Moving to a new city offers you a wonderful opportunity to reinvent yourself. Not only that, but you get to build new skills, explore new interests and create more independence for yourself.
Rather than being a time of lament for what you’ve left behind, this can be a time for embracing exciting opportunities in your new city.
Let’s explore ways you can build roots in a new city when starting a new job.
1. Get Involved
There are always volunteer opportunities in any city you go to. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce or search for volunteering opportunities in your area. Some places to consider include:
- An animal shelter
- The food pantry
- Habitat for Humanity
- A homeless shelter
- Veteran’s Homes
Volunteering offers you the chance to meet new people, network, make an impact and feel more connected to your community. A little added bonus is the warm feeling you’ll get knowing you’ve made a difference.
2. Get Social
Whether you’re an introvert or an extravert, there are many options for building roots in your new city.
Community Center and Activities
Make a list of activities you enjoy and perform an Internet search on availability in your area. You can also ask your co-workers if they have any suggestions on where you can find certain activities. Consider looking into:
- Community Yoga, Tai Chi or Meditation
- The local gym
- Cafes hosting events of interest to you
- Writing, art or pottery classes
When you move to a new city, you have the chance to redefine yourself and try new things. Even if an activity didn’t pique your interest before, it could be waiting to give you the time of your life now.
Meet-Ups
For nearly every possible interest you have, a Meetup exists for it. Meetup is a site where you can join groups with common interests and passions, and they’re available in just about every U.S. city. Some general topics for Meetups you can look into include:
- Hiking
- Dinner with strangers
- Introverts new to town
- Movie nights
- Karaoke
- Photography
And the list goes on and on. You can even create a Meetup yourself and offer it to other members on the site. This is a great way to meet new people when you move to a new place.
3. Leave Your Comfort Zone
The interesting thing about leaving our comfort zones is that we suddenly realize they were never very comfortable. Moving to a new area gives you the opportunity to become as daring as you’d like. No one knows how you were in the place you lived before. Try something new and different. Challenge yourself to go the extra mile into uncharted waters.
Moving to a New City
Moving to a new place can be intimidating, difficult and even a little scary. You can make the transition a bit smoother by engaging in a few of these key strategies to build roots.
