Moving somewhere you’ve never been can be unnerving, especially for less adventurous folk. Not only are you uprooting yourself from your comfort zone, you are moving to terra incognita or unknown territory. So even before you book that moving truck or call for moving help, read our 6 Tips for Moving Somewhere You’ve Never Been.
Google Maps is your Friend
Start with two points, your new work location and your new home. From there, Google Maps should give you an idea of the lay of the land. You’ll be able to see where the parks, shopping centers, schools, hospitals, and libraries are. Clicking on a particular pin on the map can show you a street view of the area. Google Maps can also show you where nearby storage locations are, if you need one. Seeing actual photos of your new locations’ surroundings will give you some idea of what the neighborhood is like and make you less anxious about moving somewhere you’ve never been.
Social Shout Out
A simple, “Hey, who do I know lives in Place X?” status message on a social channel like Facebook or Twitter will provide some surprising results. Because of social media, one can always find a friend or a friend of a friend anywhere in the world. I bet you will even find some relative you never knew you had when you post it out there. One of the benefits of moving somewhere you’ve never been is reconnecting with someone you haven’t seen in a while. An old friend, becomes a new friend.
Read Books Set in your New Location
This one comes courtesy of Anthony Bourdain and Esquire. We would take his advice since the man DOES GET AROUND. From the interview:
“I like to read fiction set in the location I’m going to. Fiction is in many ways more useful than a guidebook, because it gives you those little details, a sense of the way a place smells, an emotional sense of the place.”
Moreover, you can watch a movie or a TV series set in the location that you’re moving to.
Check Tips Online
There’s no shortage of tips for “Top Ten Things to Do in X” or “Top Ten Places to Visit in X” online. Trip Advisor, Yelp, Foursquare, and Lonely Planet are chock-full of articles on local attractions and activities to make you feel more comfortable about moving somewhere you’ve never been. Read our own tips about living in Houston, Seattle, Montreal, or other cities you may be moving to.
Map by Interests
Whatever hobby you may have, check to see if a shop that caters to that interest exists near where you’re moving. It’s comforting to know that while you’re waiting to make new friends, there’s a store nearby for your pastime that will supply you with what you need for your pastime.
Instagram Geo Tags
Check the website of the city you’re moving to. They might link out to an Instagram account that you can follow to get a visual feel of the place. More importantly, check if the photos are geo-tagged. That way, you can look at an unfiltered view of what people who live in that area are posting.
Nowadays, information really is at your fingertips. There are multiple ways that you can research online so you know more about moving someplace you’ve never been. Hopefully these steps we’ve outlined above will set you on the right course.
Share your tips for moving somewhere you’ve never been in the comment’s below.
