I’m honored to be nominated by @NareshDarji as part of his #MyConnectCaravan journey.
Thank you, Naresh, for passing the baton to me. 
My Local Guides journey started back in 2016.
Like many others, I was excited by the points, levels, and rewards that came with contributing on Google Maps. Every review, photo, edit, and answer felt rewarding, and receiving the official Google Maps Pin 
motivated me even more.
But it was never only about points.
The points made me excited to contribute. Then, slowly, I started realizing how important accurate information on Maps really is. Correcting details, adding missing information, sharing honest reviews, and uploading useful photos could genuinely help people.
What started as excitement gradually became responsibility.
And eventually, it became a passion. 
Around 2023, I received a call from @NareshDarji. To this day, I still don’t know how he found me! 
At that time, I was actively contributing on Maps but knew very little about the larger Local Guides community. Naresh introduced me to Local Guides Connect, encouraged me to attend meet-ups, interact with fellow Local Guides, and contribute more meaningfully.
That one conversation completely transformed my journey.
Soon after joining Connect, I attended my first Local Guides meet-up in Patan, and it became a memorable milestone in my journey. Rather than simply participating, I was entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating and leading the visit to Regional Science Center, Patan, and I was also included in the planning committee for the meet-up. Being given such responsibility during my very first meet-up boosted my confidence and made me feel truly welcomed into the Local Guides community.
Since then, I have actively participated in many meet-ups across Gujarat and beyond. I have attended mapping walks, heritage explorations, accessibility-focused meet-ups, food crawls, community celebrations, and knowledge-sharing sessions. Along the way, I also started organizing and co-hosting meet-ups, helping fellow Local Guides explore new places, improve Maps, and learn from one another.
Connect has become a very important part of my Local Guides experience. Through various meet-ups and community activities, I have connected with amazing Local Guides from different cities and countries, participated in community challenges, and hosted activities on Connect that encouraged fellow Local Guides to contribute and engage with the community.
One of the best parts of this journey has been meeting passionate people who genuinely want to help others through Google Maps and community initiatives. 
I also enjoy exploring restaurants, heritage sites, science museums, tourist attractions, and accessible places across Gujarat while sharing experiences that help people make informed decisions.
Today, I’m proud to be a Level 8 Local Guide with:
5 Million+ Photo Views and increasing daily
11 Million+ Contribution Views and growing
Some unforgettable milestones of my journey were being invited to Connect Live 2019 in San Francisco 
and later attending Google Connect Live 2025 in Bengaluru 
.
Looking back, I started because contributing felt exciting.
I stayed because I realized it helps people.
And today, it has become one of my passions.
Most importantly, it introduced me to an incredible community, meaningful friendships, memorable meet-ups, leadership opportunities, and experiences that I will always cherish.
Now I would love to hear the stories of:
@Nomad_Vikram (Shri Vikram Valera)
@Kumaarsantosh (Shri Santosh Kumar)
@Dr.KushShah (Dr. Kush Shah)
How did your Local Guides journey begin, and what keeps you contributing today?
Looking forward to reading your stories! 
#MyConnectCaravan #LocalGuides #GoogleMaps #LocalGuidesConnect #ConnectLive #GoogleConnectLive #Meetups #ExploreShareHelp
