We’re Springing into Action
Can I be frank with you? Building our startup, NEAR, has been, and is, and will continue to be…
- A T-Rex-size ton of work.
- A British comedy-status amount of painfully awkward stubbed toes and roaring, snort-filled laughter (mingled in fair portions, thankfully).
- …and last, but not least, a reward akin to, yet vastly surpassing, that old carriage horse finally grabbing his well-earned carrot off that darn stick.
This worn out metaphor isn’t a perfect one-to-one equivalent of our situation as we’re plugging away on building this company—far from it, it just so happens!
But, it is a great segue into the heart of the mission we are on for all of us who like to access the ‘best of’ each new destination.
Bear with, please.
If you (the traveler) are the horse…
And the illusive carrot has commonly been your experience while visiting a new place…
Then NEAR is the guy who stops the carriage, breaks the stick, feeds you that carrot, then leads you on to greener pastures where all the local steeds gather, and for good reason: because those are the greenest pastures your pony eyes ever did see in that new land! Simple as that.
Anyway, to see how we’re currently breaking pesky sticks and laying the foundation to those pastures and carrots I mentioned, first let’s bounce back to reality, where we’re human again.
The ‘Best of’ Leith Competition | May 2022
Feels good to be back on just two legs.
In fact, we’ve been walking our little legs off up and down the streets of Leith, in the shore area of Edinburgh preparing to host our very first official, ‘Best of’ Competition.
This competition was inspired, in part, by the tried and true tradition of being neighborly—getting out of the office, and meeting people with a (sanitized) handshake and an unmasked smile (thank you, Scotland! #maskfree).
The other half of inspiration came from our love for supporting—you guessed it: local businesses that are the beating heart of their communities (along with the people who bring them to life).
What better way to spur each other on than a dose of friendly competition within a thriving cultural scene like Leith? Many of our new acquaintances we met on along our jaunt around town thought the same, and signed up to take part.
By launching this type of competition, we’re building a symbiotic way of supporting everyone involved—the local business themselves, the locals who frequent and vote for them, the travelers who’ve yet to hear about them, and us at NEAR, as we continue working to build a vibrant travel community exchanging favorite local haunts, everywhere.
For the month of May, locals can help support their favourite local haunts around Leith by voting for any of the participating businesses they wish. If you are reading this, and are a Leith local, see a full list of participating businesses here, OR… if you happen to see one of our ‘Best of’ posters in your favourite local pub/bar, café/restaurant, or coffee shop go ahead and give them a vote and thank them for their awesome establishment!
Keep on adventuring,
Lauren
NEAR Cofounder | Design & Communications
