Home is where you park your heart.
One year ago today I moved across the country. Well almost. From Ontario to Alberta within this fine nation of Canada. Now, I realize that many have moved further and more regularly than myself but this was a big move for all of us.
Isn’t this card just perfect? I must share with you that my new friend Colleen over at Glitter Ink Cards made this especially for me. And then she mailed it to me ‘on-the-house’ as they say. Click on the card above for more info about her Etsy shop.
New friends. That is something that comes with moving too. It can be hard to make new friends in the adult playground of life but when you do it is magical. You almost want to hold back as to not appear quite so thrilled to have made a new friend. Nothing like turning off a potential new chum than drooling pathetically at the first ‘coffee’ invite in a new city!
By no means do I have this moving thing all figured out, but here are some things to consider:
1) allow yourself to wallow in moments of self pity and sadness; no really, this is ok. It is normal to feel sad, lonely and miss your family and friends like crazy. you are not a sissy. you do not need to pretend otherwise.
2) but don’t live in the wallow moments. not good. not healthy. call a friend. unpack yet another box. pour yourself a drink (tea, for me). pray. focus on those in your immediate family that need you more. lace up the running shoes and run. run again.
3) realize that change is part of life. it is scary. but can also be exciting. a new chapter begins.
4) treat it like an adventure. you will feel like a lost tourist for awhile, so why not embrace it. make a point of visiting something in your new city each week.
5) always have a map or GPS handy. give yourself extra time to find things. you will get lost. a lot. bring a travel mug and snacks wherever you go.
6) ignore the time change. call home often. wake them up if you have to. but call home often
7) listen to your kids when they say ‘stop calling it home, we live here now.’ hmmm, out of the mouth of babes, I had real trouble with this one. still do. just the other day when filling out yet another form I put in my old postal code.
8) carry your new address and new phone number with you. never leave home without it. You won’t believe me, but last month (read 11 months after moving) I was at a local grocery store and they asked me for my phone number and I just stood there like a crazy woman questioning my own sanity. Had to walk away.
9) life will gradually get busy again. make an effort to stay in touch. write a letter. write another one. remember, you will always pick up right where you left off with true friends. those are the ones that count.
10) get involved. volunteer somewhere. do something completely different. like start a blog (grin).
No matter where we live home will be where we park our heart.
Have you moved before? What tip would you recommend?
This is perfect! I am moving across the country – from VA to CA. This is perfect!
Good luck with your move Andrea.So glad these ideas will come in handy for you. Thanks for dropping in.
Hi Barb:)
I’ve moved so many times; around 19. This post was close to home and I’m glad you wrote it. It’s all true and makes perfect sense. I’m sure it will reach people right where they’re at if they’ve recently moved.
Loved being introduced to you on SITS!
Cheers:)
Ahh, your words make my heart smile Sandra. I can’t imagine moving 19 times. Wow. I bet you could add a few tips of your own to my list. Nice of you to stop by.
I am terrified of moving! I feel very settled here where we are, but we need a bigger house. Just trying to find a different house in the same school district freaks me out!
Moving down the street or across the country can be scary. I hope all works out for you Rabia in this time of pending transition.
When I was a kid, I moved all the time, and I hated it mainly because I was so shy and insecure and was always uncomfortable trying to make new friends. My husband never moved, and we have raised our kids in the same house that we started in. I’m sure that a downsizing move is in our future (kids are all teenagers now) and I’m sure it will be easier for me this time around. 🙂 Your tips are good though…I could totally see myself going to the grocery store and not knowing my phone number!
It is so hard to adjust to all “new”…. I love your tips. So sweet that your kids reminded you exactly where your home is now!!! At least THEY have accepted it, right?
Glad you like the tips Chris. Nothing like hearing it from your kids! They sure do have lots to teach us adults. And, yes, I’m still working on the accepting part… 🙂
It took me a long time to call this place home instead of where I used to live.
Volunteering is a great way to get involved and meet new people.
Time does have to pass I think before a new place feels like home. I read somewhere that, on average, 2 years is the projected time frame before it feels like home. Not sure how accurate that is. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I do hope you are feeling more settled in now. xoxo
My family & I moved across country last year and this is fantastic advice!
Hello there Robbie, Moving across the country is a big move! I do hope the transition went (continues to) well. Glad you could relate with some the points I found to be true. Please pass along to others who may be preparing for a move as I wish I had known some of those things before my move. Hope to see you again some time here at ritewhileucan.com
Thanks for your comment on my blog & for sharing this post – it has been really useful as I prepare for my big move across the ocean to the U.S next month.
