Enjoy Being a Tourist While You’re Getting Settled in Your New Home 
At last! Your
household move is over. You’re in your new home and just getting around to unpacking and putting everything away. That’s a lot of work, for sure. But there is one other thing you should be doing. And the sooner you do it, the more contented you’ll be. You should be getting acquanted with your new locale.
Undoubtedly you looked into where you’d be going when you first set your mind or first were informed you had to move. Now that you’re here, though, it’s time to really adapt …
- Take a walk and explore your new neighborhood – get to know the “lay of the land,” introduce yourself to the neighbors, locate the closest parks and recreation areas, figure out the shortests route to your children’s’ schools (either by foot or by car)
- Find the nearest businesses to meet your needs – supermarkets, shopping malls, gas stations, movie theaters coffee shops, fast food places, restaurants, libraries, bookstores, and the like
- Visit the closest “Welcome Center” and pick up brochures highlighting local attractions that appeal to you – art museums, historical museums (especially those that illuminate local history), sports arenas, bike and walking trails, convention centers, and theaters or auditoriums devoted primarily to stage presentations, for instance
Then again, one of the speediest and easiest (if less vivid and personal) ways to investigate your new community isn’t by foot or by car – it’s by way of the Internet. Google, Google Maps, Yelp, and Citysearch are among today’s most visited online resources for uncovering local attractions. They’ll direct you to^pinpoint}78} all the most popular gathering places your community has to offer. Don’t just take the word of online reviews, though. Personally check out the recommended places and decide for yourself whether you like them or not.
Not really at ease with the Internet or phone apps? That’s all right, just stay with actual physical exploration. That’s frequently the best way to get acquainted with a place, anyhow. Stepping out and speaking with people in person generally leaves a more memorable impression than does picking information off a computer or phone screen. Still, the Internet can at least give you a preview of what’s out there.
Here’s another thought. If you really want to get acquainted with people in your new hometown, find local clubs and organizations that tally with your interests, your hobbies, or your worldview and join them. You might also contemplate involving yourself in one or another local community service, making yourself useful to the school system, daycare centers, nursing homes, homeless shelters, rescue missions, government agencies, or whatever might best exercise your talents. Funny thing about community service (and you intuitively know it’s true!): what you give to the community has a way “giving back” to you. And one day soon you’ll start feeling that your new hometown is home indeed and you’re a tourist there no more.
