Moving to a new place!

Hi!

This is my first blog post, so I ought to introduce myself. I’m Shannon and I just started my Master’s in Sociology at MUN in Fall 2018. I drove out here from southern Ontario on an epic 3-day journey with all the worldly possessions that could fit in my car. My dad and my dog came too and, honestly, they took up a lot of space so many things got left behind. Things like keep-sakes, furniture, blankets, clothing, and my cell phone charger (but that was an accident, a very tragic thing to forget). I learned a lot on my drive out to Newfoundland and subsequent house-hunting adventures, so now I’ll share some of the sage advice I’ve come up with.

If you have a long drive, prepare for it seriously. I’m lucky that my dad was available and willing to drive out with me, otherwise it would have been an impossible drive for me. Over three days of driving, we averaged 12 hours on the road with break in-between for food and to let my dog walk around. I’ve never driven more than 6 hours solid myself, so splitting the drive was a huge help. We would trade driving duty approximately every 4 hours, or whenever the driver didn’t feel fit to drive. When not driving, I took naps or fed my dad and dog snacks. It was a good system! But the biggest help for the drive was having a good audiobook to listen to. Some of my friends recommended a long fantasy novel for the drive and boy were they right. The audiobook was engaging, entertaining, had a good story, and it had an amazing reader. It was much better than repetitive music for keeping the driver awake and alert, even on the boring drive through Ontario and Quebec. We even enjoyed the audiobook so much that we finished listening to it even once we had settled into St. John’s. My pro Moving-Halfway-Across-Canada tips so far: don’t forget your phone charger, split driving duties with someone, and get a good audiobook!

Hunting for housing is a very different search for everyone. The overwhelming advice I got was to not sign a lease or get into a contract until I had been toured around the house. You don’t want to get scammed by someone online who doesn’t own the property, only to come to Newfoundland to find someone else living in your new home (that you’ve already paid for). The only way to avoid that is by looking for housing right when you come out here or living at a university residence. Or, I guess, moving in with someone you already know (but I unfortunately didn’t know anyone in St. John’s). Ultimately, staying in a motel for a few nights is worth it rather than settling for poor housing. I had to be extra picky because I needed a house that was dog friendly and would accommodate me leaving my dog home during class time, but it worked out because I was willing to take my time searching! So tips: put in effort while looking for housing, and expect that it will take some time.

But now that I am in a house in a new province, I find it very lacking. The house is wonderful, but it’s completely empty of furniture and a homey atmosphere. Furniture is expensive when you’re a poor student, and Ikea isn’t a cheap option on the Rock (which I had to learn the hard way). People aren’t even that great at responding to their own Kijiji adds, so how are you supposed to make your empty new digs feel like home? Go out and immediately buy necessities. For me, that was tea and stuff to make tea with, a mattress, dining table, and at least one chair. With a hot cup of tea in my hand, I knew that I could handle anything else. The table is currently serving double duty as my desk and dining table, and the mattress is, of course, my reprieve from being on my feet all day running around campus. Other than that, I’m still living out of garbage bags and boxes. Being a poor student isn’t a glamorous lifestyle, but it does teach you a lesson in regards to minimalistic living, and it teaches you that you can live without a lot of luxuries. However, you don’t need to live without some comfort, so invest in things that will make you feel more comfortable in your home. Tea is a big one for me, but posters, a fuzzy blanket, candles, or your favourite snack food are cheap ways to make your space more comfortable. Basically, my tip for living within your means is: only get what you absolutely need at first and get some things to make your space feel like home. If you’re worried about bigger furniture pieces, don’t. You can accumulate those over time, but there’s ultimately no rush to buy an expensive couch or bookshelf.

One thing I anticipated and feared for moving this far away from home is not having friends. I came to St. John’s knowing only my grad supervisor and no one else. I had no friends, no family, no social network at all. Luckily, I learned how to quickly develop a network through trial and error in my undergrad! Before I got internet installed in my house, I settled for company from my dog and gave him extra snuggles. But once I had access to internet, the networking began. Memorial University has a ton of clubs and every single one has a Facebook group. Find your group of interest, join it, and check for upcoming events. Also, don’t be afraid to message the group because I know every club is happy to have new interested members! I also looked for community groups in St. John’s that suited my interests and sent out emails and requests. Another quick way to make friends or connections is, and this may sound ridiculous, to use Tinder. If you don’t know what Tinder is, look it up. It’s a dating app, but it’s excellent for finding friends too and at least to chat with people if you’re feeling a bit lonely. It helps you get exposure to the social community very efficiently, and you just have to take a small step of messaging someone to make friendship happen. Here, my tip is to: push yourself to be extra social and explore new avenues for meeting people. It’s hard at first if you’re not already a social person, but you get better and less nervous with every message you send. And if not this, then take the initiative to say hi and chat with people once classes start up! I made my first Newfoundland friend while waiting for my seminar to begin. It’s as easy as commenting on the weather and then asking how they’re doing. Boom! Friendship!

What I’m saying is that moving to a new place is tough and you need to be prepared. Both prepared with a good audiobook and prepared to talk with complete strangers in the hopes of finding common ground. It does seem pretty scary for a while, but I was shocked at how quickly I settled into St. John’s and living in a new place. I’ve already developed a routine with my dog and it’s only been two weeks. Before the big move, I had kept reassuring myself that humans are meant to adapt to new challenges and places, it’s how we survive. Turns out that I was right, we do adapt and quickly! So what if I’m living out of garbage bags for a bit? Things will sort out and I’ll eventually get furniture to put my clothes away in, but why stress out and rush it? I’ve got time and should be focusing on school and maintaining a budget too. So I’ll be doing that and will give updates on how it’s going later!

Cheers, and best of luck in your own lives!

Shannon