How to Move Alone to a New City

Moving by yourself to a new city can be one of two things: a terrifying ordeal or the adventure of a lifetime! But a big move by yourself doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, with a little preparation and some positive perspective, it might just be the fresh start you’ve been waiting for.

If you’re planning to relocate by yourself, here are four tips to help you make the most of your move and adapt in your new city.

1. Get organized.

A one-person relocation sounds simple, but can still take a lot of work. You might feel overwhelmed if you take everything on all at once, so in order to get started effectively, make a list and plan out your move. Create your ideal timeline, and set weekly goals to keep you on track with your official moving date. Breaking up your move into manageable steps with a moving checklist will also help you focus your time and keep your stress levels low.

Photo by Linh Nguyen/Flickr

Another tip? The more organized you pack, the quicker it is to unpack. Taking a little extra time to label all your boxes is helpful, both during the move and after. Labels let everyone involved in the move know exactly what’s in each box. This way, fragile things get treated as such, and boxes are put in the rooms they’re relevant to.

Finally, before leaving your old home, walk through to double check that you’ve packed everything you need. It might not be easy — or even feasible — to make multiple trips between cities for forgotten belongings.

2. Budget your move.

Moving can get expensive, as there are a lot of costs that add up quickly. When you’re setting a budget, considering all aspects of a move — including the pros and cons of hiring movers or doing it yourself — is critical. Depending on how much you’re bringing to your new home and how long the drive will be, hiring movers may be more affordable than you think. And even if a DIY move is a little cheaper, the freedom of knowing you won’t have to move everything you own up two flights of stairs alone may well be worth the cost of hiring help. Either way, look at what you can afford and then research your options to see what the best fit is for you financially.

Photo by Mike G/Flickr

While you’re budgeting, you’ll also want to consider any expenses that might pop up after the move. If you aren’t going to be working right away, make sure you have enough saved up to get by for a few months until you feel more established in your new city — and don’t forget to account for the cost of living in a different city. Having financial security when a lot of other changes are happening will help you hit the ground running in your new home.

3. Explore the city on your own.

There are so many opportunities that come with moving to a new place where no one knows you, so be confident and comfortable enough to do things on your own. Go out to lunch or to a movie, and relish the newness of the city. Even though living in a different place can be hard at first, you are going to adapt more quickly than you think.

Photo by Tanenhaus/Flickr

Don’t underestimate the importance of self care, either. By packing up and starting from scratch, you have done what a lot of people are too scared to do, and you should take some time to reward yourself for it. Find a coffee shop or neighborhood park that you love, and go there often. Having a solid hangout spot to go relax at will help you feel like you can get out of your apartment while still just winding down.

4. Meet new people.

Building a new social circle can be intimidating, but having a reliable group of friends and contacts will help you really feel settled after your move. Making friends in a new city will take one part bravery, one part action, and one part creativity to be successful. If you’re living with roommates, make an effort past small talk and really get to know them. You can branch out beyond your roommates, too — try using Instagram, Facebook, or other social media channels to connect with new people.

Photo by Rafael Montilla/Flickr

In addition to social networking, consider doing something you feel passionate about to help you meet others who love the same things you do. If photography is your thing, attending an InstaMeet would allow you to meet people who are also interested in photography. If you love yoga, sign up for a weekly class at a local studio – be sure to arrive early and stay a few minutes late so you can chat with other attendees. Not only will these activities build your confidence and help you develop a routine, but you’ll also get to meet people who share your interests. The more people you get out and meet, the more at home you are going to feel in your new city.

Overall, the process of moving to a new city alone will have a few ups and downs, but the end result will be as great as you choose to make it. So don’t get bogged down in the little worries during the process. Focus on feeling at home in your new city, and owning your individual strengths — heck, you just moved all by yourself!

FUN FOR KIDS ON LONG MOVING TRIPS

If you’re moving with kids in the near future, you know better than anyone how stressful and logistically-demanding it can be. Finding a new neighborhood, a great new home, changing schools, organizing the logistics, packing, saying goodbye to your friends, neighbors and possibly even family members… it’s all a huge undertaking that takes a large toll both financially and emotionally.

With all of those things obviously taking precedence on the relocation radar, it’s only natural that most folks might leave the planning of the actual traveling to the last minute. This might spell disaster with a capital 'D' if you’re not prepared, especially with the possibility of your children already being stressed out due to the life-changing events transpiring around them.

So whether you’re making your journey by plane, train or automobile, we’ve got you covered with some useful tips to keep the kids distracted on your move.

MAKE AN ACTIVITY BOOK FOR THE ROAD

This might seem self-evident, but the best ways to keep kids distracted is to provide them with things they like to do to pass the time. If you’re not of the hand-held gaming persuasion, you could take some time beforehand to prepare a crafty, customized activity book for your kids.

You can make one easily with a cheap three-ring binder, a three-hole punch and some imagination. Fill the binder with sheets of stickers, blank pages, coloring book pages, puzzles, games, and so on. Include a pencil case filled with a variety of crayons, colored pencils, and markers so they never run out options.

Tell the kids that this binder is their own travel journal and they can write or draw whatever they are thinking or feeling. You could even keep it and give it to them when they are older as a fantastic memory. If you are traveling by car, pick up a few extra travel bathroom organizers and hang them in the back seat, filled with books and activities to keep your kids busy.

STOP AT RESTAURANTS WITH KIDS’ AMENITIES

Despite every parent’s best intentions, preparing a nutritious lunch for the road on a day that many consider to be more stressful than a wedding just might not be feasible. Indeed, packing cute little sandwiches without the crust is probably the last thing on any parent’s mind on the eve of a big move, and besides, you’d be missing out a potentially life-saving element of road food: the play areas.

