How To Settle In After A Move....

Tips on branching out and meeting one's neighbors

You've arrived, unpacked and begun to settle in. Perhaps many of your arrangements have been made—schools have been selected for your kids, your new house or apartment is set up—but that doesn't quite make it home...yet.Home, as you know, is about people as much as anything, and relationships with friends, neighbors, teachers and grocery store owners. Relocating is stressful, and part of that has less to do with the boxes and arrangement than the new relationships you'll need to make...and, well...that feeling of "home" that only time can deliver. So be patient, but be active!Is there a way to fertilize the soil a bit and get those taproots growing? Consider these tips:

• Push yourself slightly beyond your basic comfort level. Coach yourself each week to do something you wouldn't naturally do. This may be as simple as deciding to walk your dog every morning in a park crowded with pet owners instead of along lonely streets.
• Community service and volunteerism may be one of the best ways to create meaningful new ties. Find opportunities through local community centers or gardens, your job, churches, or schools, or online.
• Join a club! Salsa dancing, rock climbing, chess? You name it! Try to find affinity groups in your area. Immediately resume one or two activities you did before moving. You'll meet people with common interests right off the bat!
• Buy a map and start exploring. Or just get on a bus and let yourself be driven around. Seeing your new place is fun and right away gives you something in common with other people. And you'll start developing your favorite haunts—a true sign of home!

For more information call Russell Nolting, Broker/President of Nolting Real Estate at 314.267.2636. Or visit us on the web at http://www.noltingrealestate.com/.