3 Important Things To Do When Moving To A New City
October 18, 2017My family and friends know that I am committed to checking experiences off of my Bucket List. And recently I completed another one – I moved to Florida. After living all my life in the cold and snowy Midwest, I wanted to wake up every morning to palm trees, warm breezes and water. I have the opportunity to work remotely and figured now was as good a time as any, especially now that I’m an empty-nester.
It wasn’t easy to move away from loved ones and established routines but my adventurous spirit won out. Now that I’ve unpacked most of my boxes (what to do with all my coats and turtleneck sweaters?), I can focus on getting settled. Here are the top three things I am focusing on now:
Expand my social network
I have moved to a new city eight times in my adult life! It was a lot easier to find new friends and get involved when our daughters were young because I enjoyed being active in their school and their various after school activities. Now that my daughters are living on their own in Columbus, Ohio, I find it’s harder to meet people in my stage of life.
I found Meetup.com and my neighborhood pool to be lifesavers but this article suggests other ways to break the ice in a new community. It can be a bit intimidating to show up and mingle with a group of strangers, however I’ve found most people to be very welcoming. The key is to push your comfort zone and be open to new opportunities. You will find that most people you meet have more in common with you than not.
Transfer my medical records to my new doctors
I have a chronic health condition that requires treatment by medical specialists. I had a wonderful medical team at Northwestern University Hospital and my surgeon provided a few referrals in my new hometown. The type of specialist I need is normally booked out months in advance so I am already on their calendar to establish a baseline.
I also have a copy of ALL my medical records (test results, patient visit summaries, surgical summaries) so that I can ensure my new medical team has them before my first appointment. I’ve been disappointed in the past when my medical records didn’t show up in a timely manner. This is also important if you are on any maintenance prescriptions – find a medical professional sooner vs later before your prescription runs out.
Update my will and health care directive
This is one I think a lot of people don’t realize. Each state sets their own estate laws and if you move, it’s vital to update your will, living will and health care directive. Most companies have resources to update your will and health care directive for free.
If your employer doesn’t have this benefit, you’re in luck because there are several free and/or low cost options available. MyDirectives.com, Do Your Own Will or your local hospital should have these for free. Or check out Legal Zoom or Nolo – you can create all those documents for one low price.
My point though is – do it soon. Then share your wishes with your loved ones, no matter where they live. My personal goal is to have my estate documents updated before Thanksgiving and give an updated copy to my executor and healthcare POA.
I’m super excited about spending my winter weekends on the beach with my new neighbors and the Midwestern friends already lined up to visit me. Maybe I’ll send those sweaters and coats back with them!
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