Unless youve moved to a city of doppelgangers, that wont workyoull be disappointed by everything.
Ive found this out the hard way aftera few big moves.
I found myself lamenting all kinds of things that I missed.
I was closed-minded to new places, because they werent similar enough to my old, familiar ones.
Obviously, this is silly.
It doesnt do you any good to try and remake the past.
So, I tried to expand my horizons a bit and enjoy my new experiences for what they are.
I try new places and hang out with new friends without trying to compare them to the old ones.
My neighborhood bar doesnt need to be an exact recreation of my old favorite.
My new friends dont need to fill the same roles as my friends from other states.
I Settled Into a Routine Too Early
Routine is ablessing and a curse.
Just weeks into living in Los Angeles, I found myself desperate for routine.
This completely defeats the purpose of moving somewhere newI never gave myself time to really explore.
Im a creature of habit, and subsequently, I rely a lot on routine.
Thats not even considering how my placesoutsideof neighborhood I havent been.
Its easy to fall back on the familiar, even if its a restaurant youve only been to twice.
Theres certainly a lot at play here.
But it makes for a pretty lonely life.
Part of it stems from the problem I mentioned earlier: trying to replace old friends.
When I inevitably realize theyre not like that, Im disappointed.
Ive been trying to get better about this.
Ill give people more of a clean slate when I first meet them.
This way, I can just chat and enjoy it instead of having an accidental motive of friendship.
Illustration by Tina Mailhot-Roberge.
