How to Settle into a New City

Walking through life alone can be good for growth… but it’s not sustainable. It’s absolutely key to make friends. To make good friends. Don’t become friends with just anyone. Forget about looking cool. Do what makes you happy, especially when you’re in a place of new beginnings.

Go do activities where you might find people with similar interests

This is probably something your parents might tell you. But it’s true. Some of the best friendships I’ve made in Atlanta have happened naturally, as a result of me attending an event I was actually interested in. It happened because the person I was with shared my interest in the event. I went to an organized nature hike, and as we explored the forest and the tour guide talked about the grand scale on which all living beings are connected, we started talking. At first it was a bit awkward, but, as these things usually go, things worked out in the end. I made 2 great friends! Whether you like yoga, drawing, looking at art, or learning about history, go to events related to your interests. It’s probably the case that someone just like you is doing the exact same thing to meet new people, in a new city.

Be open to new experiences

Sometimes, it’s doing what we’ve always done, staying within the bounds of our patterns of the past, that keep us from arriving at the place where you want to go. If you want to go up the mountain, but your habits keep you in a valley, how are you ever going to go up the mountain unless you break your habits? Breaking your habits can be tough. It’s possible though. Stop watching all that TV and playing all those video games… all they do is keep you isolated. Go outside, have a kind of cuisine you’ve never tried before (like Nigerian food), and go explore. The world is huge. There are so many cultures out there.

Say hello to people

The only way to meet new people is to talk to them. This can be daunting at first. Build the confidence! Say the words! “What’s up!” “Where are you from?” “What brings you to this extraordinary city?!” Saying what’s up to random people in my building actually made me some pretty great friends too.

Open your space

Make your house a nice place to visit. Make it a place that people will want to return to. It’s important to invest your time in creating a welcoming spot that you can invite people to at any time.

Update your address and documents

This is kind of a funny one, but it’s true. Doing this simple clerical act will help you settle in to your new city.

Go on nature hikes

Understand the ecology of where you are. Find out what plants, animals, and rock formations are native to the land. Take deep breaths of fresh air.

Have faith in the future

It might seem that nothing is working. You might get rejected by some people sometimes. They won’t text you back or whatever. That’s fine. It’s normal. At the beginning, all this stuff kinda happened to me. Have faith that if you are nice, personable, and are always saying hello to people, you’ll make some cool friends. The friends I’ve made have also taken their time to become my friends. There were times where I thought I was never going to meet anyone. I suddenly walk through the hallways and go about my life and say hello to a bunch of people. It’s still surprising to me, but now I have a bunch of cool friends.

Book Recommendation: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

An extraordinary, magical book. One where intuition and superstition meet an inextricable reality. Religion is closely examined. Entire lives are lived. A story about the generations of a family that you may believe once existed in India. A wonderful exploration of language, culture, and the true nature of life.

Final Notes

This week, I published a great podcast episode with Mr. Travis Suit . He is the founder of the Piper's Angels Foundation, founder of Hawk's Landing Jupiter, entrepreneur, explorer, Ted & Keynote Speaker, Empowerment Coach... and so much more.

To all the wonderful women out there in the world who would like to dress with innovative, comfortable elegance. Check out the IARA Blazer .