8 Things to Do When You’re New in Town
I’ve focused more on baking than moving here lately, but big changes are in progress for my family, and we’ve got moving on the brain. While our next move is, thankfully, a close one, I’ve been thinking about all of the things we had to do just 3 short years ago when we moved here.
Moving to a completely new place can feel overwhelming. There are the initial hurdles of securing a job, leaving one home and finding another, registering for day care or school, and the actual logistics of moving. Once the big plan is in motion, there’s always more to do. Here’s a checklist of 10 smaller things that may not be on your radar, but should be.
1. Register your vehicle and transfer your driver’s license
If you are moving to a new state and have a car or driver’s license, this applies to you. Many states have rules around how long you have to transfer your vehicle registration and driver’s license once you become a resident. Unfortunately this is an added cost, but it prevents getting an expensive ticket down the road.
You’ll want to read up on what it takes to accomplish this transfer. In Texas, for example, you need to transfer your auto registration before changing over your driver’s license. Knowing this can save you hours waiting at the DMV (or the Department of Public Safety, as it is here) for a license, only to be told you need to take care of your auto registration first at a completely different office 10 miles away.
This site has a list of links to auto registration rules by state. For a list of DMV offices by state, check out this page.
While you’re at it, give your insurance company a call and let them know you moved. Depending on your location, your rate may even go down!
2. Find local doctors
If you’ve moved far enough away, you’ll want to at least find a primary care physician close to your new home. If you have kids, find your new pediatrician. Some insurance will even cover the cost of an “intro” visit between annual exams so you can meet the doctor and get your records transferred before you’re sick and need a doctor.
If you happen to be pregnant while moving, you’ll also want to secure your new OB/GYN, set up your checkups, and transfer your records as soon as possible. I asked friends in the area for hospital and doctor recommendations and lined these up before we moved. If you don’t know anyone in the new area, the internet has a growing number of doctor and hospital reviews.
3. Find the closest ER and Urgent Care
It should probably go without saying that it’s easier to look this up, learn the route, and have it at the ready when you’re calm and don’t need it. Hopefully you don’t need it, but if you or someone in your family has an urgent health issue, you can focus on getting care quickly.
4. If you have pets, find a veterinarian
Pets are members of the family too! Just as with the human family, it helps to have a number at the ready when you need one.
5. Sign up for EZ-Pass
If you live in an area with tolls and will be driving these routes regularly, you’ll want to consider signing up for EZ-Pass or the local equivalent (TX Tag, in my case). Usually you’ll have to keep some money in the account (around $20) but when you drive through a toll booth, the money is automatically deducted. You don’t have to worry that you don’t have $.65 in exact change in your cup holder to throw in the bin, or wait in line to pay at the tollbooth.
Near me, there are no tollbooths. Instead, they snap a photo of your license plate and mail you a bill. They charge a little more for this method, which can add up over time.
6. Make some friends!
Get out and meet your new neighbors. Sign up for a neighborhood site like NextDoor or Facebook Groups. These can also be great sources for recommendations, swapping goods (someone would probably love to take all those moving boxes off your hands!), and hearing about local events. Soon after we moved in, neighbors in the cul-de-sac around the corner had a block party and invited the broader hood, which was another great way to meet people!
7. Get oriented
Find your nearby grocery stores, shopping, gas station, library, pharmacy, restaurants, mechanic, coffee, night life, movie theater, parks and hiking spots. Get out and explore!
8. Get a library card
This one is pretty high on my own priority list. I love to read but I can’t buy every book on my TBR. The kids and I borrow books regularly, and I borrow digital books on my Kindle all the time. Plus, the library can be another great place to learn about and get involved with your new local community.
These were on my list. What else can you think of? Let me know in the comments!
Featured image by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash