When we challenged you to a game of “9 questions for Connect’s 9th birthday” in July, we could not have imagined how many amazing and emotional stories we’d get to read. Thank you, everyone, for sharing about your journey with and on Connect!
Let’s look at some of the themes that kept popping up in your responses, along with some standout replies.
1. Where are you from?
From New Zealand to Canada, from Togo to Cambodia, and from Argentina to Switzerland, Local Guides from all six continents celebrated Connect’s birthday with us. Most stories came from India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Italy. 
2. When did you join Connect?
It was heartwarming to see that the majority have been with us since the birth of Connect back in 2016, and many more have been part of our online community for more than 5 years. Thanks for tagging along on this journey and helping us shape the platform together! A special shoutout as well to those who shared that they joined Connect in 2025: @Yulochka, @Laurent, @fayayolla, @SonamW, @PaquitoPaquete, and @curatorofmemory. 
3. How did you learn about Connect in the first place?
Most of you learned about Connect from a Google email and were curious enough to sign up and meet other Local Guides (thank you!). But some discovered the community through an online search, like @PeteMHW and @cuicani, or were introduced by a Local Guide friend in their local community or during a meet-up, like @Papel_Mahammud and @Rajashree.Parmar97.
4. What time of the day/week do you like to check what’s new on Connect?
Mornings and evenings seem to be the preferred time for you to check what’s new on Connect, from several times a week to several times a day! And for those of you who enjoy scrolling during work hours, don’t worry, we do it, too. 
5. Have you attended or hosted a meet-up on Connect?
Oh, yes, you have! More than 80% of you have either hosted or attended a meet-up, with some of our most prolific hosts being @MahabubMunna, @KashifMisidia, and @TusharSuradkar. Meanwhile, @Shrut19 loves to support and engage with Local Guides from all over the world, having attended more than 500 in-person and virtual meet-ups. Way to go, Shruti! 
6. What’s your favorite moment on Connect?
Your responses here were all very personal and unique 
: from meeting other Local Guides for the first time in real life after interacting on Connect to moments of recognition through challenges, badges, event invitations, and appreciation from the community and the Local Guides team.
@OliverKIWI said their favorite moment is “when your question is answered, when you have support from people all over the world, when you know you are not alone, when you help others.”
@KetanChhaniyara said: “The best is always when fellow Local Guides engage with my stories, leave comments, or simply take a moment to connect. A standout moment was launching the “Ditch Plastic Spoons” challenge. It generated incredible response and support from Local Guides, showing the real impact we can make together.”
7. Tell us about one Connect feature that you love.
The ability to organize and RSVP to community meet-ups right here on Connect was mentioned as one of your favorite features, along with being able to engage with other Local Guides through posts and media. Some mentioned the following feature as a great way to stay updated on what others are up to, and the new tag and location filters that make it easier to find topics with a specific focus. The Connect badges are a big favorite, too!
These Local Guides also love…
@MarcoDavoli: “Connect is a great platform that addresses almost all the needs of Local Guides. I particularly love one of its many ‘underrated’ and ‘underused’ functions: Search. It is extremely powerful. You can find old posts just by remembering a few keywords. For instance, I was able to retrieve an old post about an issue with a bike lane near a lake.
@FalguniP: “I love that now we can add a cover photo to our profile and change our profile photos.”
8. What one feature would you add to Connect if you could?
The most common suggestions here include: a map-based feature that shows meet-ups near your location or a way to find other Local Guides in your city; a chat feature; a Connect mobile app; and a Featured / Trending topics section. While some features are harder to introduce due to privacy and safety reasons, we continue to welcome your improvement suggestions via our feedback form. We review every submission, and we’re excited to build Connect together.
9. Tell us about one thing you’re planning to share or do on Connect this year.
Can you guess what most Local Guides shared? If you thought ‘meet-ups,’ you’re right! Many of you are eager to meet others either by hosting your first meet-up, like @ShifaAymal, or by organizing several simultaneous events across a whole continent for one big virtual get-together, like @Cecilita.
Sharing more stories from your region and travels, being more helpful by answering questions and providing guidance to community members, and driving more initiatives around accessibility, sustainability, and small business support are just some of the other amazing things Local Guides are planning to do on Connect this year. We’re looking forward to it all!
Thank you for being a part of Connect’s birthday celebrations once again — or for the first time! — by telling us more about your journey so far.
We’re excited to continue making Connect the best it can be for our community of Local Guides! Please take a moment to fill out our quick satisfaction survey by September 18.
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to everyone here.
but I am super excited to hear people’s wonderful and heart-warming answers here 