About nine months ago, my boyfriend of four years and our rescue cat made the move from Illinois to Omaha, Nebraska. I know that moving to a new state can be overwhelming and daunting, but these tips and realities definitely helped me stay (mostly) sane!
The outside of our new apartment in Omaha, NE on the day I moved in!
There will be a wrench thrown into your plans. I can almost guarantee everything will not go entirely as planned. Be prepared to make small changes along the way- be flexible! Before we moved to Nebraska from Illinois, I had already seen the apartment we were going to move into, put down our deposit, discussed move-in dates, and 5 days before I was supposed to move in… The rental property rejected us because of our lease we still had in Illinois. I was so bummed because I LOVED this place and had already discussed the other lease we still had in Illinois with them, but for whatever reason after weeks of discussing, they decided to reject us FIVE DAYS before our big move. Talk about stress. I ended up fidning a place the very next day without ever seeing it (also stressful!), but we ended up loving where we are. It certainly seemed like the end of the world at the time, but if you just continue rolling with the punches, everything will eventually work itself out.
Do as much research as possible- about everything!!! This one is an absolute MUST. If you are relocating for a new job, research what the average salary is in the area for someone with your experience and in your career field. Research different neighborhoods and what attractions are near you. There is only so much research you can do from your computer or phone, but it was important to us to be in a safe neighborhood with nearby bars and restaurants so we made sure the area we would be moving to would have these wants. If the weather is going to be completely different than where you are from, that is important information for you to know before packing up all of your belongings. We stayed in the Midwest so it hasn’t been too different, however; for the four weeks before we moved I added Omaha, Nebraska as one of my locations in my Weather Channel app. This app also tells you how humid it is, the pollen in the area, and the air quality. The pollen tracker was super helpful, because I was moving in the midst of my allergy season. Basically, research everything that affects your daily life. Commutes, air quality, neighborhoods, attractions, bars and restaurants, outdoor activities, demographic of the area, average wages , etc. Research about Omaha, Nebraska consumed my life for a month- and it definitely paid off!
Know what you are willing to compromise on and what are necessities. Unless your budget is limitless, you are more than likely not going to get every. single. thing. on your wish list. Because of this, it’s a great idea to determine what your musts are! We were coming from a completely outdated 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment with no dishwasher, laundry completely off-site, no central A/C, base boards for heat, no private outdoor area, no fireplace, no bathtub… so we were ready for some upgrades to say the least! HA! We really wanted to have laundry in the unit itself, but we ended up having to compromise and have it be a communal laundry room on the floor below us. We knew going in that that may be something we would have to adjust our expectations for. Honestly, it has not been that big of a deal- it’s an upgrade from having to walk across the complex (especially in the winter). Just be prepared for what is really needed for your day-to-day.
Try not to overwhelm yourself. Moving (especially to a new state) makes it quite easy to get overwhelmed. Don’t let it! Stay organized and prepared and the move will end up being a much easier transition. Learn your immediate surroundings first and then try to adventure out. Don’t feel like you need to learn the entire city in a month. If you tackle small decorating and organizing projects daily, the house will eventually become exactly how you want it without getting yourself too overwhelmed. I think it took us about half a year to get the apartment feeling like home and how we wanted it.
Get involved. When we moved out here I started volunteering at Girls Inc. of Omaha and have loved every minute of it. This gave me the opportunity to meet some really great people and see a side of the city that I probably wouldn’t normally have ventured to. Being involved in your community really makes a new place feel more like home. You don’t necessarily have to volunteer your time somewhere- you can join a new gym with classes, attend local events, subscribe to local Facebook groups, attend church, join a sports team (we joined an indoor adult volleyball league!), and shop locally.