Last year, my husband received a new position with his company, which unfortunately required our family to relocate to another state. Even though my husband was extremely excited to begin a new chapter in his career, I was scared and very sad to leave behind the life and career I knew. However, I was determined to make a happy new life for our family.
Lately, I have found out that several close friends will soon be going through this same situation. And I have been asked the question, “How do you start over?”. To their surprise, my answer is simple, “Get involved”.
You don’t have to be the most outgoing person, but use the resources available to meet new people and participate in hobbies.
How to get involved:
-Meet your neighbors. I was very happy to have so many neighbors introduce themselves. But when outside working on the house or taking an evening walk, we make sure to wave and introduce ourselves. Neighbors love to talk about the area; and soon friendships begin.
-Join your neighborhood association. Our neighborhood is awesome. I would love to live here for a long time; and what better way to support the neighborhood but by joining the home association. I am the board’s secretary. This has given me a chance to know more people; and help make decisions to improve and grow neighbor relations.
-Join a church. If you are religious, join a faith community. Not only have we found a parish and school for our child, we found a community of friends who value our same beliefs. The Young Families Group plans fun picnics, book clubs and much needed, “Ladies’ Night Out” dinners.
-Volunteer at your child’s school. I made a strong connection with teachers; and gained some wonderful friendships with parents. I made an invaluable friend who is the best Thirty-One connection!
-Join a recreation center, pool or gym. This is a great way to meet new friends and get some exercise. It’s also nice to have your child play in a safe and supervised area while you workout.
-Use social media. One friend connected me with several women in the area for weekly playdates. Also, after noticing that I was a member of our neighborhood and church Facebook pages, a very dear friend immediately reached out to me. She figured we were going to meet at some point; why not now?
If your family is relocating in the future, I hope these suggestions help with a very smooth transition.