It was a beautiful evening on June 3rd earlier this summer. I had gotten free from dinner, and had picked up my phone where I noticed a myriad of missed calls on my phone.
When I checked, it seemed like two of my friends were having the best time of their lives, @OmerAli and @AIMAN_SAEED , because they had received the following email “Thousands applied but you made the cut”.
I immediately congratulated them but they asked me to please check my very own email too.
And when I did so, I was flying like it was the best accolade given to me for my work as I got the same mail. Yes I was selected too for CL 2019.
That was the best day for me, because I never consider myself in the top 200 superb local guides , and I was not expecting such a big surprise on that day. It was like a dream meeting for us, as we three, the best friends were going to meet for the very first time with the wonderful 197 other local guides in San Jose.
But due to visa issues, I couldn’t fullfil my dream meeting them and the rest of the amazing local guides who had made it out, but I was still satisfied that I would be there virtually and my friends will represent our country as I was thinking that we should.
During connect live 2019, I followed almost every post, photo and video which was shared by different awesome local guides from different parts of the globe on social media. It made me feel great.
Yes! it made me happy too when Omer and Aiman let me talk with my great friends and mentors @KarenVChin and @ErmesT , who were together , they greeted and encouraged me.
Those were very emotional moments for me and the feeling of thanking was coming from the core of my heart for these wonderful guys who remembered me in their happy and exciting moments.
Connect live 2019 brought some great and new experiences for me , I sent some small souvenirs from Pakistan (thanks to Aiman who carried it for me) . I wasn’t expecting too much appreciation for these little souvenirs, but I’m heartly grateful to all my friends who not only liked the souvenirs but posted photos regarding them on social media. I’m really obliged.
The biggest surprise for me was the orange badges, which were designed by Omerali and Aiman.
I saw this badge during the video call with them, but I didn’t notice something in them at my first glance but when I saw it carefully, and those badges that were shared by LG friends on social media, I was astonished. In the center of the badge there was my pic. I had no words for it, but I wanna say that my friends never abandon me.
At the end of CL 2019, Aiman had so much extra luggage because of me. The Souviniers, chocolates, letters, badges, and many more things from those of my friends whom I never met and I showed their love and concern for me which I appreciate a lot.
I felt honoured by having my friends beside me among them there were @DavidTito @lynneannec @Jesi for lots of Chocolates , T-shirts, pins, and badges from Australia with beautiful flag of Australia , USA and Argentina respectively. And badges and pins from my friend @MahabubMunna and Bangladesh local guides, from Indonesia local guides, from Ukraine (thanks to @gandrabur_chik & @RedCatZs for sending gifts), from India, and from many many other people whom I didn’t even know yet they all sent me beautiful present
All those gifts and souviniers are the token of love for me and the real beauty of local guides program and local guides connect community. Where people keep friendship above religion and ethnicity and where senior Local Guides welcome rookies very pleasingly and warmly and guide them thoroughly. And I personally believe that they are one of the many reasons why rookies in LGC learn very quickly and they are trying their very best to make this community even better than it already is.
Love you LGC , Shukriya LGC
(Did you receive post cards or Souvenirs with love from connect live attendees & local guides friends, please share with them with us in comment section)
Buena recapitulacion amigo