People often get lost to the new city when traveling. How about getting lost in your own City? yes I did. After having study in Malang for many years and trying their Car Free Day, I try so hard to be Local in my hometown, Blitar. I have no idea where people go in the weekend or where the best coffee shop in town, even I have no idea when a friend ask me what popular place to eat in my city. This is where my story begins to explore my own city using Google Maps all the time.
A year exploring the city, I got an email to join Local Guides program in the middle of 2016. As reading the email, I felt “what kind of game is this?”
My first time join the global campaign was Local Guides Volunteer day on 2016. I took place on neighbor city, Tulungagung. Why no Blitar? Again, I have no Idea “where” Blitar is. Ridiculous? Yes.
Six months of being Local Guides, I decided to explore my surroundings by adding the local businesses to Google Maps. The first thing I do was searching local businesses around using satellite mode of Google Maps. I added many local businesses, for example, small shop own by my old friend in the corner of the road, a cafeteria own by a neighbor next to my house where selling a delicious meatballs! I add public places as well, schools, markets, mosques, tourist attractions, etc. I did the same thing over and over without thinking about how many points will I get for doing this. I am just glad to meet my neighbor who run the businesses and listening that they were so happy to see their business appear on Google Maps.
Another happiness is meeting new friend during the event. I made a friend with Shirley, a friend from Local Guides Summit 2017. We had chat almost every single day which time zone is not a big deal. In the end of 2017, She went to Surabaya. She told me it was so hard to find local cuisine in Surabaya when she read reviews on Bahasa. Most people write in local language (Bahasa) and slang idiom, i.e. Mantul means Mantap Betul for saying “good” which is not understandable for foreign traveler like her. That was the reason why I decided to start write English reviews instead of my local language to help foreign people. Then, me and Shirley decided to traveling to Bali in 2018.
Last but not least, receiving answer from the owner from the business after reading our reviews is so excited. It means a lot for Local Guide like me. I could feel that they listen to our opinion and, yeah, It is appreciation for what I do as Local Guides more than thousands point I got.
After 3 years of being Local Guides, I could say no words but I am proud of being Local Guides. I could help people by the things that I love most: writing the reviews, taking the photos I love and adding the information on Google Maps. Now, I can be Local in my own city, a real Local Guides that could guide you a place where you want to know about.
Thanks Google Maps 
how to you grew up a local guide .