Introduce Yourself — July 2025

[AngieYC]

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 June’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 @Vit_Ale! Alessandro is a Local Guide Level 8, and here’s what he shared.

1. Name: Alessandro Vitale

2. Location: Zürich, Switzerland

3. What I love about being a Local Guide: I enjoy connecting with people who are passionate about discovering new things and sharing information and pictures of places. It’s great to be part of a space where curiosity and exploration are encouraged.

4. My favorite thing to explore: I love finding hidden gems—especially when it comes to great food spots or scenic outdoor locations. Mapping lesser-known places and supporting small businesses gives me real satisfaction, especially when others find those tips useful. My other goal is to review and take pictures of the most scenic peaks in Switzerland. My photospheres have millions of views and have helped a lot of people prepare for a hike or trip.

5. Fun fact about me: I have visited and shared pictures of 39 different countries amounting to a total of 80 million photo views. Furthermore, I speak five languages and in some cases use my hands or Google Translate to connect with local people.

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

[Kumaarsantosh]

@AngieYC

I love finding hidden gems—especially when it comes to great food spots or scenic outdoor locations. Mapping lesser-known places and supporting small businesses gives me real satisfaction, especially when others find those tips useful.

Nice to meet you here @Vit_Ale. Congratulations on getting featured in this ‘Introduce Yourself’ series.

I really liked your love in finding gems. Supporting Small Business is very close to me too.

Thank you @AngieYC for introducing Alessandro Vitale to us.

[RaviSharma111]

Congratulations @Vit_Ale for being featuring here in LGC Community .
Thank you @AngieYC for sharing with us.

[Ameerbahaddin]

Hello, my name is Amir and I live in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. I have been working as a local Google Maps guide for a long time I’m now livel 9

. I love gymnastics and sports and I love watching movies

[Rahul001]

Welcome to the community @Vit_Ale.

@AngieYC

Mapping lesser-known places and supporting small businesses gives me real satisfaction, especially when others find those tips useful.

Can’t be more agreeable than this. You contributions to small local businesses is indeed helping community to grow.

Thank you @AngieYC for introducing him to our community.

[K.K.Sharma]

Congratulations @Vit_Ale

Hi @Savinha, @jagdishthadani, @Chami, @tornikezakaraia, @Mandara_N, @antfly28, @faizanqazalbash, @shemajuc, @Jani_Ratnayake, @mtardian23, @kalpeshkalsariya, @Jadro, @Fedejru, @Adithyan45, @bezii, @Hanum, @autumnraven, @darknights93, @abhaayy, @Mindy, @sijinvarghese, @MostaphaTourstrip, @HITESH.MEENA, @maymaychit020, @Tiffany79, and @athi a warm welcome to Local Guides Connect!

Congratulations to everyone on your badge reward! A special shoutout to @tornikezakaraia, and @bezii and 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!

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

Want to know how to write your post? Check out this helpful guide: New to Connect? Try Using # for Headings
Introduce yourself 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 Introduce Yourself — July 2025
Attend Meetups Connect with fellow Local Guides
Take Part in Ongoing Activities This Month's Challenges at a Glance

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

Let’s get to know you!

How did you discover Local Guides Connect?

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

Keep exploring, keep sharing, and keep guiding!

[K.K.Sharma]

Hi Alessandro!

Welcome to Connect and thanks for such a wonderful introduction. It’s truly inspiring to see how you combine your love for hidden gems and scenic hikes with your passion for supporting local businesses.

80 million photo views across 39 countries — that’s incredible! Your multilingual skills must really help in connecting with diverse communities, and I loved your mention of using gestures and Google Translate — such a relatable and fun fact!

Looking forward to seeing more of your contributions, especially your scenic Swiss peaks. Do share your favorite hike sometime — it might go on our bucket lists!

[DrShaunak]

Welcome, Alessandro! Great to have you here. Switzerland is high on my travel bucket list—can’t wait to explore its beauty someday.

Looking forward to learning from your experiences as a Level 8 Local Guide.

