I first discovered google maps when my friend was taking some photos at the burger restaurant we were at. “whattya doin?” I inquired. He then explained to me about local guides and google maps, and how points his profile had. What a revelation, I’d used google maps for directions and recommendations almost daily, never had I realized there was a whole other side of the coin to it, being the one that reviews and takes the photos! Suddenly I was motivated to get up, get out, and get exercise walking, riding, or exploring new parts of my city to add new places, take photos, or leave a review.
What started as a hobby and some lighthearted competition between my friend and I for who had the most points, the most photo views, and the most review views, started to become something more. As I realized people were reading and ‘liking’ my reviews, or viewing and ‘liking’ my photos it made me appreciate how valuable they were, and that I was helping someone decide on where to eat and what dish to try, or what park to visit and where to find the hidden fairy garden.
Next minute I have over 120,000 points, with 155 million photo views, and almost 1.5 million views of my reviews!
In a world where the ability to connect with people becomes harder and more diverse, for me this was how I could connect with the world and ‘my fellow humans’ and give back and make someone else’s life easier, happier, or more fulfilling, which in turn filled me with the same happiness and fulfillment. 
Then in 2015 my wife was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer just after giving birth to our second daughter. As she went through her treatment and our family started to maximise all the trips and visits and holidays we could while my wife was healthy, Google Maps and Local Guides became somewhat of a diary.
Every new city we visited I could review and upload our photos and our family’s adventure would be forever recorded. What we ate, what we enjoyed, what places were good for small children or strollers, our photos having fun while there. We’ve been lucky enough that she is now in remission and have been able to do lots of travelling, and so for me the thought that no matter what happens her memory is now etched in parks, cafes, and monuments world wide gives me a special comfort.
For me, Google Maps is no longer a hobby but a passion. I’m passionate about getting that great photo shot in the right light inside to best show the world what a place looks like, I’m passionate about leaving a review that helps people find the place, access it, learn about any hidden tips or tricks, and then most of all I’m passionate about going to the place with my family and recording our memory.
Best of all, I always get a fun little kick and smile whenever I get a text from someone I know who has gone to a café or shop they’ve found through Google and said “hey I visited here and there’s a nice picture of the girls there!’
