I am a mid-twenty-year-ish chica who is making a new life in a new city. Just like most twenty-something-year-olds. But to be totally honest, I have no idea what I am doing. I don’t know about you, but I have lived in small towns all my life. Yeah I traveled to bigger cities but being a tourist and being a local are two very different things. So here are a few truths that I wish I knew about moving to a bigger city before I got here.
Your GPS will be your new Best Friend: Unless you have lived in this city before, you are not going to know where squat is. Target, where you get groceries, the gas station, the affordable bars in town, all those things are going to be new adventures now. I highly suggest saving the places you will be visiting a lot on your GPS to save time because I promise you, you will be there again (like that affordable bar or Target). And don’t forget to plan some extra time and have patience for getting lost every once in a while.
Starting a new life is not cheap: And I am not talking a few hundred dollars here or there. Rent is expensive. You can easily spend $100 or more just on groceries when you’re starting out. Some apartment complexes in big cities have you pay extra to park your car. Furniture is also a big money item and getting the basics for a fully functioning kitchen. Oh, and don’t forget things like wifi and cable. You are going to start having things like bills and credit cards coming your way and I promise you do not want a late fee with those suckers. All that can totally add up once you add in the electric, renter’s insurance, gas, and a Netflix bill.
You are about to become real comfortable flying solo: Even If you have a few friends, there are going to be so many new experiences going on that you are not going to want to miss. With full time jobs, schedules are not always going to line up. Or you might be moving to a city where you don’t know anyone yet. There is going to be some moment in your new life where something last minute and fun comes up that you want to do and no one is free to go with you. My best advice is don’t let that stop you from having going! And who knows, maybe you will make a new friend!
There is going to be a lot of new experience: Which may seem kinda cliché and like “duh of course” but a lot of people don’t realize how being surrounded by constant “new” can get a little stressful sometimes. New people, new environments, new coffee shops and restaurants, new neighborhoods, new bills to pay, it all can become a lot. If you start to feel a little sick of new and missing something that just feels familiar that’s good. Its normal. Figure out what that thing is to remind you of home or something familiar and I promise the slight feeling of anxiety will start to melt away. Or just drink a glass of wine. That helps too.
Moving in by yourself is particularly difficult: If you are in the same boat as me, then you probably were excited at the
thought of taking on the big city on your own. The idea of music festivals almost every weekend, nifty bars, decorating your new place sidetracked you from a couple of things. Like how hard it is to make friends outside of college. Or how tiring being the only one responsible for cooking dinner every night can be. Either way, moving to a new place is difficult. Moving by yourself is brave.