Prologue
Hi, my name is Robert. I’m the odd looking guy in the photo above. This application process took me back in time through emails, dusty hard drives, Facebook posts even phone calls. Some moments were cringeworthy while others are definitely worth going back to experiencing. So… In three words, what does being a Local Guide mean to me? A community breaking boundaries.
Our mission as local guides is to help people make the best decision about the things worth doing. By definition, a local guide is a “Local” showing new people around. Through the Local Guides program, it feels more like a Global Guide Program. By contributing to maps, we’re saving others time to make an informed decision on where they want to go whether in our neighbourhoods or while crossing the country. For me, it’s a way I give back to the community that guided me when I was mostly introverted.
The most common experience from every country I’ve visited around the world is using a map and interacting with locals makes the experience worthwhile. The Local Guides program merges both in the best way possible. From a map at your new workplace with notes, pocket maps at the hotel lobby, drawing on a piece of paper landmark directions after a phone call to saving a pin on your portable device - most of these come with notes or reviews that locals added that inspired me to discover more and to give an unbiased review for others considering to experience the places.
In January 2017, I recall sitting in a meeting room at work in the evening wondering what more could I do with my skills and experiences. It was during a Wiki Rabbit Hole moment that I read about the Local Guides program. Merging my photography and travel experiences, I could give feedback to others about places I had been to (plus still existing) and share photos of the location. There was and still is a local guide community that I could become a part of and go out for photo walks and hangout with them. It was a community that I would feel at home hanging out with both online and offline. Ever since then, I can look back and say joining this community is definitely worth the time and experience. Being a local guide brought me out of my shell as an introvert to try out new things, go farther than my comfort zone was, introduced me to other cultures that I learned how to interact with, made friends who when I find myself in a foreign country were more than happy to host a mini-meetup, gave me knowledge I was proud to share with others who were interested and most of all provided me with a new place of solace when I felt the world raging around me (my family comes first, then hockey rink comes first and finally the Local Guides Community - my wife can testify to that ?).
![2019 Google For Kenya Local Guides Panel Discussion with Joseph Onyango, Tessa Martins and I. Moderated by Juan[LG] (Photo by @KoffiK)](https://d34vm3j4h7f97z.cloudfront.net/original/3X/9/8/98650f562d1ac6ef65ba8ea3dacefcdf1691823b.jpeg)
Being a Local Guide has its fair share of challenges and been a teacher in ways other programs haven’t offered. It taught me how to organise events and get permits. Even when some of the meet-ups don’t work out, the community you are organising with still cheers you up. When you disappear for a while or there’s a local disaster, someone within the community would check-in to see how things are going. It’s not just earning points - it’s also about earning global and local friends.
The most memorable “searching for a place” moment I will always remember is feedback from someone who’s experienced it. Here are my top three recommendations by locals in their respective areas:
- Diamond Plaza Food Court, Nairobi - The first place I went for a family dinner with my then-girlfriend’s family. Environment was so good, that’s where we still go for our “feeling like eating out” dinner meals.
- Cairo Tower, Egypt - When looking for a location with a spectacular view of Cairo, my host recommended the Cairo Tower which overlooks the city. This recommendation is one that I would definitely pass on to anyone wanting to visit Cairo.
- Lake Eildon, Victoria, Australia - In the two years I spent living in the land down under, this I would highly re-recommend to anyone looking for a road trip experience around Victoria. Personally, this beats driving for miles in the outback taking a whiff or roadkilled ‘roos, or going to the zoo to see the different nature killers Australia has to offer.
Editor:
1.In the video, I said I discovered the program in 2016, while it’s actually January 2017 after some research.
2. “A” does not count as a word… just…in case you were counting. Since you got this far, sound off in the comment section below what it means to be a Local Guide to you in three words. Yes, Moderator, you’re welcome to comment.)
