I started Gigwalk less than two years ago. But I want to take you back further - I was born and raised in Ithaca, NY till the 2nd grade. My dad taught at Cornell and my two brothers and I were neighborhood paper boys and rascals who rode their bikes far too fast.  Sadly, we left Ithaca twenty five years ago and I’ve never been back. Yet, I have vivid memories of our little green Ithaca house.

On a whim over the Memorial Day weekend I posted a Gig to have a local Ithaca Gigwalker return to the the house I grew up in to capture a bit of my childhood memories.  Shortly after posting the Gig I hired Cindy to do the Gig, and twelve hours later she sent me pictures and a short historical narrative from the current homeowner who kindly agreed to participate.

Seeing the front porch reminded me why I have a scar above my right eyebrow.  Turns out that riding my BMX bike bronco style off the front porch wasn’t the best idea after all.

Our old tree house has seen some better days.

We started Gigwalk doing Gigs in places like San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Now, Gigs are getting done in small towns like Ithaca; Sioux Fall, SD; and Altoona, PA. So, it was super exciting that on a Memorial Day weekend with a few clicks and a swipe of a credit card I hired somebody 2,700 miles away who helped me relive some of my childhood memories within 14 hours.  No job postings, no back & forth emails, and no awkward negotiation on payment terms.  On the other side, Cindy earned some extra cash that gives her a bit more personal freedom and turned her iPhone into a cash register.  

I am hoping to make it back to Ithaca to see the house for myself and meet some of the many talented students at Cornell.  

-Ariel

CEO & Co-Founder of Gigwalk