Today I will begin my Moving Life Series.  The first of many posts dedicated to successfully relocating your life.

I am 23 years old and have an itch to establish myself in a city of my choosing.  I have decided to move my life to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to find my own home.  These are some steps I’ve taken to decide where I want to go next.  I wanted to share them with you.  Whatever your reason for finding a new place to call home, I hope this is a good inspiration.

Ask Yourself These Questions: Did you just take a trip to a great place and realize you want to live there?  Is your current home city boring you and you want to try something new?  Is it just time for you to relocate?

If you’re like me and answered YES to those questions, it may be time to relocate your life, start a new adventure in a great place, and take a chance.

The obvious first step is to decide where you want to move.

1. Make a list of the Top 5 Things You Require From Your New City.

• Here are some things to think about while you decide on a place to live:
  - Public Transportation
  - Metropolitan or Rural
  - Weather
  - Cost of Living
  - Job Market
  - Politics
  - People/Culture
  - Environment
  - Schools/Universities
  - Airports/Train Stations
• When I made my list, it looked like this:
  I need…
  • 1. Public transportation: I love driving, but I love the option of not driving.
  • 2. Affordable Apartment: Pay rent and still afford fun adventures.
  • 3. Younger, Progressive Population: I’d like to relate to my neighbors.
  • 4. Inexpensive Fares at the Airport: Easily visit friends, family, and foreign land.
  • 5. Art/Music Scene: I gotta’ have my live music fix.

2. Do Some City Research.

Take a look around the interwebs for information about cities and states.  Find the places you might want to explore further.

I found this site pretty useful:

• City-Data.com

After you have shortened your list of potential cities you’d like to call home, search deeper and find restaurant and nightlife guides, community organizations and clubs that interest you, and surrounding attractions and recreation (Ski resorts, state parks).  Buy a couple books about your cities.  Look at maps, find neighborhoods and entertainment districts.

3. Take a Test Trip.

Now that you’re serious about this move and you found a place that is calling your name, for one reason or another, take a trip!  Plan a little vacation to this new city, even if you’ve been there before.  If you’re moving alone, go on this trip alone.  Feel the city out.  Can you really live there?  Check out some neighborhoods that you’ve read about online or in a book.

It is important to see how easily friends a family will be able to visit you and for you to visit them.

Here are some tips for your test trip:

• - Wake up early and go for a walk in the neighborhoods you want to know more about.  Grab some coffee in a local coffee shop, talk to people.  Tell them what you’re doing and ask questions.  My thought is that if you are moving there, don’t you want the people to be nice?  Just take chances, ask questions, and enjoy yourself.
• - Schedule your trip around a concert or festival in a potential new city.  Check out Jambase or find local event listings.  Try something new.  You are on vacation, right?
• - Buy a local newspaper and read it over lunch in a neighborhood that you could see yourself living in.  Check out apartment listings, local news, more events, etc.  You’re there to learn and experience.

The most important thing to remember during your trip is to have fun, like you would if you lived there.  Get local.  If the city is a great place, people will be more than willing to share what they know with you.  I have found this to be very true.

Your Turn: What do you want from your city?  Where do you want to live?  Do you already live in a great place?  What do you love about it?  Would you recommend someone to move to your city?  Leave a Reply below.