One of the greater joys in life is getting to know a person; to be able to say to them, “I know you, and it isn’t like you to do this. So, what’s up?”, or to be able to say to someone else, “Yeah, that does sound exactly like her/him!”. The reason being that like most of the enjoyable activities, this is the result of investing time, effort and attention over a period of months or years. Although it’s a slow process, you enjoy every part of it as you not only spend time together but share experiences together.
Now imagine any city you’ve ever spent time exploring; all the alleyways, the main roads, the one-way streets, all the new small joints popping up, the age-old restaurants that have become landmarks now, the not-so-secret places that open only at 3 a.m., the vantage point that gives a bird’s-eye view of this city, the times of heavy traffic you dread and the millions of other things that make this city what it is. This is her personality. It’s a collection of all the combined experiences people have had there over her life, the way she has been the setting for countless memories, the way she herself has grown. And in today’s age, more than ever, we have the chance to get to know the cities around the world.
The reason I contribute to Local Guides is to add information about every city I live in to the Google Maps database, so that the people coming after me can know her by visiting these places. Another bonus is when I come back to visit the city after being away for some time, it feels like meeting up with an old friend.