Say what you will about the meals, but a good half hour of running around a playpen and dispensing that pent-up car energy might help make for a smoother (snoozier) ride. You may not often let your kids eat at restaurants like these, so for them it will be a fun treat and make moving a bit sweeter.

MAKE A TREASURE MAP

As most parents know, kids tend to get antsy on long car rides, so frequent stops may be inevitable. That said, why not make stops part of the relocation journey? Create some sort of treasure map leading up to the new house as the end goal, which includes landmarks and fun sights along the way. This will build up your kids’ excitement and keep them entertained on the road; it'll break down the trip into smaller, more manageable chunks with the reward of a fun activity at the end of each one.

Another idea that builds on this concept is to create a countdown to the new house, with each stop bringing everyone closer and closer to the end goal. You can include the treasure map in their activity book so that they can follow along the way.

AUDIO BOOKS AND MOVIES

For those equipped with onboard DVD players or tablets, the value of bringing along a bunch of movies is immediately clear on long trips. For those whose kids get a bit too motion sick for movies, audiobooks are a great and too often overlooked option that can get the whole family participating.

A tablet loaded with your children’s favorite movies is also an amazing idea for families flying to their new location. Many of the movies offered on board are either too mature or just not diverse enough for kids, so having your own in-flight entertainment prepared will (hopefully) guarantee you a few hours of peace and quiet.

PLAY 'I SPY' AND BINGO

Many sites have road trip printables with bingo cards that show common car makes, and iSpy cards that display common restaurants seen on the road.

The easiest is the license plate game - print out a sheet with pictures of license plates from each area (like surrounding states), and each time they see one, they place a sticker next to the picture. The first one to fill up their page wins!

Have a few snacks or prizes ready and give your kids one each time they completely fill up a card with stickers. They will be so busy looking out the window for the things on their cards they won’t even realize a whole hour has passed!

ROAD TRIP LEGO BOXES

Keeping your kids busy with tactile activities generally lasts longer than reading or a movie. Lego is a fantastic way to keep your kids busy, and with these boxes, you'll keep your car tidy, too!

Glue the base of a lego kit into the inside of a plastic pencil case or lunch box. Fill the rest of the box with a variety of lego pieces. Your kids will be occupied for a while as they come up with little lego cities to build in their lego box!

ALPHABET GAME

By far the easiest game on the list, all you need is a paper plate, scissors, and a marker. Write the letters of the alphabet around the outside rim of a paper plate, and cut small slits between each letter. In the center of the plate, write down your child’s name. Once you are all settled in the car (or plane) pass them the plate and tell them that each time they see an object that starts with a letter of the alphabet they should fold the letter down. The first kid to fold all their letters wins a treat! (even if it's a pat on the back)

LET THEM PACK THEIR OWN CARRY-ON BAG

Let your kids feel in charge of the move by encouraging them to pack their own carry-on bag. This works best for families traveling by plane, but it can also be a great trick for those making the trek by car. By letting them pack a bag, your children will pick out their favorite items, which will help them feel comfortable and safe throughout the trip. You can even help by preparing travel-friendly sizes of their favorite snacks! This is a life saver when your kids begin whining that they're hungry and your hands are full checking in your luggage. It's also convenient when larger carry-on bags are packed away in overhead compartments.

HAVE DRAMAMINE AND GUM ON HAND

Many children get motion sickness in cars as well as planes. And just like your ears begin to pop when a plane lands, so do your kids', just much more painfully. Having a pack of Dramamine at the ready when you begin to hear complaints of tummy aches or a stick of gum to chew on during your flight’s descent will help stop a tearful meltdown in its tracks. There is nothing worse than a tired, cranky, and crying kid on a plane or strapped in the back seat of a car.

We hope that these little tidbits will help you get your kids excited for your new home, and make the journey itself a bit more smooth. The important part is to try and enjoy it as a family, and to remember that the end goal of a great new start is closer than ever!

Do you have any ideas about how to make the trip more enjoyable? Share it with us!

Moving Tips: What Should I Do If I’m Moving Out of State?

While any move is going to be a difficult one, moving out of state can be particularly difficult. When you make an out of state move, there are several factors you have to consider that you don’t have to think about when you are moving locally, including:

• Can I hire movers who will travel out of state?
• If so, how much more will hiring movers to help me move to another state cost?
• How will the weather in my new state impact when I can move? For instance, should I wait to move to a cold weather state until the spring or summer?

These are just a small sampling of the questions you will have to answer before making an out of state move.

Tips for Moving Out of State

The following are a few tips to help you plan and execute a successful and efficient out of state move:

• Create a calendar for the timeline of your move – Making a move this complex will involve meeting several deadlines, such as making sure you turn in fees and paperwork on time to ensure you have a house or apartment to move into in your new state.
• Put together a budget for your move – The last thing you want to do is get halfway through the process and realize that you do not have enough money to complete your move. Preparing a budget beforehand ensures you know how much money you need to afford your move and that you are prepared to pay for the entire move before beginning the process.
• Research and hire an out of state moving company – Not all moving companies travel out of state. If you plan to use movers, do your research. Find the highest quality and most experienced movers that fit within your budget to handle your out of state move.
• Do an inventory of your possessions – This has two purposes. First, you need to know everything you own, because you will be traveling a long way with a lot of items and it could be easy to lose something in the process if you are not well organized. Second, the more you have to move the more it will cost, so having an idea of what you own can enable you to decide what to take with you and what to give away or discard prior to paying money to move it out of state.

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