Hello,
I am Hussam Haider a Pakistani expat living in UAE. My relationship with Google is an interesting one. Growing up in Karachi I knew my city well and never used Google Maps. I thought it was not so useful for me but I was proved wrong when I started travelling outside the city and things took a major turn when I moved to Dubai.
When I walked out of the airport I was sent the link to my destination on Google maps. That was the first time I actually used Google Maps and I was surprised by what it had to offer. Now I was using Google Maps for most of my daily routine tasks and Google Maps was helping me every day. I would go to my office using Maps, find the bus and metro routes to get back home and I could also find Pakistani food with the help of Google when I got homesick and was craving for Pakistani food.
I found interesting places to hang out and got to explore Dubai without the need for another guide. Life became easier when I got my driving license and was on the roads driving myself. I was a bit driving alone at first but I soon got comfortable with it using Google Maps. I could just drive anywhere by a few taps and let the Maps guide me through the routes.
Soon, my family moved to Dubai and I was happy to have my wife and kids around me. We would go out on weekends to a new place each time. We explored Dubai and then went outside Dubai to various other states of the UAE. It was a lot of fun and my kids loved the drives. It could not have been such a smooth journey without Google Maps. If I was running out of fuel I could know how far the next petrol station is. If my kids feel hungry – which they do every two hours – I can take them to the nearest restaurant if it has good reviews on Google Maps.
Life is a lot easier with Google Maps, it’s my travel partner and wherever I go in the world I know someone is there to guide me and I won’t feel lost in a new city.