Getting settled in a new city can be difficult under normal conditions. However, moving has become a lot more difficult during the pandemic. You can’t just get out and explore or visit people in person like you would have in the past. If you are moving during the pandemic, here’s how you can get settled in.
Find A New Primary Doctor
A lot of doctor’s have different procedures now for seeing patients. They are doing some appointments through video chat in order to limit contact with others, and they may not be accepting new patients. This can make it difficult to find a new primary doctor. However, you shouldn’t put off finding a doctor in your city until the pandemic is over. Find out who is covered under your insurance policy, and call each location to determine whether or not if they are accepting new patients. If they are, ask them what their protocol is if you need to be seen. You don’t want to be in a rush to find a doctor when you are injured or sick. You really need to establish yourself as one of their patients before something like this happens.
Send Notes To Your Neighbors
It’s important that you are able to communicate with your new neighbors, but you probably don’t want to go knocking on their doors. You can initiate communication by putting a note in each of their mailboxes. You can introduce yourself and include your email address and phone number. Encourage them to reach out to you so that you will be able to communicate with them without having to go over to their house. If you want to meet each other, you can set up a time to do so when you will be able to practice social distancing. Connecting with your new neighbors will allow you to feel as if you are starting to settle into your new city.
Take A Drive Around Your City
You can get to know your way around your new city without putting yourself in harm’s way. Take a drive around it to look for things like grocers, restaurants, hospitals and home improvement stores. You’ll feel more settled in once you know where some of these places are. If you will be going to work once the pandemic is over, now’s a good time to see what your commute will be like. Drive from your home to your new job so that you can figure out the best way to get there.
Utilize Delivery Services As Much As You Can
There’s a good chance that you will need some things after you move in order to help you settle in. You don’t have to risk your health and actually go inside of a store. You can utilize delivery services. No matter what you are looking for, you can probably have it delivered. You can order anything from food to furniture that can be delivered right to your door. Some of these services won’t even charge you a delivery fee. Even if you do have to pay for delivery or some sort of service fee, it will be worth it so that you don’t have to leave your house during the pandemic.
Talk To Your Local School District
If you have kids, then you will need to know what school they will be attending. You can find out this information by calling your local school district. Once you give them your new address, they will give you the contact information for the school that your child is zoned for. You will also need to reach out to this school to find out how the pandemic will be affecting how they will be operating this year. Some schools are currently only holding virtual classes or are delaying the school year’s start. You can find out all of this information when you call your child’s new school.
Join Community Groups
It’s a great idea to learn about your new city and some of the things that are going on. You can do this by joining some community groups. Download the Nextdoor app so that you can talk to others that live in your city. You may also be able to find a community group by visiting one of your social media pages and typing the name of your city into the search engine. These groups will provide you with a wealth of information such as city happenings, crime that’s occurred that you need to be aware of or road closures due to construction.
Moving during a pandemic can be rather stressful. Even if you’ve moved a lot in the past, you might find that you are having a difficult time trying to settle in. By utilizing the tips mentioned above, you can get settled into your new city despite the pandemic and what’s going on in the world.
