Tools for Transitions: Settling In

In my last few posts, I’ve been blogging about the process of an academic move, from finding a new place to leaving my old campus and packing up. I’m now at a stage far less defined, perhaps because it is the first step without a deadline: trying to settle in to a new state, new home, new job, and new life.

• Find your local paper (or blog!). For once, I’ve been grateful for still-kicking city papers, community fliers, local Facebook groups, and even weekly ads for giving me a sense of what’s around and what’s happening. Finding the farmer’s market, best grocery store, and cool independent restaurants definitely makes it more fun to settle in and take breaks from the great unboxing.

• Devote time to getting lost. GPS is a wonderful thing, but the routes it offers are not always the best options, and it’s too easy to become reliant on it without getting a sense for the space. Plus, having lots of alternate pathways when traffic goes awry is something we can take for granted in a place we know, but it takes time to figure out–and the first week of classes is not the best time.

• Set reasonable goals. I admit to having big dreams, like painting some of the rooms of my new place from their primer-white state to something a bit more welcoming before I even started on furniture. A few days without a bed, table, or chairs made me quickly cut  back on my priorities to the essentials. Now all my goals are dedicated to being semester-ready, so that I have several spaces to be comfortable once things get crazy.

• Ask for recommendations. There are lots of places online now for reviews, like Angie’s List and Yelp, which can make it easy to avoid talking to people. However, there are lots of online scams and hard-to-judge services out there, particularly when it comes to something potentially risky like finding someone to rekey your locks. For that, the direct experiences of your neighbors can really come in handy.

I know many of my friends and colleagues are similarly at various stages of packing, unpacking, and generally relocating their lives this summer. In my experience thus far, mundane stuff adds up: changing over licenses and registration, setting up new utilities, learning new trash schedules, and settling into a routine when the kitchen’s a mess and most everything is still in a box. As academics, we also have additional stress caused by commitments that are ongoing despite our new job.

I’m still organizing a conference back in Baltimore even as I settle into Orlando, and most of us plan our conferences and travel at least a semester if not a year ahead, so such conflicts are common. Getting as much normalcy as possible in place quickly is key to me for surviving those challenges.

Are you in the midst of (or recovering from) a move? Share your advice and experiences in the comments!

[CC BY 2.0 Photo by Flickr User Robert S. Donovan]