When curiosity makes you become a local guide!!

Hello everyone,

My name is Shobhit Mendiratta and I am from India. I am going to share my story of “What prompted me to become a local guide?

Well a few years ago when smart phones were considered a luxury and the internet was uber expensive, the only way to reach a new destination was by asking people for the directions.It was indeed a tedious and tenacious task. Most of the times you would end up reaching a different place than intended to and thus it was time consuming. This problem was not only limited to directions, infact people (including my family and me) used to visit any place by 'word of mouth ’ be it any restaurants, hotels, salons etc. Thus, it was considered a big ordeal.

I always used to wonder and ask myself whether there would be any time when this headache would be cured? Whether there would be any panacea to this problem? Whether technology would really be considered a boon?

Little I knew that the answer to all my questions lied in a one stop application. It was just about time when I was introduced to the concept of “Google Maps”. It provided answers to all my questions, by just at a click of a button, whether I asked about any directions, restaurant reviews, movie timings, salon reviews, hotel reviews the list could go on. I could see all of this information at one place. It was like a elixir. It brought about a revolutionary change in how technology could be used for our convenience and provide us with information at ease.

2 years ago I went on a solo trip to Bali, Indonesia. All scared of how I will plan my routes in their, how I will know where to go, What restaurants to try? but Google maps was a blessing. It never made me afraid of getting lost. Infact it made my trip very convenient and safe.

That was the trip that made me feel curious of how I can be a part of Google Maps family and contribute effectively. The trip made me feel that I should help my fellow beings by giving my valuable feedback because even a single review can make a huge difference. That was the moment when I became a Google Local guide.

Since then I have been unstoppable.I actively contribute on the maps to help make it a better place each day. Adding reviews or answering questions makes me feel connected with people. I like to review restaurants, hotels, malls, and shopping complexes. Being a wanderlust, I love to explore monuments, temples and hidden spots in a city. I have made it a habit to review places wherever I go.

Besides this being a foodie, I love to try various restaurants and eat scrumptious meals and later review them.

Recently I have started reviewing Public toilets too. In accordance with Clean India Mission(Swachh Bharat Abhiyan) it give me immense pleasure to contribute towards a better mankind. It’s my personal belief that sanitation plays a humongous role in a person’s life.

It’s been a tremendous journey being a local guide. I totally love being the eyes of the maps and contributing and guiding people to better understand about a place. Even tiniest of details can help people in deciding their expectations from a place. Never had I imagined that I would be a part of this revolutionary journey. This is my story of how I became a local guide. I hope it motivates you too to pick up your phone and start reviewing places.

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