Since the dawn of the digital age, we’ve always wanted to connect and share:
Chatrooms and instant messaging services replaced pen pals when connecting with others across the globe.
Sharing playlists superseded the need to swap cassettes of your favourite tracks.
Photo apps enabled us to share our best-looking photos immediately instead of hiding our annual school photo (bowl haircut included), in a drawer…. never to be seen again…
But with all of these new channels to share and connect, something always felt as if it was missing….
It is a paradox of our time:
We have more ways to connect than ever before BUT the purpose for connecting has become even more ambiguous.
Enter the Local Guides Program.
The sense of belonging and a shared purpose amongst Local Guides is what the Local Guide Program means to me.
We have a vision and the best way I can describe it; is that Local Guides are united in attempting to create a better world.
The beauty of the program is that we achieve this in varied ways:
It’s amazing to see those dedicated to improving the accuracy of venue accessibility. It’s incredible to observe how Guides are mapping roads so that children can get to school more safely. It’s an easy Program to find your grove and power ahead by connecting and sharing with other like minds.
I’ve also been fortunate enough to find my niche within the Program.
We are a cohort of Guides who unreservedly and unapologetically LOVE travelling, eating and the occasional drink (or more). We create lists of these experiences to share and also to remind ourselves where we ended up at the end of the night – you’re welcome 
The following is an example of how the Program connected like-minded Local Guides in Spain.
Whilst travelling, I caught up with two Local Guides from Madrid and it was our mission to map out the best places to eat and drink in this marvellous metropolis. It was a real marathon and we titled this masterpiece of a list: 'The Menu of Madrid’
Across 18 locations, we attempted to make the world a better place by recommending the best menu items, accompanied by the best beverages whilst sharing photos and reviews on Google Maps.
This highlights the magic of the Local Guide Program: in a world where we have more ways to connect than ever before, three complete strangers, shared laughs, food and each other’s culture as a result of connecting through the Program, something that probably would not have happened otherwise.
So @TraciC and @brittym , how can you put a value on lifelong friendships and making the world a better place whilst having some fun along the way?
Simple.
It’s priceless.
