It’s impossible to answer to what was the most interesting thing I did as a Local Guide, after all it wasn’t just one thing, but several events that changed my life forever!
Where it all started
After discovering the Local Guides program (as I told you here in this video) and having the wonderful opportunity to be selected to Connect Live 2019, the preparations for my first international trip began, so as my first time in an airplane! I must say that it was never a lack of desire: Since I was a child I always had a passion for airplanes. Whenever I could I asked my parents to take me to the local airport to see them and I wondered what it would be like to fly and go to a distant place.
Making new friends
During the preparations for the trip I joined a Telegram group chat with the other brazilian atendees of CL2019, in which I met Sarah, who in a short time became a great friend. She was also about to experience her first international trip and we were going through similar moments in our lives.
Sarah was also going to extend the trip after CL2019, so we started planning it together and sharing our excitement with one another and also, of course, with the other atendees in the Telegram group, who were also becoming great friends.
The dream coming true…
Upon arriving at my first destination, San José - CA, I soon found myself immersed in a whole new world! With only a few hours there, in that new country that I always wanted to visit, I was with 199 other Local Guides from places around all world. This incredible opportunity is very rare and precious and I can say that it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
Visiting places I’ve always wanted to
Having been selected for Connect Live 2019 gave me the opportunity to realize a great dream that, until then, seemed to be impossible to achieve anytime soon…
To visit the city of Los Angeles (finally outside the Street View) was one of my favorite parts, because since I was a kid I always had a certain obsession with it, probably because I’ve always seen its streets and landscapes through movies, music videos and games and it made me grow a lot of interest in the city. Thanks to Google and the Local Guides program and some extra help from my family, the achievement of my biggest childhood dream became palpable.
In addition to visiting Los Angeles, I fell in love with San Francisco, a city that I certainly want to go back and spend more time in! As the budget was limited, we created routes with free places to visit in the city (I even created this list with 11 free spots in San Francisco, check it out here).
Friends forever
I’m so glad to this privilege of meeting so many amazing people during this trip. They made it be much more special and now I have friends from all around the world. We’ve shared countless unforgetabble moments, that made me come back to Brazil with a different mindset and a much more opened mind about a whole world that is still to be discovered.
Sarah especially became a very important friend, we talk practically every day, and I thank the technology that allows us to contact even from a distance and make it possible for us to share the tons of photos remembering the silly moments of our adventure together.
Why such a big answer to a small question?
If I answered which was one more interesting thing I did as a Local Guide, it would be impossible to express the incredible amount of experience I had in last months, the many first times I had in such short time. This motivates me to continue helping other people though my contributions. When someone asks me about the Local Guides program, it’s with a spark in my eyes that I encourage them to join us and help making the world a single connected community.
