Whether you’re preparing to move or you’re already settled in, a move away from home to a new apartment can be nerve-wracking, especially if you’re moving to a big city for the first time. Between nervousness to meet people, homesickness, and safety concerns, moving away can be a big task emotionally. Read on below for a few great ways to adjust to your new apartment and big city life!
Get used to transportation
One of the biggest things to get used to when moving to a big city is the public transportation system. In your small-town home, you probably drove everywhere, but you’ll find that might not be the case in the big city. Do a little bit of research to find the bus or subway routes you’d need to take to get to work or the grocery store, even if you typically drive yourself.
Decorate to make your apartment a home
For many people moving away from home for the first time, homesickness can be a real challenge. You can alleviate some of this concern by decorating your apartment to make it feel more like home.
This process starts with decorating in a way that feels comfortable to you. Over time, you can go beyond your comfort zone with new styles, patterns, and pieces, but when first moving into your apartment, try decorating with things that remind you of your home. Certain colors, pieces of furniture, or pictures of loved ones can be a great way to do this.
Take safety precautions
Especially if you’re living on your own without roommates, moving to your first apartment might leave you feeling exposed or unsafe. Taking proper safety precautions against burglary or fire is an important step so you can feel safe in your environment.
Make sure your apartment has working smoke detectors and no dangerous fire hazards, and consider buying a security camera or an alarm system if your landlord allows it.
If you don’t have roommates, consider looking for one! Letting people know you have a room available through social media can not only give you a friend to live and explore the city with, but it can also help pay the bills.
Keep in touch
Saying goodbye to friends and family when moving away can be hard, but it’s not the end! Do your best to keep in touch with your family and old friends. Not only will doing so help combat your homesickness, but you’ll also keep those relationships strong in case you ever move back to your hometown.
Get to know new people!
Keeping in touch with people from your hometown is great, but you need a social circle in your new city too. Whether you reach out to coworkers, people in social groups and clubs, or the other tenants in your apartment building, getting to know new people is one of the best parts of moving. And creating those connections will help open up opportunities for you in the future!
