10 Tips For Moving To A New City

Moving to a new city, province or country can be frightening and hard, but it can also be a very exciting time. Taking the leap of faith and packing your bags and embarking on a grand adventure is one of the most exciting things you can do. The journey might be rocky, but you will learn a lot about life, adulting and yourself. 

In 2019 I decided to pack my adventure car and move 3,500 kms away from my home town to enjoy living on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The journey was wild (that’s another blog post) but I grew a lot and I strengthen my relationship with myself self which was so amazing. 

I also learned a lot about moving from my adventures, so here are my top ten tips to help you move cities, provinces or countries. 

1. Get your ducks lined up before you move

Before you decided to make a big move to a new city, province or country, make sure that you have your finances in order, the correct paperwork and you are moving legally. Doing this will help you to have a less stressful move. 

2. Don’t stress about doing things alone 

If you are moving to a new place and you don’t know anyone you might have to spend a few weeks, or months doing things on your own. Don’t let that be a big deal. Embrace the alone time and get to know yourself. Take yourself on dates, eat out alone, go to the movies alone and do whatever you want alone. You will make friends eventually, so enjoy the time by yourself while you have it. 

3. Get the paperwork done as soon as possible 

When you move you might have to change your license, get a VISA, change insurance etc. Usually, you have a time limit for making all of your changes, so I recommend that you do them as soon as possible. It may seem like a lot, but it feels so much better once you have everything done and you can just enjoy living your new home. 

4. Be a tourist 

When you first move to your new city play tourist! Get out there and walk around, treat yourself to a night on the town and enjoy some local attractions. It is a great way to see what your new home has to offer, and it is just fun. 

5. Be open 

Even if you are moving within your home country, your new city might be different then your old one. Keep an open mind, and do not be quick to judge things. This is going to be very important to remember if you are moving to a new country. Even if you have visited that country before on vacation, living somewhere is a whole other experience. Try to embrace the differences and go with the flow. 

6. Be prepared to be alone for a couple of months 

As I mentioned above you might be spending time alone for the first few days, weeks, or months of your move. Before you move get that in your mindset so that you are comfortable with it when it happens. 

7. Be patient with yourself 

Moving is exciting but it is also hard, so if you have some days when you feel like you are over it be patient with yourself. You are just a person so relax and try to enjoy the process. 

8. Get out there and try things 

If you are wanting to make friends and build a new community in your new city (or you just want some fun party stories to tell you friends and family at Christmas) you need to get out there and try some new things. Maybe you aren’t the type of person who goes to farmer’s markets on the weekends, but there are is a big one by your house, get out there and attend it. Maybe you moved to a city that has a lot of hiking trails, get out there and try hiking. If you don’t know where to start try Meet Up. 

9. Sign up for a class 

A great way to meet new people is to sign up for a class. Do you enjoy yoga? Sign up for a yoga class. Is there a new skill that you would like to learn? Do it now. Browse Facebook’s events section or Google classes in your area and try something that interests you. 

10. Follow tourism or information accounts online 

A great way to get information about events that are going on in your new town is to follow tourism accounts online. They are always posting about fun things to do in the area, and usually share important info that people need to know. 

One last note on this subject, it’s ok to come back home. Sometimes we need to do things to learn that we do not like them, and the same goes for choosing a city to live in. If you move somewhere and you find that it isn’t working for you, don’t stress. Make a plan to move to another city, or back to your home. Don’t see moving back home as a step backwards, see it as a step forward and know that you are one step closer to finding the perfect place to live. 

I love you and I wish you the best of luck on your journey to finding home! 

Xoxo

Gossip Girl 

Aka