Thank you @AngieYC for introducing him to us.

[AdamGT]

Hi @Vit_Ale (Alessandro )

It’s always nice to find out about fellow Local Guides in different countries and who have different interests and expertise. Your photospheres with millions of views sound very interesting. Speaking five languages is an amazing accomplishment and I couldn’t help but wonder what these languages are and whether they have helped you in your travels to 39 different countries?

[Aslam_hossain]

1. Name: Aslam Hossain

2. Location: Rajshahi, Bangladesh

3. What I love about being a local guide: I love being a local guide by mapping my area and all the locations of my country on the world map and showing the way to the general public, especially the disabled, through Google Maps.

4. My favorite thing to explore: My favorite thing is to find parks and any restaurant through Google Maps and eat the food I like.
   

   

5. Fun fact about me: I love traveling to all the places in my country. And I find joy in sharing it with all the local guides around the world by presenting it in a connect form that I like.

[Annaelisa]

Ein herzliches Willkommen @Vit_Ale

[Laurent]

Hi everyone!
Welcome to our fellow @Ameerbahaddin and @Vit_Ale for joining our lovely community where everyone is welcome and deserve all the care around..
An huge thanks to @AngieYC ( and all the google them as moderators) for making things organized, for their assistances as well as their cares ( always being at the core of everything so that everything goes well…)

#LG

[DigitalRahulYadav]

Congratulations @Vit_Ale …

[AjitThite]

Nice to know you, @Vit_Ale, welcome to the family. I am hoping to see some glorious photos of Swiss mountains and nature.

Thanks for sharing with us, @AngieYC .

Cheers!

[Shabuj_Ahmmed]

Congratulations @Vit_Ale for being featuring here in LGC Community.

[MrFreez]

@AngieYC

I have visited and shared pictures of 39 different countries

That is a whole lot of countries you have visited and shared photos of.
Nice to meet you Alessandro @Vit_Ale . Hope to see you around more often.

[NandKK]

@AngieYC

5. Fun fact about me: I have visited and shared pictures of 39 different countries amounting to a total of 80 million photo views.

The number is really huge. @Vit_Ale

It was a nice experience to read your introduction.

Thank you @AngieYC for sharing the introduction.

[Shabuj_Ahmmed]

1. Name: Shabuj Ahmmed

2. Location: Chattogram, Bangladesh

3. What I love about being a Local Guide: I love exploring different places across Bangladesh and capturing their beauty through my camera. Sharing my travel experiences and photos on Google Maps brings me joy — especially when I know they help others. I always try to give honest reviews based on what I truly experience, so people can make better decisions when visiting a place. Whether it’s a remote natural spot or a busy urban destination, each place has a story, and I enjoy telling that story through my reviews and photos.

4. My favorite thing to explore: I love to travel, explore new places, and try different foods along the way. Whether it’s a quiet village, a scenic hilltop, or a cultural heritage site — each place excites me in a different way. I enjoy discovering the hidden beauty of Bangladesh and beyond. While I do like tasting local dishes, it’s the journey, the nature, and the culture that attract me the most. Traveling helps me learn about different lifestyles, and I feel fulfilled when I can highlight those experiences through my contributions on Google Maps.

5. Fun fact about me: I’m just a simple person who loves to travel in my own way — sometimes solo, sometimes with friends. I always try to find time for my favorite foods along the journey, especially local dishes that reflect the culture of the place. I have a strong interest in learning about new traditions, languages, and ways of life. Every new destination, no matter how small, feels like a new chapter in my story.

[Erna_LaBeau]

Hello and welcome to Local Guides Connect @Vit_Ale, I would love to see more about your lovely country, Switzerland, one of many countries in my bucket list, Alessandro!

@AngieYC, thank you so much for sharing another addition into our community Local Guides Connect! Sorry I missed saying goodbye to you

[NareshDarji]

Nice to meet you here @Vit_Ale.
Congratulations on featuring our monthly introduction post.