Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, @rtsayles! 
Your kind words and appreciation mean a lot to me. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recap and the connections made along the way.
Cheers!
In sha Allah 
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@KashifMisidia reading this felt like walking through your nine-year journey with you, and honestly, it touched my heart. Your story is such a beautiful reminder that some dreams take time, patience, and an incredible amount of perseverance, but when they finally come true, every setback becomes part of the story.
For me, you are not just a Connect Moderator or an experienced Local Guide. You are my mentor on Local Guides Connect, someone who has made this community feel welcoming and approachable for a newcomer like me. Your encouragement, guidance, and willingness to help others have shown me what it truly means to be part of a community.
I still feel so lucky to have crossed paths with you and to be learning from someone who has given so much to this community. Your Singapore journey is inspiring, but what inspires me even more is the person behind it, someone who kept believing, kept contributing, and kept lifting others along the way.
Congratulations, Kashif, on finally living the dream you waited nine years for. May this be just another beautiful chapter in an even bigger journey. And thank you for being the kind of mentor who makes people like me believe that we too can find our place in this amazing community.
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Dear @KashifMisidia Bhai,
What an absolutely beautiful, heartfelt, and deeply moving post. Thank you for opening up and sharing such a meaningful chapter of your journey with all of us. Your story is a wonderful reminder that some dreams are worth waiting for, working for, and believing in; no matter how many obstacles stand in the way.
Reading about your nine-year journey, and especially the heartbreak and disappointment of facing four visa rejections, makes your eventual arrival in Singapore feel even more special and triumphant. What could have easily become a reason to give up instead became another reason to keep believing. Your patience, perseverance, and determination are genuinely inspiring. You didn’t simply make it to an event; you finally fulfilled a dream that had been waiting for almost a decade. That makes this achievement all the more meaningful.
What touched me most was the way you described meeting friends such as @NareshDarji and so many others in person for the very first time after years of knowing, supporting, and connecting with them virtually. Those moments beautifully capture what makes the Local Guides community so extraordinary. Behind the profiles, posts, comments, and online conversations are real people, real friendships, and real emotions. The moment virtual friendships turn into face-to-face connections is truly magical, and your words brought that experience to life beautifully.
Your decision to carry the traditional Ajrak from Sindh with you was another incredibly thoughtful and meaningful gesture. It wasn’t simply a gift; it was a beautiful representation of your roots, culture, identity, and pride. Sharing a piece of Sindh with friends from around the world and with the Google team made your journey even more special. These cultural exchanges are what transform global communities into something much more personal and meaningful. Its truly “A Beautiful Thread That Connects Hearts Beyond Borders ”.
Your passion, gratitude, excitement, and love for the community shine through every photograph and every word of your post. Your story is not only about reaching Singapore; it is about believing in a dream despite repeated setbacks, valuing friendships built across borders, and carrying your culture proudly wherever you go.
A huge congratulations on finally living this long-awaited dream. 
You truly deserve to celebrate this moment and everything it represents.
May this be just the beginning of many more journeys, friendships, adventures, and unforgettable experiences. Keep sharing your story, because your journey has the power to motivate others who may also be waiting for their own long-awaited moment.
I am excited to follow the next chapter of your story. Bring on Part 2.
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What a story, and i really glad to see you in person @KashifMisidia 
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I’m so glad you finally made it and we all got together at the ConnectLIVE Singapore this year!!!
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Thank you for sharing this wonderful recap @KashifMisidia bhai.
The little hurdles we face in our life make us more stronger and confident and therefore you did make it to Singapore. And I’m so glad to have met you there - you’re a true gem! 
By god’s grace, we shall meet again in the future! 
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@KashifMisidia Bhai reading this brought back so many Singapore memories. After 9 years of knowing each other through Connect, finally meeting you in person and sharing that unforgettable bear hug 
was such a special moment.
Your journey from all those visa struggles to finally being there makes the story even more meaningful. I’m really happy that our online friendship finally turned into real memories.
Some friendships start online, but by the time you meet in person, it already feels like you have known each other forever.
So grateful for Connect and the beautiful friendships it has given us. Here’s to many more memories together! 
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So inspiring @KashifMisidia bhai
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Thank you so much, @Sadaf_Younus , for these incredibly kind and touching words! Reading your comment truly warmed my heart. 
It has been an absolute pleasure guiding you on your Local Guides journey.
Seeing newcomers like you learn, grow, and become such an active, passionate part of our community is the greatest reward for any mentor. Your enthusiasm and dedication are truly inspiring!
Thank you for being such a wonderful part of this community.
Keep shining and exploring!
