This New Place

As much as I love moving around constantly I have to admit that moving to a foreign place is unnerving.  I moved recently, again. It is not an unchartered territory for me; I have come here pretty often in the past year. But at the end of the day the truth is although not unchartered, this city is foreign. I have no friends, no routine, no favourite places here. So, this is me giving a few helpful tips to all those who find themselves in my position.

1) DISCOVER: Discover the city. You might be thinking DUH!, but let me tell you, it is easier said than done. Especially, when you can go back home and are holed up in your bed with Netflix and a pizza. Find new cafes, restaurants, gardens, running tracks and who knows what, because you need to get to know your new home. Go walk random streets until your feet are sore, and begging you to stop.

2) ROUTINE: We humans are creatures of habit, and as loathe as I am to say this, we do need structure in our lives to prosper. So go ahead and build a new routine; have Pizza Fridays or go buy breakfast from the same bakery every morning.

3) ACCEPTANCE: Accept that it is inevitable that you sometimes feel lonely and homesick, and that it is okay because it is a part of this new chapter of your life.

4) RESEARCH: Yes, research. Google if there are places near you that irk your interest, or day trips worth taking on the weekends. This will make all the difference. 

5) TOURIST: Be a tourist. This is the best time to do all the touristy things possible; you have just moved here and nobody knows you, hence there is no way that you will bang into an acquaintance when you are doing something stupid. Go take stupid selfies in front of the town's main attractions and be stupid.

6) FAVOURITES: Find your favourite coffee shop, your favourite place to sit at when you need a safe haven. This step is inevitable and crucial at the same time. It can be compared to a brand new house that you have just bought, bare of all your belonging. Then, you start unpacking and shuffling things around - a few photo frames here and there, your favourite souvenir on your bed-stand- and suddenly that house you just bought transforms into your home. Just like that, this city that you moved to becomes your city.

7) FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR CITY: This is, by far, the most important thing that helps you feel at home. You have to go out of your way and fall irrevocably in love with your city. Notice the random things that make it a great city to live in, your favourite season over there, your favourite things about it. 

Hopefully, by the time you are done using some of these tips, you will be feeling more at home than when you started.