Hello, Google and fellow Local Guides!
My name is Yejin Choi and I’m from South Korea!
Today I’ll be talking about what Local Guides program means to me.
I’m a passionate, quite emotional and sharing person who loves to travel. For every single trip, Google Map has always helped me plan for it and find my ways. However, Local Guides program even rose it up to another level. My trips were not just finished on the days I took the plane back home. By participating in Local Guides program, I could always reach those precious memories so easily and also help others in different ways.
Since I joined, Local Guides program has become several different meanings to me: my companion who completes my trips; a way to return the favours I received from different people; a constant stimulant which motivates me to be a better person.
While travelling, I could find fellow local guides everywhere. They were in big touristic cities, and even a small remote town of Western Australia. Their reviews and photos led me to the coziest cafes with nice coffee, great local restaurants and also told me where I could capture picturesque scenery in my eyes. Local Guide program was my companion who always accompanied me wherever I was.
Secondly, it’s a way of returning favours that I received. I got so many helps from countless people, from fellow travellers to local business owners. One day while I was travelling with my friends in south-western Australia, we got stuck in this very small town due to the bush fire road closure. We looked up for campsites to stay for few days and found this caravan park with great google reviews. The owner was one of the kindest and sweetest person I’ve ever met. She made us feel at home so much. Besides, I happened to forget my wallet at the park when we left. She searched everywhere for me and when she found it, she went to the trouble of sending it to me by post. I was so grateful that I wanted to send her a bit of money to show gratitude but she adamantly declined and told me to remember them instead and enjoy my days in Australia. I know that such people didn’t give me a hand just to be rewarded or recognised but I still felt the need to repay their kindness somehow. And I knew that I could do it by carrying out local guide’s mission: Making people discover such places. Moreover, as I’m back in my hometown Changwon, I’m really glad that I can pass the favours on to people who visit this lovely city, and my home country.
Lastly, Local Guides program is a stimulant which constantly encourages me not just to be a higher-leveled local guide, but ultimately to be a better person. When I receive likes on my reviews, comments from business owners and emails saying that my photos are getting popular, I feel that I’m actually being helpful and contributing to make someone’s day better. My pleasure derives from these moments and it motivates me to do better to help more people.
I think Local Guides program is a gigantic cycle which circulates memories and emotions. We are always connected on live by this cycle wherever we are, whenever it is. Even at this moment, by updating a new review, a new photo and new information, people are sharing their memories and emotions. I certainly believe that this is making the world a better place, and I’m really proud to be a part of it.