Thank you so much, my Piyarey Bhai @Kumaarsantosh , for such a deep, heartfelt, and touching comment! Your words brought tears to my eyes. Reading how closely you felt every part of my nine-year journey, especially the visa rejections and the ultimate joy of finally reaching and meeting you and other amazing friends in Singapore, means the world to me.
You truly captured the real soul of our community, that virtual friendships turn into lifelong bonds, and that carrying our culture, like the traditional Ajrak from my region Sindh, is a matter of pure pride. Thank you for always standing by me and being such an amazing part of this journey.
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Thank you so much, @Dinithea !
It was absolute magic getting to see you in person as well after all this time.
Meeting wonderful friends like you in Singapore made those two days truly unforgettable!
Thank you so much, @KhanhDinh !
It still feels like a dream come true. I am so glad we all finally got together in person at Connect Live Singapore this year, it made the entire nine-year wait completely worth it
By the way, do you remember Shahrukh Khan? 
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Thank you so much, my dear brother @NileshNag !
Your kind words mean a lot to me. You are completely right, every hurdle only makes the journey and the final destination more special. I am so glad we got to meet in Singapore too, and you are truly a gem! By God’s grace, looking forward to meeting again in the future!
By the way, as you are a Maharashtrian, you can call me Kashif Dada
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Thank you so much, my dear @NareshDarji Bhai !
That unforgettable bear hug is something I will cherish forever!
After years of connecting through the screen, finally meeting in person in Singapore made all those visa struggles completely worth it. You are so right, when true online friendships turn into real-life memories, it really feels like we’ve known each other forever.
Here is to many more wonderful memories together, Miltay Hain ek Break key baad dobara
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Thank you so much @Zain_Ul_Abideen
Wow @KashifMisidia 
it took you 9 years to fulfill your dream of attending your first CL, and your post matched that achievement perfectly in both quality and quantity!
I have to quote this:
“Let’s start from the beginning, but without dragging it out so much that you get bored…”
OMG, what a lie! 
I kept scrolling for days! It took me some 9 days to read it all and finally react
Jokes aside, first of all, huge congratulations! I was genuinely so happy for you when it finally happened after all these years. I can only imagine how excited and fulfilled you must have felt. Honestly, I could already feel that excitement when you told me about getting a positve response for the invitation and the visa, and reading this post brought back exactly the same feeling. You really poured your heart into every word.
And this part:
“suddenly someone rushed up from behind and grabbed me in a tight bear hug! For a split second, my heart skipped a beat, I panicked…”
What a scene! I could picture it perfectly.. waw waw kya dostana hain! 
I loved this :
“If I tell you that I attended this event with the mindset that this is my first time, and I don’t know if life will ever give me another chance like this, I truly lived and breathed every single second of it with that intensity.”
That is such a beautiful mindset. You absolutely did the right thing. When something means that much, the best thing you can do is live every second of it to the fullest, and that’s exactly what you did.
I’m so glad you got to experience this dream in such an amazing way. You were already a legend long before meeting them in person Bravo on this wonderful achievement and unforgettable trip!
Your dedication really showed in the way you thoughtfully prepared gifts for everyone. It was clear how much care, time, and affection you put into each one. What made it even more special was seeing them given and received with such warmth, respect, and appreciation 
It was a beautiful reflection of the kind of person you are and of the genuine connections you have built over the years.
Hopefully one day we’ll get the chance to attend the same CL together, along with our mutual friends. That would truly be the cherry on top of the cake!
After what felt like an epic journey 
I finally reached the peak and was ready to celebrate my victory with a loud “Halleluja!” 
… only to discover:
“This post has gotten quite long. I started writing it on August 6th… I’ll bring this part to a close here, and in the very next part”
“Stay tuned for the next part!”
Oh no… here we go again! 
You spent days writing it, so I guess it’s fair that I spent days reading it!
For now, I think I need an energy drink to recover from part 1 
How many days should I book for that one ? I think I can predict the length of Part 2 from the number of days it takes you to write it!
Wish me luck! 
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Ji zaroor , dada
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@KashifMisidia What a deeply touching and beautiful reflection! I was so happy meeting you again in person!
Reading your story took me right back to those unforgettable days in Singapore. Nine years in the making, and it truly felt like pure magic being gathered together in person after all this time. 
The energy, the laughter, and the bonds we shared made those two days feel both fleeting and eternal.
Thank you so much for putting into words what so many of us felt in our hearts. So grateful to share this journey with you!
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Wao what an amazing journey, I am jealous of you now!
Stay Blessed always Sir @KashifMisidia
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