At some point in our lives we experience the adventure of moving. Whether its across the globe for a job or even to a new neighbourhood within the city, people move from place to place all the time.
Personally, I love moving and find it quite exciting! I love having new surroundings and starting “fresh” in an environment that’s unfamiliar yet so inviting at the same time. Regardless if you LOVE moving or despise everything about it, moving can be a real shock to the system (especially if it’s a far one). It can take us out of our comfort zones, away from our circle of familiarity, and challenge our definition of “home”.
Having moved to a new city only a month ago, I’ve made a quick list of the top 3 things I’ve learned thus far in my experience. Although calling Kelowna home hasn’t been a walk in the park, these 3 tips have helped me in times of uncertainty while finding my new definition of home
1. take your time
This is probably one of the most frustrating parts about getting used to a new place. Learning all the streets, routes, one-ways, quickest way to work, where to get the best pancakes, what daycare to take your kids to and so on… Like how much better would it be if you could get a manual with all this stuff? Well until that happens, take your sweet time while getting to know this new place called home and you’ll eventually get there. In your spare time, go out and explore and make notes of what you see. Is this city family oriented? Are there inviting public spaces or sketchy places you want to avoid? What are the people like? In time you’ll be able to naturally flow from one day to the next without even thinking about it.
2. find likeminded people
Depending on what your definition of likeminded is, it can mean a lot of things. Likeminded in personality, interests, style, etc. If you don’t know a soul in your area and you’re an avid cross-fitter, try checking out the CrossFit gyms around town and you’re bound to find a group of people you can connect with. If you’re into coffee shop vibes and chilling out with a latte, scout out all of the coffee shops in the area and again, you’re bound to find one that fits with your personality. It doesn’t hurt to make friends with a barista either, just saying. Lastly, I recommend finding organizations that do day-trips to fun places (like wineries in the summer or mountains/ski hills in the winter) and go on a trip that interests you. Yes, by yourself. I’ve done this on a few different occasions and every time I’ve met a ton of new people and made friends I never would have met otherwise.
3. be yourself
I saved the most important one for last. This one is huge, people. Moving to a new place can mess with your head, for lack of a better term. What I mean by this is that in all the excitement of your new home and starting fresh, there is always pressure, to some degree, to fit in. Fitting in isn’t the problem, it’s conforming to the standards and expectations of your surroundings that can be harmful and may go unnoticed. No matter where you move to or find yourself, never stop being the unique, weird and quirky person that you are. You have a unique set of personality traits that should never be hidden away or suppressed. “It’s much easier to love yourself when you are being yourself.” (Dan Coppersmith)
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Have you moved to a new city recently? What was your experience like? Do you have any tips for adjusting to a new home? I’d love for you to let me know in the comments below!
Moving to a new city is always a stressful thing.Great article. I loved how you explained from your experience
Thank you Desanka! I’m so glad you can relate! xo
I moved to a completely new city when I went away to college, and now that I am graduating,I am facing another move. These are some great tips! Thank you for sharing!
Sierra, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It can definitely be tough to go through the process of moving but in the end, you’re tougher. xo
I cam across your blog today. Your site is extremely beautiful! I think the hardest part of moving has got to be community. It’s so hard to move away from the people that you are comfortable with and making new friends can sometimes be a daunting task.
Thank you so much Alexandria! I totally agree, making new friends can definitely be daunting. In some ways I feel like that alone is the hardest part of moving because meeting people nowadays is so hard. Thank you so much for your support! xo
I never found moving stressful until I moved out of state. You nailed it with number one! I had a hard time being patient but it all worked out and now Chicago is home.
-Dasha
windycitywardrobe.com
Thank you Dasha, so glad you can relate! Chicago is such an awesome city, I loved it when I visited there! xo
This is so helpful and awesome! My husband and I are moving to a new city (across the country!) in August. I have been super worried about it and this made me feel a lot better! Thank you! This is a great post and encouragement 🙂
Lauren, I’m so glad you can relate. Moving across the country will be such an adventure and accomplishment for the two of you. I wish you all the best in discovering your new home together. You’ve got this! xo
I love this! I moved to Dallas almost three years ago and could not agree more with 2! Finding people to connect with helped me fall more in love with my new city.
Hi 🙂 Lovely blog! So glad I found you!
I’ve moved very often to new places… It’s always the same thing: Need to find my rhythm, meet new people, change my lifestyle,… I think it takes a bit of time to adapt to a new place but it always worth!
This is a fantastic post and such lovely insight! I have often thought about moving for a while (possibly to do a year in New York or San Francisco) but I have always been so scared! It’s really nice to see it from the perspective of someone who has actually done it!