Globe-trotter and writer Austin has traveled to over 80 countries. But beyond his love for the world, it's his love for exploring his home city of Washington D.C.-and for helping create a more conscientious world for his four-year-old daughter-that keep him actively engaged: "Life is better when you love where you live. Being a Local Guide is an invitation to explore my city, which deepens my love for it."

"Passion is contagious and being a Local Guide helps me share mine with others," Austin said. "It gives me a sense of purpose. This isn't just a hobby. This could positively impact not only business owners, but also customers who now connect with someone so different from who they are."

During the pandemic, Austin turned his attention even locally-exploring all 131 neighborhoods of Washington D.C., and every suburb in the area, often by foot in his running shoes. Austin uses his journalistic mind to highlight history and add context, which "involves a lot of research through different books, bloggers, or reaching out to the D.C. History League to compile all of that." For example, in reviewing Rose Park Recreation Center, Austin notes that it is the "first racially-integrated playground in Washington."

His care for history and awareness of important matters also go beyond his Local Guide contributions. Austin learned that a local playground he visited with his daughter was built on a former plantation: "Rather than ignoring [this], I wanted to bring that up close to my daughter and have us together wrestle with that tension. 'This is actually a very sad place, and for some people, coming here would make them feel a certain way, and we have to be empathetic to that'I weave that into all my reviews, when appropriate."

Want to learn more about this incredible Local Guide? Check out his contributions on Google Maps and follow his profile on Connect.