When I first moved to Mexico City I felt very lost, the culture was different, the language was different and everything that I had known about where I grew up was suddenly gone. After a difficult couple of weeks I met the wonderful Menos Hiras, who had moved here some years earlier and experienced something similar to what I was going through. Menos was an absolute godsend and he was so kind and helpful and made me feel right at home. Menos and I are now very close friends and I am forever grateful for that. When moving somewhere new, be it a country or city, things can be tough, and here is how to manage it.
Getting Your Foundations
It is the unfamiliarity of living somewhere new that knocks you out of kilter and that is why it is going to be essential that you get to know your environment in order to make it start feeling a little bit more like home. For example spend a day to find your local supermarket, have a look at where the nearest amenities are like banks, doctors, dentists and the gym. The more you walk around your neighborhood the more that you will become familiar with it, and in turn you are going to start feeling much more at home and much more comfortable.
Getting Out There
During the first weeks and months that you spend somewhere new it is going to be vital that you try your best to meet people and make friends. I was very fortunate to meet Menos as we were both in a cafe and just happened to start chatting, he was then able to put me in touch with friends of his and groups that he was involved with. The best way for you to make friends and build relationships in your new community is to put yourself out there, start conversations and see where they take you. Another good option here is to join local clubs or community groups. Remember that you are not looking to make a new best friend, the key is to meet people, introduce yourself and ultimately to involve yourself in the community. In doing this you are going to feel much better about living in this new place.
Routine
One of the most difficult things when moving somewhere new is getting back into a routine which you had in your old place, so you need to start trying to make one as soon as possible. This doesn’t have to be any kind of great effort of course, perhaps get to the gym each morning, take a walk in the park on the afternoon, do your shopping on certain days etc. We are creatures of habit and if you want to feel more relaxed and comfortable in your new place, getting a daily routine is going to be half the battle.
You only have to worry for a few weeks and before you know it you’ll feel right at home.
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