letter saying that my photos reached a new record on Google! I opened it and saw that thousands of people viewed my photos. For a moment I felt like a star ? Then our friends sometimes sent screenshots of our photos asking how we ended up in Google and we told them about the program. So, with a bit of curiosity (and a little narcissism), my path as the Local Guide began.
Since then, I have published many photos and reviews from all the places I’ve visited and done it with noble intentions to help people in finding out more reliable information about the place. And every letter from Google that my reviews are making difference or photos reaching a new record brought me even more joy, motivating me for a new contribution.
Now I’m more conscious about my mission of a Local Guide and try to talk more about my country, to exhibit its incredible beauty. I sincerely hope that I contribute to the fact that more people know about Kazakhstan and want to visit us.
