I am a foodie and traveler.
I had not thought about what the local guides program meant to me until a few days ago, when one of the participants of a “Local Guides Pakistan” Whatsapp Group asked “What do we get by being a Local Guide?”. My first response, which came as an impulse thought was “It is not about getting, it is about giving”. Some other especially senior members had the same response, which endorsed my point of view. I later thought about how this community as a whole has improved the quality of my life in particular.
Let’s look at how it all began. I have always considered myself to be a tech-savvy person. I have always liked to try new technologies especially in form of gadgets. When I started using cell phones, I always chose the ones with more functions than the ones which were supposedly user friendly. I have been using smart phones since 2004 when it used to be very rare, at least in our part of the world. When telecoms introduced Mobile Date in Pakistan in form of GPRS, I must have been among the first 100 subscribers in the country.
Android, powered by Google was a real game changer. I switched to my first Android phone in 2011 and never looked back. At first, the biggest advantage of using an Android was that it synced with my Gmail Account and anything that I added or modified was written directly to the Google Account instead of the changes being made locally on the phone. It made changing phones very convenient without having to backup and restore physically. It even started storing photos which was another major convenience.
I have been using Google Maps and Google Earth for longer than I can remember. I have always liked to travel and more so, been a fond student of Geography. Both of these were very well catered by Google Maps.
With the passage of time, the platform became interactive. I started receiving interesting content about the stuff I had uploaded, prompting me to provide more details and providing more refined information in return. For instance, if I would visit a certain place and would take a photo there, I would be prompted for my feedback. In this way, I felt myself connecting to the community. I deliberately started taking photos everywhere I went and added information beneficial to others. I have always been taking benefit from the program and felt it was time to return the favor.
Google Local guides program helped me greatly when I traveled abroad. I felt people in the first world had contributed way more than what people in third world countries do. With this thought, I decided to become more engaged in this activity. Using my travelling aptitude, I started adding more and more information about places I visited. It gave me a sense of sharing my knowledge with others which in itself of something to feel wonderful about.
I have made it a point to contribute as much as possible as it is my way of thanking Google Local Guides Program.
Wish all Local Guides the best and pray everyone is safe in wake of the current Pandemic.
