Big Move = New Life | Strategies for Transitioning to a New-to-You Community
Moving to a brand new place involves more than just finding a new home, unpacking boxes and hanging pictures on the walls. While the logistics of a move are laborious, it is what comes next that can be the most challenging and time-consuming: integrating fully into your new community. If you’re making a long-distance move, you are essentially moving into a brand new life with new friends, surroundings, church, medical care, hairdresser … everything! As a military spouse who has moved around the world and back again, I’ve discovered some tried-and-true strategies for seamlessly transitioning into a new lifestyle. While the Internet has made it infinitely easier to find your closest grocery store, these tips will help you get settled in every other area of your life!
Do Your Research
Start early. The weeks leading up to your move are the best time to research the local area, amenities, tourist attractions, shopping and school districts at your destination. Not only does this help you make moving-related decisions, but it will also allow you to hit the ground running as soon as you arrive in your new place. Set yourself up for success by doing as much preliminary research as you can. Make a binder to organize all pertinent information and keep it with you during your transition.
Use Google Maps … to identify the closest grocery store, Target or Walmart and favorite restaurants to your new home. Print these locations out or bookmark them on your smartphone so you can quickly and easily eat, stock your refrigerator and buy necessities after a long day of travel!
Check out official government and tourist websites for your new town. These websites often include interactive maps and searchable databases that will help you get your bearings in a new town, as well as learn about the different neighborhoods, tourist attractions, shopping districts and public transportation.
Read or watch the local news. This will give you insight into the political and social climate in your new town, alert you to important issues and local events, educate you on the crime landscape and introduce you to local agencies and organizations. Traffic and weather reports can help you set expectations for your new life.
Search for blogs and bloggers who write about your new community. Read their posts, look at their local pictures, follow them on social media and note their favorite places and events. Consider contacting the blogger(s) personally. They may be able to answer questions, introduce you to new friends or show you around town!
Research pertinent family-related statistics. For families with children, determining where to live is often dictated by school districts, crime rates and child-friendly amenities. School Digger is a great resource for identifying good school districts and schools for grades K-12 across the entire country. Sites such as Neighborhood Scout will yield a crime report for your new area, and Crime Reports can help you see local crimes and registered sex offenders by zip code.
Identify new healthcare providers. Unless you plan to travel back to your prior homeplace for medical and dental care, you will need to identify new local healthcare providers. While getting suggestions from locals is your best bet (see below), you can also start your research online at sites such as U.S. News and World Report’s Doctor Finder.
Get connected. A great way to connect with people and get useful information is to join Facebook groups or other social media platforms specifically associated with your new neighborhood, employer, school, etc. These invitation-only-type groups can be your absolute best resource for asking questions and learning the true ins and outs of your new community. These groups are especially helpful in getting opinions and suggestions on hairdressers, restaurants, schools, churches, housing and safety. If no Facebook community exists, use our tips for getting one started where you live!
Explore
While doing advanced research will ease your transition in the first few days and weeks, only so much can be done online. No amount of research can replace exploring your new community yourself. Drive, walk or use public transportation to simply wander the streets, neighborhoods, shopping centers, parks and recreational facilities all around you. We can help you figure out the walkability of your new town with our Walk Score®!
Hitting the pavement and exploring things on your own will not only help you learn your way around but will also help you find other community gems that might not pop up on social media or Internet searches. In the first few months of living in a new area, push yourself to continually try different grocery stores, markets, big-box stores, local shops, parks and restaurants so you fully experience what your new place has to offer and identify which businesses you want to patronize regularly.
Talk to the Locals
In the same way that online research can’t replace getting out into the community and exploring in person, online reviews and search engines can’t replace the thoughts, opinions, suggestions and know-how of the local people. You can save yourself a lot of time, research and heartache by talking to your neighbors, coworkers, classmates, real estate agent or leasing office and local family members. Get their suggestions on the best route to work or peak traffic times; ask them who their doctor is and if they like him or her; find out what attractions are a must-see and which ones aren’t worth the time. Tips and information from locals may not always be 100% accurate or right for you, but they can certainly narrow down broad searches and get you focused in a specific direction!
