Hey, ya’ll, local guides!
It is such a pleasure to become a part of something as much big as a Google Guides Community! And I am so proud.
To begin with I would like to share something very intimate to me - my journey into a Google Guide Program. You may laugh at me when you read that I consider it intimate. But it truly is. And here is why…
As you all know that you never ever return from a new trip same yourself… While visiting other places we all explore not just something new about our Planet but also about ourselves. Meaning that under different circumstances we may relive different emotions, struggles, improvements, disappointments and feelings. We discover how curious we are, how much hanger for adventures do we have or how far are we willing to go to feed this hunger for adventures.
In general there are two types of traveling - active and passive. Most of the time when we chose active rhythm we also go for more than just exploring or discovering a new places. And while doing so out there you might find your true self. For example, I would never believe that I am able to hike into the one of the most beautiful and the same time dangerous hiking trails in America - Angels Landing, Zion National park. Well, I did and it totally changed the way I felt about myself.
Usually before going for a new trip I am exploring all the gems and the most famous places on our route in advance. And for that I use two features - Google Maps Local Guides Reviews and YouTube. I carefully go through the reviews information, than pictures and finally videos. From my experience I can rely on that since most of the time all the information I found on Google is true and accurate.
But. There is small, tiny “But.” Different people may have different experiences at the same places. Again this will be more accurate with the restaurants experience more or less. Sometimes it will also work with the small business but not with the Parks or recreational territories. Well, tips and feedback from other people still may help us to avoid their mistakes and have our best time while visiting this particular places.
Same for me, I believe that sharing our experience from the places we have been to helps other people with their journeys. Besides, when we had a negative experience and still sharing it we help business to work on their customer service, to avoid this situations in the future and to become more competitive with others in their industry. We are making a slow but important informational progress. I truly believe that every review we create and every picture we download into Google Local Guide Map matters and help.
Getting back on my story with hiking the Angels Landing. When I saw this trail on a Google I was amazed and scared at the same time. It was like challenging myself. Well, I gathered all useful tips from the other local guides and wend for it. It was one of the most breathtaking trips. And It helped me to believe in myself and truly cherish the most important thing that I have - my life and health. When we made it back from the trail I was desperately grateful to all the people who shared their journeys with me on the reviews. Thanks to them I went for that challenge in Angels Landing and now it is my duty and my pleasure to share my experiences with others too.
