In this Article I want to tell my story of how I started with Local guides, and why I did not stop.
I knew about Google Maps before and always thought of it as one of the best products of google because nothing was comparable to it, but at that time I didn’t think that it could be more behind it other than maps.
One day I got an offer to work in Germany and because I was from a really poor and small country of the Balkans in Europe. I didn’t want that opportunity to slip me away. So I took the offer and moved from my mother Country to Germany, arriving in Germany I didn’t know anything about the place I was moving to, I googled before about the city and watched it on Google Maps, but other than that I had no Idea, where I was going. Unfortunately the company in which I was accepted didn’t provide a guide or anyone to help me about anything.
So naturally I took out my Smartphone and of course opened Google Maps, which provided me with everything I needed, how to get from the Airport to the city center, where to find that Airbnb apartment I had booked at that time, and anything about restaurants and food places I needed. What I also found cool, was the time of the buses and where to wait for them. I got help from the local guides on how much is the cost and what to take care of.
After getting so much help for free from Google Maps and the local guides I wanted to give something back. I mean for the help I got for free I would easily pay money to get, I felt so much thankful for it, so I just wanted to be a part of it. I googled what I can do to contribute on maps, I quickly found that everything I needed to do is to click on the menu button on my phone and go to the contribution page.
The first contributions I made were photos and reviews of course, but at first I didn’t take it so seriously because I thought that it would not get much impact anyways. It changed of course when I got my first notification that my photo got more than 3000 views.
I didn’t believe it at first, it wasn’t even a good picture. But It showed something people wanted to know, then I saw the true meaning of local guides, and thought let’s continue with more, and I posted more.
After that wherever I went and whatever city I visited, I would take pictures and upload them to google maps, with tips or a description.
My Girlfriend an enthusiastic traveler and very talented photographer, was very happy that I am also trying to get good shots of photos and that I got so passionate about it.
Since then, I am posting regularly when I see and experience new things. I get the warm feeling that I am really impacting something by helping people with it. For me it means caring and being human. If I can do one good thing in a day whatever it is, I will impact the world a little more, but if there is a community behind it the world must be a wonderful place to be.
Because of that I think this program is important and should grow, people asking questions and getting help from local guides, which live there and know the place best are helping people like me at the time I first arrived here.
