Mapping: A Way of Life!

We often take it for granted how little things we do in our lives can turn up to have an immense impact. I started mapping many years ago, when it was still safe to spend hours adding roads and buildings by painstakingly drawing little lines on the screen with your mouse. At first it was just a quick fun moment in time but over the years it quickly got from being a regular hobby to a way of life.

Over the years I’ve gone from feeling like just a local contributor to a huge international project to feeling like part of a community and family. I’ve met people who are passionate about the same things I am:

A local guides meetup in my city!

I’ve become a much better photographer of food and the world around me. From this:

To this!

(This took a lot of YouTube videos and tutorials on how to take better pictures of food!)

And I’ve always felt like we are helping people. Anyone who’s ever gotten off a plane or bus to a place they don’t know and don’t speak the language incredibly hungry or eager to explore knows what I am talking about. People are able to find the things they need quicker and more efficiently. Whether it’s food, a fun time outdoors with the family or even emergency healthcare. Long before I worked there, I had created a listing for The Aga Khan Hospital and now I help them manage the listing so people can easily find access to healthcare. It doesn’t even have anything to do with my job there!

Being a local guide is who I am - I help any small businesses get online in my neighbourhood, people ask me for recommendations on where the best pasta or burger is in town, and everywhere new I go - I always check maps to see if stores and little businesses I’m passing are mapped - even when it’s just sitting in a car in traffic!

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