NEW IN TOWN?

THIS IS HOW YOU COULD FEEL MORE AT HOME

After moving to a new town, you’ll undoubtedly have to deal with a period of organised chaos while unpacking, connecting your utilities and generally settling in.

When things calm down however, you might not feel too connected with the world around you, as you might not have friends or family in town.

If this is the case, homesickness can kick in pretty easily.

Here are some ideas to get you connected to your new community.

IMAGINE YOU’RE ON HOLIDAYS

A good place to start is to explore your new town as if you were a tourist.

Walk through your neighbourhood, have a picnic in the park, visit historical and cultural sites, sample as many restaurants and bars as possible and take lots of photos.

Fall in love with your surroundings.

JOIN LOCAL TEAMS OR CLUBS

What are your hobbies and interests?

Chances are, there are other people in town who like spending their time doing what you like too.

Join a sports team, book club or the like.

This is a great way to make friends – most friendships are built on mutual interests, aren’t they?

LEAVE THE GPS AT HOME

It will be very tempting to cling to the ol’ reassuring GPS in the beginning. Don’t.

Getting lost in your new town is not only an opportunity to laugh at yourself but also to learn.

Once you’ve taken a wrong turn, gotten lost and confused and laughed it off, you will never need a GPS again.

LEARN THE LINGO

If you’re fresh off the boat and unfamiliar with the language, take some time to talk to colleagues or sign up for a class at the library (if you need more than just a chat to get you into the swing of things).

Even if you’re a born-and-bred Aussie, chances are the local lingo differs in some respects from your last town.

Just think of the different names Aussies have for “joggers”.

As a challenge, you might decide to learn a completely new language altogether, like Italian. Bellissimo!