Google Maps and I have a really long story together, starting back when Google first launched Google Earth and I had the opportunity to navigate throught the globe on my computer. But our relationship really got serious when I had the opportunity to study abroad in Japan for one year on 2015!
I went there with only knowing the basics of the Japanese Language and considering that only the busiest of the stations in Japan have English-based information and maps, it was really easy to get lost. In my first day in Japan I went to Uguisudani station and I was prepared to get in a traing on the Keihintohoku Line and make a change to the Saikyou line in Akabane station. Unfortunatelly the train station maps were only in Kanji. In addition to that, it was my first time abroad and I was really nervous on talking to strangers. Furthermore, I had no internet connection and I was really lost.
Hopefully I found in Google Maps app in my iPhone that had cached the map of the station and fortunatelly the number of the platform in Keihintohoku line. That gave some hope and I finally was able to get into the train and travel to Akabane station, which had English support and I could take care of myself.
Since that experience I started looking at Google Maps differently. I’ve started searching for places to go and considering the opinion of the reviews through the app to decide what to do, where to eat, etc. The app helped me a lot during my Summer and Winter vacations, about knowing how to get somewhere, where to go for a snack or grab a beer. All based on Japanese and English speakers in the Reviews.
After the time passed, I’ve returned to my home country and restarted my life. But one thing has made me sad. In the city of Canoas, where I live, there’s not so much content shared through Maps. Also there are lots of places not added to the platform and poor reviews too. So I’ve decided to improve the content here and share my experiences with others because Google Maps is now part of my life. Sometimes I need to go to a doctor or buy some dog food and I ALWAYS use Google Maps to find what I want. And it doesn’t matter if I want to do it in Canoas, or the other cities like Porto Alegre (the capital of my state), Google Maps will always be there to help me!
I really believe in the digital transformation that Google Maps and all the other products from Google bring to us helpful content and experiences to help getting our lives easier and better!