2022
As we wind down our official Connect birthday celebration, we wanted to take a moment to thank you all for sharing in the joy of this community with us.
After kicking off the celebration at the end of June, we celebrated new badges, swapped stories, launched challenges, introduced you to interesting Local Guides, asked questions, shared what we’re thankful for, highlighted great celebration posts, and more. We also shared a peek behind the curtain at what it’s like to work at Google and on Connect from Googlers like Traci and Google Moderators like Klaudiya.
We are blown away by the outpouring of love we’ve seen here on Connect from all of you in the community, too. The stories that you’ve shared over the past month illustrate what makes the Local Guides community so special.
To further commemorate this occasion, we spoke to Connect moderators and Local Guides like you to get their take on what makes this forum so special (and their favorite memories over the years).
A community celebration
When we asked Local Guides about their favorite celebratory posts from the past few weeks, an overwhelming response pointed to @AdrianLunsong's celebration post, complete with video that captures the spirit of this community:
Looking back over the years
We took a walk down memory lane with Local Guides who have been part of this community for years. Here’s what they had to say.
“There are many many favorite memories here! But if I have to choose one, I will choose a meetup in San Francisco 2017 with @iyudhi, @KarenVChin, and some really kind Local Guides. That time, I was very nervous because of some reasons but their helpfulness and fun conversation relaxed and motivated me. Thanks to that meetup and attendees, I decided the Local Guides program was great.” - @HiroyukiTakisawa
“I have so many wonderful memories during my time in the program. One of my most favorite memories was shortly after receiving an invitation to Connect Live 2018. I posted my excitement on Instagram and I was instantly messaged by another invitee who introduced me to a whole group of Local Guides from different countries also experiencing the same excitement. I was overwhelmed with happiness because I couldn't believe there were so many people from all over the world who shared my joy of contributing to Google Maps.” - @PennyChristie
“Every moment with Local Guides is best for me. One of my best memories with the Local Guides program is to be featured for International Women’s Day along with dynamic female Local Guides.” - @SumaiyaZafrin
“My favorite memory was getting the opportunity to attend Connect Live 2019. That was my very first global event overseas! I definitely cannot forget many beautiful and fun moments during Connect Live. Meeting Local Guides from all around the world in real life felt like studying overseas. And meeting my fellow Indonesian Local Guides from different cities was so much fun as well, including @iyudhi who apparently lives in the same neighborhood as me in Jakarta (please come home soon when the situation is better. Let me guide you in our neighborhood or even farther 😃)” - @Velvel
“So many wonderful memories throughout the many years, and it has been amazing. If I had to pick one, it would be this: I helped organize a marathon meet-up in the state of Kerala in South India where we had 11 meet-ups in 11 towns over 11 consecutive days. I was traveling from town to town on local buses/trains to help host each meet-up with a separate local host there. I must have traveled over 800 km over that 11 days. It was amazing. And of course, it was such a privilege to have been invited to Local Guides summit 2017, Connect Live 2018, and Connect Live 2019. Thank you so much for considering me.” - @StephenAbraham
“When the pandemic started in 2020, it was impossible to have in person meetings, so thank God for the beginning of virtual Meet-ups on Connect. We had a lot of them, of so many different kinds of subjects, many of them in Spanish with people in other provinces of my country. That was the start of the community of Argentinian Local Guides. Meet-ups in English allowed me to get to know Local Guides around the world. I met their work, we talked about their interests, and had fun together. Talking about fun, a lot came later when I started to join the #StateChallenge series meet-ups hosted by Denise and Megan. I met wonderful people there, and still presently we’re like a group of friends hanging out every Saturday. Also we help each other too.” - @SilvyC
“My favorite memory was when I was selected to attend Connect live 2018. When I received an email saying "thousands applied and you made the cut, you are in.” - @Sagir
What makes Connect so special
One key theme came up when we talked to the community and that’s that Connect has truly brought people together, creating a safe space to make friends and learn more about both the program and the world.
