In this episode, Michelle shares what she learned when she moved to New York City.
What does it feel like to be in a new and strange place?
Listen in and find out today how she overcame many challenges in this experience.
She also shares four lessons she learned in the transition that helped her successfully move to New York and started a family.
You can take Michelle’s advice today and apply it to your big move if you relocate abroad.
How long has Michelle been living in New York?
Over 10 years ago she made the decision to live in the Big Apple and she is happy to advise on what she did to get through all the difficulties.
Michelle knew only a couple of people in the city when she first moved.
Her idea originally was just to get to the city and stay for the summer.
She gave herself a deadline to get a job by the end of the summer and if that didn’t happen, she’d return home.
Fortunately, she got a job as a temp.
To temp position is to fill in a role of an employee who is on leave in a certain company.
This can be temporary or can eventually turn out to be a permanent job.
Lindsay said this sounds difficult because it seemed that she has to learn about a new office every time.
Michelle agreed that it was difficult but she did have a good experience where she temped at Good Will as an event planner.
She got really close with her co-workers.
Her bad experience was when she worked for a certain brand but then they were very rude to her, so she boycotted them ever since.
The Four Lessons Michelle Learned on Her Move to New York
Lindsay asks Michelle a series of questions to learn how she did so well living in a new place.
Michelle summarizes this advice in four lessons to encourage you to take that risk to go beyond your comfort zone.
She also adds challenges you can expect and how to overcome them.
- Lesson #1 Take it One Day at a Time
Michelle remembers the first few days in the city when she felt so sad and she called her brother.
She was crying in the corner and told him that she wanted to give up and come home.
She felt that coming to New York was a mistake. Her brother said just get through the year. He was sure everything would turn out better for her if she could do that.
This was one year in New York and now she has been living there for more than a decade.
Michelle says that you shouldn’t let your feelings each day weigh you down.
There will be challenges and it will be lonely at the start.
If you move to a new place you must be open to considering moments of adjustments and it will be hard to adapt.
A bad day can be a week, a month, or even longer but bear in mind that you will come out the other side stronger.
Give it time, apply yourself, and never make a decision because of intense emotions.
- Lesson #2 Lean on Your Support System
Speak up and share what you are going through with people who are in your support system.
At times, it lightens the burden to get those bad emotions out.
Go to the people who you know you can depend on and you can be honest with.
You don’t have to be strong all the time. It’s good to acknowledge what you are going through and find strength in the people who care for you.
It doesn’t mean you moved to a new place that you have to take it all on your own.
- Lesson #3 Anticipate the Ups and Downs
Michelle says that you should know that there will be bad days.
You should be open to yourself that there will be times that will challenge you and push you to surrender.
Be mindful.
Don’t keep thinking that you will be positive and power through.
It’s better to look forward to times that will slope down and give you difficulty so you are better prepared.
- Lesson # 4 Put Yourself Out There
Try to meet new people and make new friends.
Michelle at the beginning had a room to herself and a shared bathroom in a dorm.
She would go to her job then eat something and then go straight home and binge watch Sex in the City.
It is hard to make friends and build relationships when you are in a new place.
Looking back, Michelle does not know how she got to where she is now with a husband and son living in New York.
It is a process, you just need to start.
You meet one person and you meet the people they know and like a domino, everything else follows.
Michelle’s mom would say it is one whole experiment where you are just finding everything out and exploring.
Takeaway
The main theme of this episode is to be mindful.
Lindsay has felt the same where she is in a foreign place and all she does is just move from home and work all the time because it’s difficult to adjust.
There are things you can do to help yourself when you are faced with the challenges of moving.
Be aware that you will get through it no matter what.
Michelle leaves us with a quote: “Your highs are never as high as you think they are and your lows are never as low as you think they are.”
Don’t get too psyched when things are perfect and don’t put yourself down when you feel down.
Hopefully, you find comfort in this.
When you are in the hard part of the transition of your move to a new country, know that you are not alone.
You can do it.
There will come a time when you get to the point that everything works out for you and you can share your own success story and help someone else.
Go here for more insider tips about life in New York City.
Do you have your own tips for moving to a new place?
Share it in the comments down below and give encouragement to the rest of our listeners and subscribers.
