Most people will move to a new city or town at some time in their lives. Whether it’s for work, to be near (or get away from!) family or start a family, it’s a big undertaking and a huge change to your life. Today we’re taking a look at ways you can make a success of this big change.
Exploring Your New Home
There’s a big difference between visiting a city and living there. When you’re trying to put down roots in a new place it’s important to explore, to learn about your new neighbourhood and your new city! You need to know where the pubs and restaurants are that’ll host your social life. The parks where you’ll picnic on fine days, and the cafes you’ll duck into on rainy ones.
On foot is the best way to explore a city like this, and build up a mental map of your new home. If you want to make this exercise more compelling you could gamify it with a scavenger hunt. The modern scavenger hunt industry creates narratives, provides you with clues to solve and hints you can request on your phone. It’s a great way to get boots on the ground in your new home!
Moving
It’s well worth doing your research and finding a moving company you can rely on for an inter-city move. It’s a bigger undertaking than merely moving within the same town. Moves of a smaller scale (and smaller distance) might be something you can handle without a moving company at all – hiring a van or simply pressing a friend with a car into service might be enough, but with the distances involved multiple trips aren’t practical and the cost of van hire begins to climb steeply.
Look for firms with good reviews – a personal endorsement from a friend is even better. You’re trusting your precious possessions to a long journey so you want to make sure their courier will treat them carefully.
Making Friends
It can be difficult to start over and make a new circle of friends as an adult, but it’s important to put down some social roots in your new home. If you have friends in the area already they may be able to help, hosting a party (or even simply taking you to the pub) where you can meet their own wider circle of local friends.
It’s worth looking at clubs and organisations in your new local area. Volunteering for a charity, acting in amateur theatre show or working in a community garden are great ways in to a new community of like minded potential friends!