I was born in Calgary, Canada, which is a city of over one million people, so I’ve only ever experienced moving from a big city to a smaller town. However, one of my readers suggested in a comment on this post that I do a post about how to survive a move to a bigger city. I’m pretty comfortable living in a bustling, well-populated place, so here are my tips on how to feel at home upon moving from somewhere small!
Spend time in parks or near a river or body of water — these places usually offer solitude and a slowed down pace, and some peace and quiet from the big city.
Find a small local restaurant, coffee shop or business — chances are, your small town mainly had locally owned and operated businesses, so visiting one of these in your new city instead of an Olive Garden or Starbucks will help you feel more at home. Besides, shopping local really makes a difference!
Get involved in your community — a community can feel like a smaller town, so this could give you a sense of belonging, and connecting with people who live near by will provide you with that small town feeling of knowing your neighbours!
Make friends — the sooner you make friends, the sooner you’ll settle in and feel comfortable and connected in your new city. You can friends at work or a place you volunteer at, through other mutual friends, or try websites and apps like MeetUp, HeyLets and Up4. It’s also worth trying out interest or hobby groups in your community or at a local library. Bonus points if you can find someone else who just moved from a small town, so you can sympathize with each other.
Go home – but only for a visit! — this can help for two reasons. The first being that it will cure your homesickness and re-connect you with friends and family. The second reason is that it will remind of you why you left! Whether it was for a better job, a nicer place to live, a change of scenery or something else – there was a reason you left, and returning home will most likely make that reason apparent, and make you feel good about your decision to move to a bigger city.
Find a cool job — the benefit of living in a big city is that there are tons more options for employment! If you can, take some time to find something you love and are excited about. This will make you appreciate your move even more.
Make the most of it — living in a big city means there are always lots of events and things to do. Visit galleries, science centres, zoos and museums. Go to parks, sports games and concerts. Try a cool new restaurant, luging or that new indoor trampoline place. Shop at a trendy store with unique items, or go to a huge mall complete with an amusement park and waterslides. There are many things to see and do, so get excited about your new home by trying out some cool options! Try TripAdvisor or A View on Cities to get an idea of YOUR city’s best attractions.
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Great.
Nicely described 🙂
You have such an amazing blog! I was wondering what camera you use for your pictures?