Feeling at home in a new city is a crucial part of the process. You don’t want to live somewhere that you can’t genuinely enjoy. Part of feeling at home in a new city is taking the initiative to find reasons to love it and feel part of the culture and new vibe of where you live.
Below are tips and tricks that I use each time I move to a new place that helps me feel at home.
As they say, home is where the heart is, and these tips will definitely fulfill your heart.
Table of Contents
7 Tips to Settle Into a New City
Find Comfort Food
I am a foodie, and I love to explore new restaurants. comfort food and eating are something that brings me genuine happiness. The atmosphere of a good restaurant can take you to a whole new world, which helps you escape the one you are in for just a bit.
I enjoy restaurants that remind me of places that I have eaten before.
For example, when I was growing up my family used to eat at a local Mexican restaurant that had the best food. It was always served extra fresh, and the flavors were out of this world. Mexican food became my favorite comfort food!
Now every time I move to a new city, the first thing that I look for is the go-to local Mexican restaurant that serves all of my favorites!
Make Friends That Make You Feel Good
Finding new friends can be intimidating sometimes, but it is not impossible to make new friends that help us feel good. The feeling of home is swaddled with great memories of friends and family who we can enjoy and make memories with.
When you move to a new city, you may have little to no friends in that city. This can make us feel out of place or unsettled. In order to really feel at home, we need to put ourselves out there and find and interact with other people that help us feel happy.
Join A Group, Team, or League
If you were part of a team or group in your last city, and it was something you enjoyed, join something similar in your new city. Chances are, you will love the new group or team just as much as your old one!
Of course, it will take time to adjust, but before you know it you will be competing and thriving with the rest of your peers.
Not only is joining a team or group a great way to bond with new people, but it is also a great way to stay active. Even if the class you choose isn’t much of a physical one, it is still getting you out of the house and moving.
Find Old and New Things That You Enjoy
The best adventures are ones that you love taking. If you enjoyed going to museums at your last home base, then you will also enjoy museums in your new city! Whichever activities you did prior to moving can be done in your new home, and if they can’t, maybe you can find something completely new to explore and enjoy!
When I moved from a big city to a rural small town, I was a bit shocked by the lack of activities the small town had. There were no escape rooms, science centers, or ax throwing clubs, so I went completely out of the box and took up gardening! Although it is a completely different experience, I have grown to enjoy it on so many levels!
Create A Familiar Atmosphere
This may sound like a silly way to feel at home, but trust me, it works! Everyone has a different idea of what home is, some people will always see their parent’s house as home, while others imagine their first house, or maybe you see home as the place you currently reside. There is no right or wrong answer to what you consider to be your home.
If you feel that home will always be another place, the only way to feel at home is to decorate your new residence in a way that reminds you of that place. Add photos of your family to the walls, and buy candles that were used at the place where you felt most like home.
If you packed and brought candles from that place, even better!
Visually seeing people and things that remind you of home can help that place become your new home. And the scent of candles is a great memory booster
that will help release brain chemicals that will also help you feel at home!
Adopt a Pet
The best way to feel at home is to have something to come home to!
Adopting a pet is a great way to feel loved and to give love. Having a pet gives us a responsibility that makes us feel good. Overall pet adoption is a great way to feel at home and gives us a reason to be there. Who wouldn’t want to stay home all day and snuggle their pets?
Go On A Date
Whether or not you are single or in a relationship doesn’t matter, dating is fun and adventurous. If you are single you can try online dating or you can try to meet people around the city. If you moved to the new city with a partner, get out there and explore with them.
Look for new spots to be romantic, new ways to bond, and new places to make you feel at home.
How To Feel At Home in A New City
The tips listed above are a great place to start when trying to feel at home.
They will give you the knowledge needed to know where to go and what to look for when searching for ways to feel more comfortable. Whether you choose one of the things listed above to help you navigate your new city, or something completely different, always do what is best for you and your happiness.