From the name ‘Local Guide’, I got excited about the prospects of this venture. I have always been a lover of travel and photos and I soon came to realize that being a local guide was a way to turn my hobbies into a rewarding experience. Before I came across the concept, I would take photos just for the fun of it and sometimes visit places and just keep the photos. Ever since I discovered and became a Local Guide, I am more deliberate when I take my photos because I want them to be as good as possible for when I share. I also almost never leave a new place without taking some photos or writing about it in my journal.
I can say the Local Guide Program for me is a way to ease off stress. Being a development worker in field of Governance and Politics is already as stressful and exhausting as it can get but my Local Guide engagements help add some fun to my life. When reviewing places, I know that I can be as informal as possible without having to constantly check if the grammar and words ‘suit formal report writing templates’. I can afford to be dramatic, use descriptions that sometimes convey stylistic characteristics.
Helping others find places -This is the most fulfilling thing the Local Guide Program has made me experience. I cannot explain the joy that fills my heart each time someone texts me and says ‘Ameenah, what is the name of that place you went to where you had great pizza’ or ‘Where can I take my girlfriend to for a romantic dinner on a Sunday?’ or 'Where can I go to and have good bites without spending more than 5,000naira?'. This has actually made me consider opening a separate Instagram handle where I will be sharing reviews of places and short videos too. Despite my busy schedule, I am excited about the prospects of doing this.
When the reviewer responds -This is not a very common practice in Nigeria as a lot of businesses do not bother checking what people are saying about them. I have gotten feedback on about 4 different occasions and it makes me hopeful that it can only get better. Also, I often try to get feedback about places I recommend just to know if my reviews where objective enough.
Inspiring others - I usually share reviews and photos of places I go to on my whats app status and now I have seen a great increase in the number of contacts I have who are now doing the same. The next stage will be for me to convince them to join the Local Guide Program and make it official. ‘The More,The Merrier!!’
I look forward to hosting fellow Local Guides when they get to visit the Giant of Africa; Nigeria! I will do a separate post on how I got to Seychelles last year. Look out for that post from me, For now, enjoy these snippets.
Love from Ameenah1