Four Tips for Moving from Small Town to NYC

Your Small Town, Your State. Population: 37,000.

New York, New York. Population: 8,491,079.

Going from a small town to New York can seem incredibly intimidating...and it most certainly is... BUT after a while, you find it hard to believe you've been confined to one small town for 18 years of your life. Moving hundreds of miles away from home to start a new life in a new state has by far been one of the scariest things I have experienced. However, it also was the most rewarding and eye opening.

Here are some tips for all of you who are thinking about moving to the east coast or are for sure joining us in the city that never sleeps.

1) Pace- Slow walkers, be ready to be bulldozed by the New Yorkers. Walking in the hallways of your high school is a completely different pace than walking the streets of New York. People here are constantly on a mission, and do not have time for people to be strolling down the street. It may come off as rude at first, but you learn that walking with a purpose is a necessity in the city.

2) Knowing People- Back in my hometown, if you went to Walmart, there was a 99.9% chance that you would run into someone that was in your class, a family friend, or even your mom. Even saying that there is a Walmart in your town is a sign that you are from a small town. This is not the case when you live in New York. You should be ready and confident walking down the street for six blocks side-by-side with a complete stranger. This has it's pros and cons. One pro is you don't ever have to purposely avoid someone that you don't want to see... The city automatically does it for you! One con to the city is it can feel pretty lonely and scary at points. I wouldn't recommend walking the streets of Manhattan at 1:00 in the morning, but even if you do, make sure to be with a friend at all times. It's a completely different atmosphere than your hometown but it's great seeing the diversity, and it is rather refreshing meeting new people.

3) Money- Oh, how much I miss getting a Chipotle burrito for $6.50 instead of $8.60 (and that's without guac). Coming from anywhere besides the east coast; the prices of EVERYTHING are significantly more expensive. At first, you will want to splurge a ton with food delivery (seamless is DANGEROUS), shopping, or traveling everywhere (the subway isn't cheap). Slowly, you'll learn how to manage your money. One main thing is to make sure to get your food worth out of your meal plan at school. Food is probably the main reason for broke college students, and if you can avoid that by using your meal plan to it's full extent your bank account will love you. In addition, be sure to come with some cash because if your bank is only in your town/state, chances are you will have an additional fee when wanting to withdrawal cash.
4) Traveling- All your childhood, mom/dad drove you to school and then once you turned 15 1/2, you got your temporary license, and at 16, your license. You may be used to driving for the last two and a half years but that will change once you move out east. Only people with true patience drive in New York because traffic is CRAZY. You should be used to walking everywhere or taking the subway. That being said, comfortable shoes are a necessity. If you are always trying to look cute, than you can have fun with the bunions on your feet. If your destination will take too long to get to on foot, take the subway! The subway can be very confusing especially if you are new to the city. You will only become comfortable with it after using it a bunch of times but their are tons of apps to help you navigate which lines you should take! All in all, be prepared to get your cardio in when you visit the city.