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Adjusting after moving to a new location always takes a little time. It doesn’t matter if you’re moving to a new part of your hometown, to a new city or town, or to another country. Taking the time to adjust is extremely important. We have a few tips to help you settle in as quickly as possible.
Live like a local
When you move to a new location, we like to experience our new surroundings as if we were on a mini-vacation. We seek out local restaurants, local delis, local attractions, and local shops. Of course, there will always a quick lunch from your favorite take out chain, and a grocery run to your favorite market. But, when you’re trying to really settle in, we advise you to seek out new places, and really live like a local.
Most cities have a tourism department website that will give you a ton of information. But there’s nothing wrong with chatting with a new neighbor, the cashier, or someone you meet in your new daily activities. Don’t be afraid to ask about their favorite restaurant, where they attend church, or what their favorite local activities are. You’ll get good information and people will appreciate being asked.
Embrace the adventure
Of course, we live our life like an adventure. When we first moved from the place we’d called home for more than twenty years, it really did feel like an adventure. We moved to a town we’d never lived in, we didn’t know a single person, and the area was completely new to us.
We had looked at the tourism website, signed up for the blog postings, and subscribed to the event calendar. But there was so much more we didn’t know. We decided that for the first month, if we went out to eat, we would google local places – no chains. Our apartment complex had multiple fire pits. We decided to embrace the adventure and meet some neighbors.
Both of these things really helped us in adjusting to moving to a new location. Otherwise, we felt like we could have fallen into the same old ruts in a brand new town. We found so much stuff to do in our little town. It was so amazing.
Get outdoors
Adjusting to moving to a new location can bring about new opportunities for activity, as well. Seek out local parks, look for disk golf courses, pickle ball courts, college sports teams, and hiking trails. If you do your research, you will probably find some highly rated hiking trails, state parks, and possibly even national parks right in your own backyard.
Getting a feel for the landscape really helps you adjust to a new place. The weather may not always be agreeable, but get outdoors whenever you can. The exercise will do you good and being outdoors will help settle your mind and lower cortisol. Besides, you’ll meet new people, see new sights, and make new memories.
Say ‘yes’ to and extend invitations
One thing that helps us adjust when moving is to say yes to invitations. When we first moved, we had people say, “Oh you should come hang out at the pool,” or “Come out to the fire pit this weekend. You’ll meed a ton of people.” Our apartment complex often hosted mimosas and doughnut breakfasts as a meet-n-greet. Getting outside our comfort zone and taking people up on those invitations was so beneficial to us. In fact, it changed my perspective entirely.
Now, when we see a new set of neighbors move in, it is second nature to also extend the same invitation to them. Getting to know people takes effort and intention.
No easy answers
While I know there are no easy answers to adjusting after moving, I do want to encourage you to step out and embrace the adventure of your new surroundings. Will there be stressors? Certainly! Will there be things to overcome? Sure! But look at all there is to gain. Starting over in a new place gives you the opportunity to meet new people, start new routines, and build new relationships. You can’t pass up an opportunity like that.