I love the tips you have given and had been thinking about what to do / expect when I first arrived in my new home. I will have my husband, and he is where I feel most at home, but I know I will have a lot to get used to again.
Hi Molly, how lovely of you to stop in. Moving is a big thing. Whatever tips and ideas we can learn from others I am all for. Someone told me before I moved to buy one of those map books (I still prefer hard copy in my hands maps) so I could have it with me at all times. I have found this to have been a wise piece of advice. Best of luck for a smooth transition to your new home in the U.S. Perhaps you will pay me a visit here again once you arrive in North America. Would love to hear how your move went. Safe travels.
We moved to California from Chicago 4 years ago. I must confess that, knowing we would only be here for 5 or so years then would be returning “home” to Chicago, I have not immersed myself in our new neighborhood as much as I should have. We joined a Newcomers group which was wonderful and through which we have met some very nice people. Still, I have made the mistake of just considering myself a visitor. Hats off to you for settling in while still staying connected to friends from Ontario. Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold!
Hi Mo, Lovely of you to stop in for a chat. That idea of joining a Newcomers group is a good one. I didn’t realize there was such a thing. Funny how time constraints can change how we view things isn’t it? Love your saying about new and old friends – just perfect. Hope you enjoy your last year in California.
Love the card. (And I thought your point said “always take a nap.” Naps are good. Likely not quite as useful as maps, however…)
Ha! I’m thinking that naps might in fact be better than maps…a true method to prevent mommy freakouts! Thanks for stopping by Leanne.
where we live now is the longest I have ever lived anywhere. 7 years in the same place. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite things hop xo
Wow, you must have moved around a fair bit. Many new chapters then, I would imagine. 🙂 Thanks for reading the post Katherine.
Miss you much! Not the same here now that I am back!
I know….the timing just didn’t work out for us did it my friend. I miss you too!
I have lived in the same area my whole life and really can’t even imagine what moving across the country would be like! Great tips though and that little heart card is adorable:) Going to go check out that Etsy shop now!
Hi Raj, Thanks for your visit. Isn’t that card just sweet?! I couldn’t imagine moving across the country either until it happened to me. Quite the adventure indeed.
I had a hard time adjusting when I moved. These tips would have helped me a lot.
I hope you have had time to transition now to your new surroundings. Moving is hard, no doubt about it. Thanks for stopping by.
Aw what a sweet image at the top! I’ve also been living far away from home recently–it’s hard to always be away from people you love! I love your tips about moving.
Hi Sarah, so glad you stopped in for a visit. You are right, living far from home can be hard, but it does make us value those who are special to us even more. Hope you get to see them real soon.
Such a nice post to read… you see, we move. a. lot. At first it was exciting. Now I find it terribly depressing. And at the end of the school year, I’ll be facing another move and I feel like I haven’t even settled into my current town. These are wonderful tips, and we did the last tip as well (start a blog)! How interesting! Glad to discover your blog and checking out the Etsy store for cute cards!
xo ~kim & chloe
Hi Kim, I can’t imagine moving so frequently, but it sounds like starting a blog is the solution! 🙂 kidding aside, I am sure you have many tips to share about moving. I do hope for you that you will be able to cherish each and every moment you have in this year before you. Glad you found me and I hope to see you again soon.
Hi Barb, Can’t believe a year has gone by! Gosh we miss your family. I still find myself checking out your old house whenever I walk by – wondering if you are home so I can drop by. It is such a strange feeling.
It’s funny what you say about calling a place home. Mark’s cousin always refers to her parents place in Quebec as “down home” – yet she has never lived there. It is the area that her parents grew up, and then retired to. Home is definitely wherever your heart is. As far as I am concerned, home can be many places all at once! I used to love coming “back home” when I lived in Calgary and came to visit friends and family here in Guelph. Yet, I would say, I felt that my “home” in Calgary was filled with such an amazing support system of friends that they were also considered my family. Both places were always “home” to me.
It has been 7 years since we made the move “back home” to Guelph, yet I still find myself yearning for “home” in Calgary. I miss my great friends there, the beautiful mountains, and the extensive big open sky! But, if we hadn’t made the move back to Guelph, and moved into this great little neighbourhood, then I would not have met the Marshall family and made such a great friend. Near or far, you are always part of our lives now. We think of you often, and hope that Calgary is being very kind to you!
With much love, Anne Marie
I love what you said about ‘home can be many places all at once.’ So true indeed. Your words are so lovely Anne Marie. Thank you. So glad we did meet and continue our friendship across the miles. Sending the love right back you too! 🙂
😉