In our last Thankful Thursday post, we asked you about the friends you’ve made on Connect in the past five years and your favorite memory together. And your responses came pouring in, full of kindness, love, and appreciation! You’ve all met some amazing people like yourselves, so without further ado, let’s celebrate your Local Guide friendships.
Note: Some responses have been edited for clarity and brevity. Please follow the links to see the original responses.
“5 years of Connect have certainly given me more friendships that my built-in Friendship Board can handle! 
In all seriousness, it’s been a great adventure. I have everyone at Connect and in the Local Guides program to thank for, but I also would not want to miss this opportunity to thank the Manchester Local Guides for being there and joining in the fun: @TimBull, @PeteMHW, @deadmanjones, @ZoeOooe, @Maria68, @Johnbhewitt, and @Castlefield_David.”
“The first friend I made here was @Shruti. Then came the pandemic [and we got] to meet, interact, and inspire virtually. We have successfully conducted more than 50 weekly learning session meet-ups with @ArchitOjha, @SalmaanN, @Ewaade_3A, @Ddimitra, @ajitthite, @BijohnAdams, and many more. And above all, @TravellerG, without whom this journey would not be possible. Hope I will meet each one of them one day.”
“I got the chance to meet Local Guides in my city: @Shreeya_99, @Shrut19, @RosyKohli, @Rohan10, @SujataTawde, @TravellerG. Meeting them after the lockdown for a food crawl was the best! I was so overwhelmed by their love, as this meet-up was right after the announcement of Guiding Stars [in 2020]. They gave me flowers, it was a really warm gesture.
@AvirajAgarwal is a true foodie! He traveled three hours just to explore food. We have also created a list of places where we both keep adding places to eat!! I found a crazy food explorer thanks to Connect and our amazing community.”
“@ShafiulB encouraged me from the beginning of my journey on Connect. He has really given me inspiration in many different ways. Then I met @PaulPavlinovich, and he taught me the basics about Connect in a very nice way that I will never forget.
When @MukulR came to Barisal from Dhaka to participate in my meet-up, we traveled to different places, and [I will remember] that for life.”
“I wrote a Connect post almost four years ago on how Argentina Local Guide @FaridTDF and I started our wonderful friendship using Google Translate. We still use Translate to this day. But we pretty much can complete each other’s sentences.
If there was no Connect, there is no way I would have ever met Farid since I live in California and he lives close to the South Pole.
Farid was with me when I co-hosted Local Guides Clean the World - Connect Live 2018 edition. No words can describe the pure joy of watching him looking for the first time at San Francisco’s famous Golden Gate Bridge.
And even the pandemic could not stop us from meeting virtually. Farid attended many of my virtual Local Guides meet-ups last spring and summer.”
“I definitely met many friends here and at Connect Live 2019. 
The tags are not enough, but let me tag #TeamItaly 
. We try to see each other when possible, especially in these limited conditions, like at @manulele81’s meet-up last month.”
“In the last 5 years, I made friends with lots of people all over the world: @SovitaD, @KarenVChin, @IlankovanT, @AnuradhaP, @AslamM. It’s impossible to share everyone’s names one by one. [So here are] some pictures.”
“@Tushar_Suradkar is one friend I made, before he became a moderator. 
He helped me a lot on Connect. @MukulR helped and encouraged me to plan my first meet-up, which was a great success.
@Austinelewex is my greatest buddy on Connect. Something went wrong during my first meet-up, and he stepped in and helped me out. 
It was all fun at the end of it all.”
“My Connect journey started solo, but the first person who approached and embraced me was the beloved @ajitthite.
I haven’t met a person with a heart that is kinder and bigger than @Kashifmisidia’s. He is a one-of-a-kind person, a shining star.
Among the people who make me come back to Connect regularly and because of whom I find Connect to be home and a place to enjoy, is dearest @Shola4sure.”
Find out more love and beautiful memories in the comment section of last week’s Thankful Thursday!
). It is indeed very valuable to read all those friendship stories and to see how it is rich such a beautiful worldwide community.
