A lot of moving blogs will help you prepare for the move itself–how to do the paperwork, how to pack, where to find a good moving company. While all this information is helpful, what happens once you’re finally in your new home?
Adjusting to a new town or city can be stressful and discombobulating. Since Dependable Relo typically focuses on how to simplify the actual process of moving, we thought we’d put together a few tips to make arriving easier as well.
Get Acquainted With Your Surroundings
Start with the basics. Locate the nearest grocery store, library, post office, pharmacy, park, shopping mall, movie theatre, or coffeeshop. You can drive/walk around and familiarize yourself that way, but tools like Google Maps also make this a simple task to do from your own computer. Knowing where the staples are will help you get acclimated to the new town and feel like it’s your home. Also, going to pick something up from the store quickly won’t feel so daunting because you’ll be familiar with where the essential stores are. And you might even discover some interesting places along the way!
Meet New People
Reaching out is often the most daunting task for people when moving to a new area. This is understandable, as meeting new people can be nerve-wracking! It certainly takes a bit of courage and initiative on your part, but try to remember that it takes everyone a little time to find their place after a move. There are bound to be people with whom you have things in common; it’s just a matter of meeting them.
- Introduce yourself to your neighbors. Ask them if there are any restaurants, pubs, or local events they’d recommend. People are often happy to talk about their favorite places, and you might find out that you have interests in common.
- Attend neighborhood events like block parties and street festivals.
- Join social groups based around hobbies (like a book club, an intramural sports league, or a class at the gym). Websites like Meetup.com even help you find clubs and groups of people who are getting together for activities they enjoy, whether it’s winetasting, walking their dogs, or simply socializing.
- Volunteer. This is also a great way to meet new people and get connected to your community at the same time.
Explore Your New Home
The physical act of moving homes is stressful and time-consuming–following it with having to learn a whole new city can be downright overwhelming. Try to view this as an adventurous learning process. You have the unique opportunity to discover a whole city of new things. Enjoy the process of finding your new favorite restaurant, hiking trail, or farmer’s market. Sometimes it can help to act like a tourist in your city. Do some sightseeing, visit famous any attractions, check out the museums and zoos, or find out where the local hotspots are. Check out Yelp to read reviews of nearby restaurants and go sample their menu. Even if it’s a small town you live in, there are bound to be some charming places that make it unique.
Don’t Stress Too Much
Above all else, be patient with yourself. It usually takes some time to find your footing and fall into a routine. Don’t worry; you will eventually know all the street names and remember how to get to your son or daughter’s school. It’s difficult to move to a new place where you might not know anyone, but if you stay active in your community, you are certain to find a group of like-minded people. Until then, use the downtime to decorate your new space, explore new hobbies, and discover what makes your city special.