Moving to the City for the First Time

To say that moving to the city for the first time is intimidating would be an understatement.

Not only are you leaving friends and family behind, you’re immersing yourself in a new world with its own rules, not to mention a different community from where you came from. This is why the first thing you should look into is finding a new church community to join.

Big cities are ripe with choices when it comes to new places of worship. Depending on the city, you might find everything from small community churches, to huge cathedrals that offer religious refuge to entire city blocks. Relevant Magazine advises dipping your toes into multiple churches, and types of service, to find the one that best suits you!

Church shopping 101

RULE NO. 1: ADHERE TO YOUR PREFERENCES, BUT DON’T BE AFRAID TO FLEX.
RULE NO. 2: TRY MULTIPLE CHURCHES MULTIPLE TIMES.
RULE NO. 3: SHOW UP EARLY, AND ASK QUESTIONS.
RULE NO. 4: PUT JESUS FIRST.
RULE NO. 5: DON’T GO IT ALONE, BRING SOMEONE ALONG.

Try to look for churches that offer services you’re comfortable with, but at the same time, don’t be afraid of being flexible and trying out new things (which is what city living is all about!). As long as a church and its community can provide you with an environment of guidance and faith in Jesus Christ, it’s as good a community to join as any.

Apart from finding a suitable place of worship, another factor that you need to be aware of is the volume of traffic in town. How long will it take you to commute the distance between your new place and your new office? One way to make the most of long commutes is Lifehacker’s advice of keeping audiobooks and podcasts at hand. The best time to listen to inspiring podcasts is when you’re in the thick of the city hustle, a constant reminder in your ear not to lose faith amid new challenges. Also, the more you know about your daily commute, the better you’ll be at budgeting your money.

Another really intimidating thing about moving to the city is dealing with renting or buying property. The field of real estate can be a jungle of jargon that’s bound to confuse beginners. Yoreevo, in their feature on the difference between real estate agents and brokers, explain important pieces of information on renting or buying living space. For instance, a real estate broker technically refers to the principal broker, or the person who holds the actual broker license. Engaging with an estate agent on the other hand will help property buyers through “leveling the playing field at no cost”.

If it’s your first time in the city, you’re going to want to contact a buyer’s agent. In real estate, buyer’s agents negotiate on behalf of the buyer in order to get them the best deal possible. A good buyer’s agent will be able to tell you about any potential problems and advantages associated with the property that you’re interested in. In other words, finding a genuine buyer’s agent is a solid step towards ‘Living Intentionally With Your Money’. Think of them as your guardian angel in the field of big city real estate.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9