3 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Switching Cities.

Because knowing and not doing is equal to not knowing.

Photo by Pablo García Saldaña on Unsplash

Did you get the meta description? Neither did I. Forget it!

Let’s start knowing three crucial things before gearing up for a new city.

1. Familiarity comes from within. Don’t expect the place to exude familiar vibes.

If you are someone who embraces the familiarity bias like a warm hug, switching cities can be intimidating. Subconsciously for me, the known Devil is safer than the unfamiliar stranger.

And the logic is: We know the moves of the known Devil. So, we are habituated to dodging his attacks.

Really?

Hence the only way to familiarize is to chuck off the familiarity bias.

As JP Morgan said, ‘The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.’

Did you hear the bias crash like a big glass vase? (Inside my heart Mr. Morgan)

Boom!

I wish I were more open and accepting.

2. Googling is a skill. Ask Google Grandpa to give you the 101 guide to adapting to a new city.

Though I am much older than Google is, I go to him (I get a tinge of satisfaction by addressing Google as ‘he’ because he dominates the world like an old patriarch does to his brood).

I’ve honed my Googling skills like a pro. You know what? Google practically knows everything, like the omnipresent God. So, ask him, people. About the metros, commute, schedules, traffic, neighborhood, and social events.

3. Life will buzz anyhow if you are switching to a metro.

Against all its flaws, A metropolitan life is never boring. You have open mics, dramas, creative art sessions, sporting events, book clubs, and more. Just keep your arms open. So, find your game, and it’ll help you deal the separation anxiety. Every city has a like-minded posse; all you need is to keep your eye and heart open.

I wonder if I knew the pinch of pain, I felt had a name: The Separation Anxiety. I feel SAD leaving my town behind as a possessive partner in a relationship. I search for familiarity. The consequential fear disconnects me from the moment. The dependence is cutting my ties to be autonomous.

I miss good old park benches, familiar smiling faces, and old town cafes. But the interesting part is revisiting your place can be fun.

The people you cared least for suddenly becomes your reincarnated buddies.

The neighborhood that you hated for the mundane din becomes the rhythm of the divine poem.

And the treacherous roads now become the off-roading you’ve been looking for.

There’s the involvement of science in missing your hometown. The neurotransmitters are involved with dopamine and serotonin. After spending decades in your hometown, a sudden break in habit makes your hormones almost go hysterical like some babbling politicians. Poor hormone guys don’t have the tools to process the transition. Hence, they sulk and isolate voluntarily.

I wish I knew the science of missing and the art of mingling in my new environment. Well, now that the new city has a lot in store, I better acclimate myself and get comfortable.

After all, legendary Mark Twain eases my discomfort by saying, “A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.”

Roger Mr. Mark.