“Simply put, if there was no Connect, I would not be the Local Guide I am today. Joining and being active on Connect during the past five years has brought me friends, from every continent, except Antarctica, for life. It has given me many opportunities to try new things in a safe environment, such as hosting global virtual meet-ups. Connect has been a fantastic opportunity to learn and expand my world to see the world as one large community. It has been a tremendous resource to ask questions (culture, history, countries, cities, hobbies, national holidays/celebrations, etc.) from the Local Guides who live there in a safe environment.” - @KarenVChin
“Connect has been a great supplement to meeting Local Guides in person. There's no denying that in-real-life meet-ups are super awesome, but Connect has really widened the scope of friendships by creating an online community that transcends geo-political borders, cultures, religions, cats vs dogs rivalry etc. As a Local Guide, I'm constantly inspired by the community to continue contributing to Google Maps because it really does help everyone to find great places to go to and explore fun things to do! Reading all the wonderful posts on Connect really makes me want to head out and explore my bit of the world too!” - @AdrianLunsong
“Connect is the place I was looking for, because I had an idea in my mind, and I was looking for a place where I could talk with the people working on Google Maps. When I started contributing to Connect, however, I had no idea how much this would (positively) change my life. I had a purpose, but after I started participating I found that I had others as well. The potential to do ‘useful’ things was much more than I could ever have imagined, and new ideas have been born and grown over the years.” - @ermest
“Connect hasn't only enhanced my experience as a Local Guide, but it’s done something amazing. Something that has affected my life and actually given me new opportunities at work and in life in general. Interacting with so many different people and cultures on Connect has taught me to be very tolerant and understanding of people and to first think in their shoes to see their intent rather than what I read using my own life lens. This has helped me to become a better communicator and enabled me to better understand the people I'm dealing with. I'm still not perfect by a long shot, but I've learned that when faced with what seems to be an antagonist, it’s better to move away and think and if a response is needed to respond later and calmly, sticking only to facts removing the emotion of the moment. Often after reflecting, I see their point and can offer empathy instead of negativity.” - @PaulPavlinovich
“Connect is always supportive for me. Without Connect, I can't imagine anything as a Local Guide. Help, proper guidance, and friendship are everything I found here.” - @ShafiulB
“I always say that when I discovered Connect it was like I opened a door to a big part of the program. I felt like I was missing out on so much before! Not only can we have fun and meet other people from around the world, but we can also learn so much from both other Local Guides and Googlers about best practices in each kind of contribution, and we can be motivated to make specific kinds of contributions. For example, I learned a lot about accessibility because of Connect, and became a member of One Accessibility because of it. Now accessibility is a big concern of mine and Connect played a big part of it.” - @Jesi
“Before I was a Local Guide, I was an average person and something was missing in my life. It was the lack of expression of creativity. After becoming a Local Guide, I got better chances to express what I think, what I want to write, through my reviews, much better photos, and other contributions on Google Maps and of course by Connect posts. I quit writing for a long time when I loved to write for an "Urdu" magazine. But on Connect, I started writing posts and got this passion again. My skills took a huge boost, like a lot after being a Local Guide. I found a writer's trait in myself, who can not just write posts but can also guide and teach other people which I learned from my peers on Connect.” - @KashifMisidia
“As well as contributing by way of posts on my many travels, Connect has given me the opportunity to learn what it really means to be a Local Guide. I joined Connect in late 2017 and in over 3.5 years, learned a lot from fellow Local Guides about photography, different places to travel, food and culture of places that I hadn't been to, as well as a lot more about the contribution policies. All this has significantly improved the quality of my contributions on Maps but more importantly to me, put all this together, this has given me the opportunity and privilege to give back by helping others improve the quality of their contributions on both Maps and Connect, and to be better Local Guides.” - @AdamGT
“Connect gave me the next level into the Local Guide program. Until I become an active member of it, I was missing the ‘personal touch’ of the program. Local Guides around the world are all guided by the same interests and the same passion. But those Local Guides are part also of a family, a more personal group where you experience the relationships, the friendships, and the connections. We are not just single people behind a mobile or a PC but a family. We share experiences, we learn from each other, and we get to know each other. Basically the Local Guide world becomes smaller thanks to Connect. The level up, the enhanced experience is exactly getting to know this worldwide family, making friends and giving that plus on the program when you learn new things, meet other Local Guides, and spend time together (personal or virtual).” - @LuigiZ
“Connect has allowed me to meet other Local Guides from all over the world, generate new friendships and relationships, and has even given me many chances to meet up with others while visiting different countries. The platform allows us to learn from each other, across different countries and cultures. Basically joining the Local Guides program, you will always have friends wherever you go, whether it's in the form of Maps contributions (reviews, photos) or in person interaction.” - @iyudhi
“Connect has given me friendship without limits from all around the world. I am always learning something new. There is beauty in the diversity.” - @Nyainurjanah
We invite you to continue sharing your stories and celebrating Connect moving forward! Every one of you is so essential to our community. Thank you for spending time and celebrating with us here on Connect.
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