2022
As a Miami-Florida native, my earlier life knew of Miami what I only heard from my older family members and what I saw portrayed through media - clubbing, theme parks, and the occasional beach visit. Not that there is anything wrong with those amusement options, but through the Local Guides program, I've learned and experienced what our beautiful yet vulnerable planet has to offer. With that said, it is difficult to fight the fact that the most interesting thing I have done as a Local Guide is embrace my wild side by truly exploring what nature has to offer.
My first experience in exploring nature as a Guide actually came to fruition as part of an official Local Guides meetup by LG program manager @TraciC. I had lived in Florida all my life, but had never been to the everglades, and this opportunity was my first time to explore the large well-known wetland and meet a ton of other Local Guides. I was so inspired by that occasion that I hosted a beach cleanup meet-up as part of the LG volunteer day that same year.
Even through my own travels or local explorations, I found myself getting closer to nature - from passing on slots to experience fresh snowfall on Mount Charleston outside of Vegas to exploring the never-ending vastness of the Muir Woods in the Bay Area, I have come to appreciate trading the hustle and bustle of the city for the serenity of the great outdoors. If it was not for the inspiration received from others in the LG program, I would've never seen Bison in person, never would've attempted driving up and around mountains (we're used to flat-surface driving in South Florida), and I would've never tried skiing or snowmobiling either.
Even finding little escapes within the big city has been a favorite activity of mine as a Local Guide - and sharing those places with others who are seeking the same experience through Google Maps is just the icing on the cake.
Most importantly, I've learned to appreciate the beautiful details in all the gardens, beaches, fields, and forests that I've had the pleasure of exploring. A key catalyst in that has been in part due to excellent initiatives by other Local Guides, such as the Clean the World project, which encourages us to consider contributions such as highlighting what places are doing to be eco-friendly or hosting and participating in volunteer clean-up meet-ups.
Naturally being a Guide, I love food (especially donuts!) and taking photos that make me drool when I look upon them months later, but there is a special, reminiscent feeling when I see my photos from my nature adventures and remember the exact feeling I had at that time. That is a special feeling and one that would not be possible without the Local Guides program encouraging me to appreciate what Mother Nature has created.
