Three Ways to get Situated in a New City

Once you have exited the airport with your bags in your hand, it’s time to take a sigh of relief because the meticulous logistics that come along with airports are G O N E! From there on out is the fun part! Everyone adjusts to new atmospheres in different ways; some faster than others and some more naturally than others, but it does not hurt to listen in on our three tips that can make your moving process a bit easier.

1. Be a tourist for a day.

Before you become a local and avoid all the tourist-crazed monuments, you should visit them yourself! Day tours are great ways to meet new people and hear fun facts from the guides that you would have never learned from a basic google search. These tours also can be specialized to aspects of culture that are most appealing to you. For example, a tour of the arts or vistas or food. You’ve got to learn all the most historic and popular spots in your city before you delve into finding your hidden niches.

2. Make your new home, home.

Whether it’s the picture frame of you and your family or your favorite mug or blanket, it cannot be lost in the movie. It is so important to find a new spot for these items in your new home, this adds a sense of familiarity that can be comforting when you are feeling homesick. If you are trying to revamp your home then incorporate them into the aesthetic in a creative way. For example, your old bedroom curtains can become your shower curtain or your bedside table could be reconstructed into a bar cart. It’s familiar, cost-efficient, and creative!

3. Chat with a stranger at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Dining always generates conversation! Find a local bar or cafe and chat with a stranger over a coffee or glass of wine! A great excuse to eat meals out is because of an empty kitchen, so do this within the first few days of your arrival to avoid the financial guilt. As you do this, challenge yourself to chat with someone at each restaurant! It is always a great surprise to see their familiarity with the city, sometimes it is a tourist that is asking you for recommendations; sometimes it is a long-time local that has to share with you the greatest little hole in the wall restaurant, and sometimes it is another new resident that you can share the process of moving with. Whoever and wherever and whatever the conversation is about, you will gain something that you will benefit from.

Next time you find yourself venturing into a new city or at a cafe shop chatting with a stranger, make sure to tag us @theedgemag!