I first discovered the Local Guides program by accident:
I was planning a trip to South East Asia for 2017 (it was 2016 at the time) with my family, and I had never been to that part of the world before, so I spent hours and days researching where to go, what to eat and see and how to get there. I scoured the internet for the best blogs, lists, and recommendations out there when I found the Holy Grail: Google Reviews.
It had always been at my fingertips but I never thought of using it before. Sure, I’d added several stars to some places before, but I had never taken the time to read what people were posting or even notice that people were reviewing.
Long story short, our trip went on without a hitch, and I discovered the most amazing restaurants and food places I’ve ever been to, and when I returned, I decided I needed to share this magic with the world and start writing reviews as a way to pay-it-forward so people could find my reviews, get inspired to visit these places and have the same experience (or better) as I had.
And so here’s where my journey as a Local Guide began, but not quite (bear with me here)… it was only until a couple of months later, that I received the recap email saying the applications for Connect Live for the year had closed and I was intrigued.
What is this Local Guides program? Why had I never heard of it? And where do I sign up???!
Spoiler alert: I was already a Level 2 Guide without even knowing it…
I forgot about this event altogether, but kept reviewing places, uploading pictures, receiving badges and going up through the levels out of habit and mostly the fun I had remembering and immortalizing my experiences and before I knew it I got the email inviting me to apply to attend Connect Live 2019, I applied, and a short while later, I was skipping in my room at the notification that I WAS ACCEPTED to attend the year’s edition!!!
And here is where it began and when I learned exactly what this program means, and what being a part of it truly was after attending, meeting everyone involved, interacting with the googlers, and seeing our impact in the grand scheme of things.
For me, Local Guides is:
º Belonging- You’re part of a worldwide community of like-minded people that love finding new places (food, hotels, entertainment, bars, hospitals, you name it), are helping people around the world (small/big businesses, transport systems, governments) and love sharing their experiences as much as you do.
º Kinship- There’s a level of pride, joy, and camaraderie that comes with being a Local Guide, meeting people that spend time reviewing, adding and editing places as well and seeing our impact as a whole.
º Discovery- You see the world through other people’s eyes when reading reviews by people from other cultures, habits, tastes or dietary preferences, and in turn, shine a light on your own preferences for other people to see.
I am happy to be a part of this group of people and love to know that I am helping make a difference just by being an active member of this community.
Let’s continue guiding together!
I hope you make ot to Connect Live this year, too 
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