As a travel nurse living the free-spirited lifestyle, you may have some fears and feeling of uncertainty about moving to a new city, making new friends and starting a new life. We have all been there, looking through our Facebook, reading old text messages from our friends and family and feeling homesick. It’s ok though, you are not alone. Moving is hard.

Don’t worry, instead focus on the travel and adventure that awaits you. Embrace everything around you by being present and soaking up your experience in your new city.  While you are on an assignment with TotalMed Staffing, we are here to help by providing you with some life hacks on how to tackle the feeling of homesickness.

Life Hack Tips:

#1 Have a “Just do it” mentality: Conjure up your adventurous side and start exploring your new city. New place, new friends, new you! Maybe you have always wanted to learn how to snowboard, and now that Tahoe is conveniently your next-door neighbor, you might as well sign up for a snowboarding lesson. Who knows, maybe you will meet your future friend or future significant other at your lesson. It never hurts to try something new, because it might be fun and you might just learn something about yourself!

#2 Make plans: When you first move to a new place, chances are that you do not know anyone. So make plans to have your friends and family visit you and join you on your new adventure. If you are looking to meet new people, try websites like meetup.com. This is a social website that connects strangers with common interests. You could join a hiking group, surfing group, or even a book club. Get creative and most importantly, have fun.

#3 Stay busy: Moving to a new city can be lonely, so remember to stay positive and focus your energy on how this new experience can help you. When you are playing tourist in your new home, you do not have time to sit and mope. Spend more time doing than dwelling.

#4 Make your house feel like home: Set up your new place with photos of your friends and family. Add personal touches to your place by adding decorations such as paintings, magnets, coasters and pillows. Get on Pinterest and find DIY craft tutorials on how to decorate your room. When your house is cozy and becomes your sanctuary, it is hard to imagine yourself being anywhere else.

#5 Embrace the art of solitude: Sometimes life is better doing things on your own. Put yourself first and treat yourself like the awesome person that you know you are. Take yourself out on a movie date, shopping spree, beautiful hike without having to worry about another person’s schedule. Do something for you. Spending time by yourself is a great way of learning more about what you want in life and it will help you grow.

We hope you enjoyed these 5 simple life hack tips on settling into a new home. If you need advice or if you are ready for you next adventure as a travel nurse, please fill out the form below and a staff member from our friendly Valley Healthcare team will contact you shortly.

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