Traveling with Google Maps to Local Guides ConnectLIVE 2026 in Mexico City

Since becoming a mom, I'm proud to share that my love of travel has continued and it's been a joy to bring our son along for the ride. And I’ve absolutely loved sharing many of these travel experiences as a Level 8 Local Guide on Google Maps. I'm actually writing this announcement beside our toddler man on a Delta Airlines flight somewhere above Minneapolis. This is our son's 38th flight in under three years!

As a Local Guide, I really love sharing my travel experiences, whether it's shouting out a friendly server at a fast food restaurant, the flakiest croissant at a tiny gluten-free bakery in Buenos Aires or simply a great place for Taco Tuesday with your girlfriends. Through my role as a Local Guide on Google Maps, I hope to impart an important lesson to my son: that even the most ordinary moments can be transformed into extraordinary experiences when we take the time to acknowledge and appreciate the people and places that contribute to them. By sharing my travel stories, I aim to inspire him to see the beauty in everyday life, to recognize the significance of small gestures, and to celebrate the diversity of cultures and cuisines that make our world so rich and vibrant.

It was so exciting to attend Local Guides ConnectLIVE 2019 in California!

As a new parent, I’ve even used Google Maps to help organize places we've been together, identify future destinations we want to visit together and share some of my favorite mother/son outings in convenient lists for other moms! Google Maps became more than just a navigation tool; it became a visual diary of our shared experiences. Each pin on the map represents a memory, a taste, a moment shared between a mother and her son. From the best chocolate chip cookies in Silver Lake to the most delightful avocado toast in Santa Monica, our map is filled with stories.

Here are a few examples:

1. Wicklow & Ashley's Snack Map - everywhere my son and I have ever gotten a bite to eat together on our epic walks around our neighborhoods of Santa Monica and Vero Beach!

2. Mapping Memories with My Toddler with Google Maps - tips for creating maps for your family

There hasn't been an in-person gathering of ConnectLive since November 2019, so it was a complete and total surprise to receive an unbelievable invitation to join Google's Local Guides ConnectLIVE’s upcoming event for top international Local Guides in Mexico City! This will be my second time attending. I was honored to attend ConnectLIVE in California at Google's Headquarters just a few months before the entire planet came to a grinding halt. I made friends with folks from around the world and returned home energized to keep sharing my reviews, photos and travel lists on Google Maps.

If you're curious to learn more, check out my blog post about my favorite moments from that event.

Since that conference, a lot has changed in my life. I've trained several non-profits on how Google Maps can help their cause organize resources in their community for people in need. My formerly homeless buddy Joe who inspired me to start making Google Maps is now a proud homeowner. I was featured in Alphabet's 2021 Investor Report for my work with Google Maps. I walked the Camino de Santiago with my adventurous Mom. I stopped being vegan and became a bonafide carnivore when I was pregnant. I’m a momma. I’ve left my adopted hometown of Santa Monica and moved to another beautiful little beach town where all 4 of our parents live. I've tried trapeze. My husband and I visited several new nations last year, including Argentina, China and Iceland. During that season, I wrote hundreds of reviews of Google Maps to remember it all.

It's an honor to represent the United States at this special gathering. It feels like I've been asked to join the Team USA of Local Guides and we're headed to the Olympics! Can’t wait to see what I learn in Mexico City this fall.