Introduce Yourself — August 2025

Hi everyone! Welcome to Local Guides Connect. Please take a moment to introduce yourself to our community.

As “Introduce Yourself” threads can be lengthy, we start a new one each month and lock past threads. You can check previous threads, like July’s, to see who recently joined and where they’re from. We’ll merge any “I’m new” and “Hello world” posts we find elsewhere with this thread to keep things organized.

Do you want to be featured in our monthly Introduce Yourself posts? Share your introduction in the comments, following the five prompts below, and a horizontal photo of yourself (in landscape mode). The best introductions will be considered for future Introduce Yourself posts. Please note: Your response may be edited for clarity. By taking part in this challenge, you agree to allow us to share your answers and photo(s) publicly here on Connect.

This month, meet @Yulochka! Yulochka is a Local Guide Level 8, and here’s what she shared.

1. Name: Yulochka :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

2. Location: Poltava, Ukraine :ukraine:

3. What I love about being a Local Guide: I love capturing the beauty of my city and other places :school: in photos and sharing them with the world. It’s inspiring to help people discover hidden gems — from cozy cafes and local markets to vibrant murals and unique locations that are not in the guidebooks. Being part of this global community motivates me to explore even more and make useful contributions.

4. My favorite thing to explore: I love discovering new flavors of sweets, beautiful architecture :classical_building:, and atmospheric details of small towns. I also enjoy writing honest reviews that help travelers :sun_with_face: and support local businesses. A piece of advice or a beautiful photo that makes someone’s day is truly magic to me! :sparkles:

5. Fun fact about me: My photos have received millions of views, and I’m always happy to answer questions from people who find my contributions helpful. I celebrate my birthday in a new country every year. :globe_showing_americas: :star:

Nice to meet you, Yulochka! Local Guides, don’t miss the chance to say hi to Yulochka in the comments below and share your introduction, too.

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congratulations @Yulochka !!

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Nice to meet you @Yulochka.

Can’t agree more than this. I always look for architecture, especially visiting markets & streets situated on old buildings.

Thank you @Ivi_Ge for introducing her!

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@SharmaK дякую за привітання

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Once again Congratulations @Yulochka!! :bouquet: :tada:

:glowing_star: Hi @Shivendra, @MR.MOUSSAIF, @MariaLiemyeli, @mahatokoushik623, @Captain_Hook, @stamrufus, @rolodexrex, @Erna2, @Irwin, @Khajibul.Islam, @Antonio_de_Mezine, @stani, @NickEvans, @neuroveen, @jpda, @sahilpetkar84, @Cansu, @frankfurtrunner, @marghoob_01, @warrenwoodhouse, @aliriza, @akshaysaini12 and @AguylberJR a warm welcome to Local Guides Connect! :glowing_star: :tada:

Congratulations to everyone on your badge reward! A special shoutout to @MR.MOUSSAIF, @rolodexrex, @neuroveen, @jpda, @sahilpetkar84, @Cansu, @frankfurtrunner, and @warrenwoodhouse for the reward of 3 badges ‘New Friend’, ‘Newly Popular’ and New Writer.

Since January 2025, we have been celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Local Guides Program and the 20th anniversary of Google Maps. You have joined Connect at a significant milestone!

:small_blue_diamond: So let us celebrate together! Get started with these exciting activities:

:white_check_mark: Want to know how to write your post? Check out this helpful guide: New to Connect? Try Using # for Headings
:white_check_mark: Introduce yourself :backhand_index_pointing_right: I recommend reviewing the guidelines in the main ‘Introduce Yourself’ post if you’d like a chance to be featured in an upcoming months main post :backhand_index_pointing_right: Introduce Yourself — August 2025
:white_check_mark: Attend Meetups :backhand_index_pointing_right: Connect with fellow Local Guides
:white_check_mark: Take Part in Ongoing Activities :backhand_index_pointing_right:This Month's Challenges at a Glance

:pushpin: You’re welcome to explore the tutorial available on the tutorial on the Community Guidelines page.

:light_bulb: Let’s get to know you! :light_bulb:

:loudspeaker: How did you discover Local Guides Connect?

  • After receiving an email
  • I discovered Local Guides Connect in a different way
0 voters

:globe_showing_europe_africa: Keep exploring, keep sharing, and keep guiding! :sparkles:

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:glowing_star: Welcome Back and Congratulations! :glowing_star:

Hello @abhie_mh90, @ABHISHEKBR01, @yassine, @keithchilufya, @yumin_tokyo_0711, @MariaRodriguez13, @Mxmoin, @itssammoqadam, @BrownEyesOwner a big shoutout to each of you for the reward of ‘New Friend’ badge** on Local Guides Connect! :handshake::blue_heart:

Even if you’ve been part of Connect earlier, it’s always a joy to see you engaging—your first like is a small step that makes a big impact! :orange_heart:

Whether you’ve just returned after a break or are exploring Connect more deeply now, we’re glad to have you here. Connect is not just a platform—it’s a community, and every interaction counts.

Since 2025 marks a double celebration—:tada: 10 years of the Local Guides Program and 20 years of Google Maps :tada:—your renewed engagement couldn’t have come at a better time!

:backhand_index_pointing_right: Here are some ways to keep the momentum going:

  1. :small_blue_diamond: Introduce Yourself: If you haven’t introduced yourself yet, jump into the August, 2025 ‘Introduce Yourself’ thread.
  2. :small_blue_diamond: Attend Meetups: Find or host virtual/in-person events to connect with other LGs.
  3. :small_blue_diamond: Join Challenges: Check out This Month’s Challenges and take part in the celebration!

:megaphone: If you’re from India, don’t forget to subscribe to the Local Guides WhatsApp Channel—link in the post!

Welcome back, and here’s to more milestones ahead!
Let’s keep guiding, keep connecting, and keep the spirit alive! :globe_showing_europe_africa::sparkles:

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It’s a pleasure meeting you here in this featured post @Yulochka.

I loved this as most of us are very firm for writing reviews and supporting local-business.

Thank you @Ivi_Ge for featuring Yulochka.

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@Yulochka Congrats on featuring for August!

Happy Guiding!

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Helllo .. @Yulochka .
Nice to meet you :clap::clap:.
Congratulations.

Congratulations @Yulochka on being featured in this thread and thanks to @Ivi_Ge for introducing you to us.
:tada::handshake::sparkles:

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Hello @Yulochka
Nice to know more about you/

I am already enjoying your amazing posts :+1:

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Congratulations on featuring on connect’s introduce yourself @Yulochka. I have seen some of your posts and comments here in the past. Hope to see more of you.
Wow. Celebrating your birthday in a new country every year sounds like fun to me tbh. How many countries have you visited?

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Herzlich Willkommen auf Connect @Yulochka
und sehr schön dich und dein Land kennenzulernen.:folded_hands:

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Allen ein herzliches Willkommen im August 2025🙏
Danke für die Vorstellungen @Ivi_Ge

Щиро дякую за теплі слова

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@ShafiulB дякую за привітання!!!

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@TusharSuradkar дякую, що читаєте мої пости. Приємно чути добрі слова від вас

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@MrFreez дякую, що читаєте мої пости. Я відвідала 30 країн, і зупинятись не буду!!! Світ такий прекрасний!!!

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Nice to know more about you @Yulochka.

Thanks for sharing it, @Ivi_Ge.

Cheers!

@Annaelisa мені приємно читати ваш відгук. І я дуже рада, що про мою чудову країну і моє рідне місто узнають багато людей по всьому світу :ukraine:

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