My Local Guides journey began with an unfortunate experience. If you were to scroll through my reviews, you’d see that my very first was a one-star review of a pizza joint in Columbus, Ohio. You can read the review for details - but the gist of the situation is that I was dissatisfied with my experience, and I wanted to make sure the rest of the city, the state, and the world knew about it. While in this case, it was to share what I didn’t like, my intention — to share knowledge with others — is what Local Guides means to me.
I want the world to know about places I have loved, places I have hated, places that surprised me, that inspired me, that disappointed me. I want my knowledge and experiences to help others, and, in turn, I trust other Local Guides to write honestly and openly about their experiences. I care about what someone has said about hair salons, restaurants, museums, bars, and parks. I want to know if the neighborhood I’m considering moving to has delicious coffee shops with free parking or if that one restaurant I’ve been wanting to try has servers with some serious attitude. I care not just about a 5-star rating, but what locals have to say about it.
As a Local Guide, I try to bring what I’m looking for from a review into my own writing. I want to be the reviewer that makes someone decide to try the little hole-in-the-wall sushi spot next to a marijuana paraphernalia shop (it’s a real place - check out my reviews ?). I want to help someone visiting an unfamiliar city to discover great hikes, music stores, and specialty shops. Being a part of the Local Guides program has helped me try interesting, unexpected things and avoid negative experiences as I move and travel from one city to another, and I aim to add relevant, helpful information so someone else can thrive, too. Local Guides means sharing thoughts, experiences, likes, and dislikes with a community of like-minded individuals, and I’m happy to be a part of it.
^Here’s a photo of me enjoying the views near Bixby Creek Bridge in Monterey, CA ? I give it 5 stars!
