Oh, I feel so good about my first-ever local guides meet-up. I remember how excited I was the day before. My heart was racing with excitement.
The meet-up was scheduled last Sunday, on the 22nd of December, held at Kamati Baug (Vadodara’s mini Central Park). We all gathered around by 8 AM at gate number 2. My close friend Bhakti and I met the very fun and dynamic local guides @Premalpatel and @Rajashree.Parmar97 for the first time, and yet we felt an instant connection with them. We also connected virtually on Google meets with Nitu.
I noticed how accessibility-friendly the park was 
. There was a ramp right next to the entry of the main gate that would allow any wheelchair-bound person to easily enter into the park. Also, the park is so well levelled that a wheelchair-bound person can have a ride through the park all by their own self without any need for help.
Right after entering the park, our group of LGs met a group of renowned doctors, sitting on a bench, sharing laughter, discussing patients, and discussing the stock market. Since I happen to be a doctor myself, we could very easily blend in and have an insightful yet amazing conversation. They were actually quite energetic and were excited about getting quick photos with us.
We continued with our theme of the day, ‘Photowalk.’ We shared our passion for photography alongside discussing the need for health and fitness. We marked a lot of middle-aged couples exercising together while their kids played badminton and football in the lawns. We also happened to notice a group of middle-aged men doing karaoke in the middle of the walking path. We could clearly see how much fun they were enjoying themselves. Watching them only made me feel younger💪. I feel quite knowledgeable now after having a long conversation with Premal and Rajshree regarding the previous LG meets and what it means to be a local guide. I understood my responsibilities and the need for my contribution to the improvement of Google Maps.
Guess what? We even spotted a crocodile in the river that runs from the heart of the park (maybe he was looking for breakfast; we don’t know 
).
After a long walk (4700 steps), we decided to go to a local Maharashtrian breakfast at Gazra Cafe. It was unfortunate for us to find out that the cafe opened later than we expected. We impromptu planned to have Raju patti samosa (famous samosa business, close to Cafe Gazra). We ordered its speciality, aalo-pyaaj samosa, which indeed was amazing. Samosas were accompanied with some fresh watermelon and orange-mosambi juice.
A long walk like this followed by some savoury local breakfast has reminded me of my childhood days. It was a big break from our busy schedules for all of us. I am grateful to Google for giving us a platform like local guides, where we can meet new people, build connections, and enjoy some fun time away from stress.
Overall, we had an amazing time with a lot of interaction. We ended our meet at 11 AM, with the plan to
meet up again.
!
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