I have been a foodie since I was in elementary school. I was fortunate to grow up in a military family. I was always around multicultural families and/or in other countries. They would bring snacks for lunch I’ve never seen and of course I’d ask to sample. I’m the experimental member of my family. I will try any food item at least once to weigh in if it’s tasty or not. I had Filipino, Korean, Panamanian, and African friends as I’ve lived and grown. “What is that?” (in many different expressions, but usually excitement) is a common phrase I use. As an adult that same question follows me still. The frustration can come when nobody knows how a place is AND the employees at a location only try one or two items on the menu. I feel I’m obligated to leave a review for other curious people like me. THEY need to know too! Being a local guide means being a source of information to me. It means sharing the joys of curiosity satisfied. It means helping others in an indirect way.
Since my friends or family cannot always be with me when I’m out exploring an area, I would rely on my phone. As I would search a place to try, I would read the reviews. See what people said. See what the consensus was about the place and decide from there to try or not. Sometimes all I needed to see is one dish that just looked scrumptious and I was there. When I would answer questions or upload pictures, I just wanted the eternal curious person like myself to have a voice or understanding of the location I visited. The hardest part of trying to help other curious people like myself? Remembering to take a picture of the food BEFORE my appetite kicks in. LoL
When I would get notifications that stated my pictures are helping people, I feel like I’ve made someone else happily arrive a decision to try a place I’ve been and honestly, it feels great!
