Moving to the United States is exciting, but it can also be scary. You’re leaving a lot behind in order to come to the land of opportunity. Even if it’s the best decision in the long run, it can be very difficult to adjust when you land on U.S. soil.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’ll adjust to your new home naturally. If you really want to settle in and feel like the United States is your new home, you have to make an effort. Fortunately, learning how to live in a new country can be fun when you follow the right advice!
Know What You Need to Do and When You Need to Do It
A good chunk of the anxiety that comes with immigrating to the United States is knowing how to do it and do it right. You don’t want to end up getting deported, especially if it’s something that could have been prevented. That’s why it’s so important to know what you need to do and when you need to do it.
For example, if you have Temporary Protected Status (TPS), those coming from many countries have 60 days to a full 18 months to re-register. But where you’re from affects how long you have, so it’s important to know the deadlines that pertain to you.
Knowing what paperwork you need to fill out and when can provide you with peace of mind. If you aren’t sure, consider hiring an attorney who can help.
Improve Your Language Skills
You’ll feel like you fit in more when you learn the language. It’s important to know English well enough to get around in the United States, but it’s even better if you learn a little slang.
Many slang words in the United States are surprising to newcomers. They also change fast. Brush up on common slang terms and you’ll not only understand more of what others are saying around you, but you’ll also feel like you fit in a little more.
Invest in Your New Home
Living in a new country isn’t the time to find the cheapest, smallest apartment. Even if you’ve lived in challenging housing before, you were doing it in a familiar country. Now that you’re somewhere new, you want to invest as much as you can in a comfortable home that makes you feel safe.
That doesn’t mean you should spend more than you can afford. It just means prioritizing where your home is located, what it looks like, and how it makes you feel.
Choose an area of town that makes you feel comfortable. No matter what kind of house or apartment you get, make sure you decorate it so it feels like home. That way you always have a comfortable haven to return to.
Keep the Hobbies You Enjoy
Just because you have moved to a new country doesn’t mean you have to leave everything behind! Hobbies come with many health benefits, but they also help connect you to your culture and where you came from.
Hobbies are also a great way to make connections with others. Whether you cook extra helpings that you can take to a neighbor who works overtime or you meet someone new while knitting on a park bench, having hobbies can feed your soul and help you settle into your new home more quickly.
Walk or Bike Whenever You Can
Walking and biking in your neighborhood is the fastest way to get to know your surroundings. You might discover a bakery or realize there’s a closer grocery store that doesn’t require you to take the bus.
Walking is also a great way to engage with your community. It’s one of the best ways to get to know your neighbors, and it can help combat feelings of loneliness, which can be quite common among immigrants. Simply walk or bike near where you live and you can create a greater sense of connection to your neighborhood.
Have Fun With Food
Chances are, the food is a lot different where you live now compared to where you came from. By all means, continue cooking your favorites from home, but you should also embrace the new foods you’re surrounded by.
Attend a festival and try something new, or order something off the menu at a local restaurant you’ve never tried before. Chances are you’ll discover something that you love.
Then, don’t be afraid to have fun with new foods in your kitchen! Try playing around with different flavors. Add American flavors to your food and see if you can come up with the perfect combination of new and old flavors in your favorite dishes.
Find a Way to Share Your Culture
You don’t have to leave your entire culture behind just because you’re moving to the United States. Look for ways to preserve your culture by sharing it with others around you:
- Attend or organize a cultural event
- Cook family recipes and share them with others
- Spend time with others in your cultural community
- Pass on cultural traditions to young people
- Give a presentation at a school or library
- Volunteer as a translator
Know Where to Look for Help
It’s easy to feel isolated and alone when you move to a new country as an immigrant, but the truth is, there is a lot of help out there if you know where to look.
You can find a lot of resources online, like how to apply for citizenship and how to apply for grants, but there are also a lot of resources in your community. From libraries to museums and community centers, there are a lot of organizations that can help you settle into your new home.
Settling into the United States as an immigrant isn’t easy, but you can make it easier if you’re willing to step outside your comfort zone, try new things, and look for ways to keep your culture alive no matter where you live in the U.S.