The anticipation and excitement of moving to a new city can be filled with exhilaration and high expectations. After all, it’s a life-changing experience to pull up roots from someplace that’s been familiar and comfortable, with close and established relationships between friends and family, schools, neighborhoods, houses of worship, businesses, and many others.
Moving can mean overwhelming change for both adults and children. Even though the act of packing and moving all of your worldly belongings and getting them settled and unpacked might seem like the most stressful part of a move, the actual relocation and what follows it can sometimes be even more of a challenge.
You’ll have to establish a new routine, get to know your surroundings, meet new people, and build new relationships with businesses and organizations you might want to join. But with some preparation and a positive attitude, learning to feel at home in your new home can happen in no time at all!
Here are some valuable tips to help you adjust to your new life in a new city:
Address the Basics
One of the first things you need to do after landing in your new city is get to know the lay of the land. Find out where the hospitals, grocery stores, pharmacies, public transportation routes and stops are, and gas stations to fill up if you have a car. You’ll feel more settled as you get essentials like these identified.
Gather important contact information for your home. If you’re renting a house or apartment in a new city, make sure you get the number for your property manager and maintenance engineer. If you’re purchasing a house, check out websites like Angie’s List to help you find recommended and verified contractors. Sites like Nextdoor are also great and allow neighbors in specific areas to connect and share information with each other.
Get Local
Put the power of technology to use and download local apps for your public transportation or commuter rail systems, grocery delivery service, city services, and so on. It can make your move to a new city a lot easier. Do some research to find out which apps are the most popular and useful in your area. For restaurants and nightlife, Yelp and Untappd can help you zero in on local hot spots.
Meet New People
When you move to a new city, meeting people and building a social network is vital to getting settled. Whether you’re a single mover or have a family, everyone benefits from having friends! So explore networks in your new city to see who you can connect with or who can connect you with people in your area. Use an app like LinkedIn to connect with professionals in your line of business or to seek out volunteer opportunities, and Meetup to help you connect socially with others who have similar interests.
Also be open to any invitations you receive to meet new people and attend events. You never know who might become a new friend! Go to lunch and happy hours with coworkers and meet the neighbors on your block or in your building. Make the effort to stay current on events and things happening around you, and you’ll find yourself fitting right in to your community soon!
Connect in Co-Working Spaces
Working from home is a great convenience many people have gotten accustomed to through the pandemic, but you should also consider checking out co-working spaces in your new city where you can work and also make connections with other professionals. Check out the co-working shared space in your area.
Get out and Walk!
Not only is walking good for your health, it’s a great way to get to know your neighborhood and the surrounding areas where you live. You’ll discover the coffee shops, boutiques, and restaurants along the way that will make your life more enjoyable. It’s also a good way to get a better sense of the environment where you live and meet neighbors and potential friends.
Make the first Move!
Being a bit of an extrovert is a good way to get more familiar with the area you’re in. check out the local coffee shop nearest to you to find some friendly faces, or if you feel comfortable enough, ask folks on the street for the best bars, restaurants, or special shops to seek out. Take a book to a coffee shop or local brewery for some refreshment and start up a chat with the barista or bartender. You might be surprised how willing, and friendly they could be to new customers to make them feel at ease. From there, you never know who your next friend might be!
Settle in at your own Pace
Moving to a new city can bring on culture shock. But don’t be discouraged or feel overwhelmed. There’s no set time to make the adjustment, and you should give yourself at least a full year to get fully acquainted with everything new that surrounds you, from the weather and how the seasons change to learning how traffic flows and getting used to your new routine. Just take things one step at a time and enjoy the discovery!
Keep in Touch with Friends and Family
One of the best things you can do for your sense of well-being as you get used to a new city is maintaining your ties with the friends and family you left behind. They’re probably just as excited about your move as you are, and want to know that you’re doing okay. Remember, they love and miss you too! And once you’re all settled in your new home, it’ll be fun to invite them to pay a visit, so you can show them how well you’ve adjusted to your new city!
Let Elite Ease The Stress of your Long-Distance Move
Elite Moving & Storage specializes in long-distance relocations. We’ve been serving thousands of families through the continental United States for over 10 years with a 99% success rate. Whether your move is to New York, Florida, California, Arizona, or Texas, Elite Moving & Storage will get you there with confidence.
When you call Elite Moving & Storage, we’ll assign a personal consultant to your move who will create a personalized and comprehensive moving package guaranteed to suit your unique needs and budget. We can ensure an easy and organized relocation to your new home. So don’t delay, call us today!