Things I am Learning Since Our Move

The other night Rich and I were sitting at a restaurant we had not yet visited since our very first week in our new city.  Just sitting in this familiar seat immediately brought to mind all the scary emotions I felt that first week in our new home.  I had spent most of that week at the house unpacking boxes, trying to find the closest Target and Grocery Store and counting down the seconds until Rich got home each day.  Since I was not working and did not know a soul in town, Rich was my only social interaction for a few weeks.  I was lonely, sad, and could not find the majority of my belongings because they were packed away in 283 boxes around our house (and yes, that is the number of boxes and extra items that the movers unloaded.) 

But, the other night, eating dinner, back at the same place we had been not a month a half ago, I marveled at just how far we'd come.  We were catching a quick dinner before an event at church where we would see familiar faces and be in a familiar space to us.  We had an event on our calendar, we have started to have routine events on our calendar during the week.  The night before Rich had gone to a meet up of folks interested in one of his hobbies, in a neighboring city.  Suddenly, without us realizing it, this newness was starting to feel like home, like routine.  Something I longed for so much the last time we sat in this same spot.  So, today, I am celebrating, but also sharing moving tips for those (like me) who may desperately crave familiarity, connection, and comfort in new places.

1)  Understanding You are the "New One":  Undoubtedly this is the hardest one for me.  Even though I am an extrovert and love to meet people, I hate being the new one.  I want familiarity. I want friends and I want people to know me, quickly.  But, this is not realistic.  Going into conversations or events knowing I was the new one was scary, but overtime I have gotten used to introducing myself, sharing our story, and finding connection. After all, sometimes the person on the other end is dying to meet a new face.  

2)  Don't be Scared to Commit: I think the biggest blessing is the commitments we've made with some groups we've joined and our commitment to each other to staying committed to going.  Commitment means not giving up when we just aren't feeling it that week, commitment shows up when we know we can count on seeing those familiar faces waiting if we keep going back each week, commitment says, even if this sorta is difficult, we are going to keep going, so that is can soon feel easy and familiar.  Rich and I have both held each other to this in these three months here and the benefit is showing itself.

3) Drive Right In: Join a gym, join a church, find a neighbor to connect with, join a sports club, play pick up basketball, but don't wait! The sooner you start to find opportunities, the more opportunities will present themselves.  We've certainly see our blessings and opportunities expand each time we say "yes" to a new opportunity.