Really, what I love sharing the most on Google Maps are the reviews, especially for restaurants, but reviews on other businesses and organizations are just as equally (if not more) important. I’m originally from New York City, and have traveled to many places throughout the country; also being married to a military officer has given me the opportunity to live in a few states as well, with even more options of perhaps living overseas in the future.
Not only am I a native NYC gal, but I’m also a Chinese-American; and unfortunately a lot of places that the military bases are located in are not very cultural or diverse (I’m currently in Kentucky, which isn’t exactly screaming “melting pot” to me); but I do enjoy a good challenge. As a Social Studies teacher, I love learning about local history and bits of amusements that I like to put away in my experience bank; besides, the military itself is very diverse even if the towns we’re stationed in aren’t. I like to think that I’m helping a fellow spouse, or even an international spouse, know about where the best places to live, eat, shop; as well as the places to avoid from personal horror stories so they don’t have to experience it themselves, ha!
I love Google Maps because unlike other review platforms, it acts as a kind of all-for-one service, and you have a lot of control on your reviews. Unlike Yelp or some other platform, your reviews are never “hidden” because you didn’t write enough lines or haven’t written a lot of reviews; and of course the best part is that Google Maps have the most accurate addresses and directions of any platform (in my own personal experiences anyway).