You bid farewell to your neighbors and friends and set out on your long distance move. While the actual move is behind you, there may still be lingering effects after the movers are long gone, especially around the holiday season. If this is your first holiday season after you move, you might be experiencing the holiday blues. Nothing is quite the same as it was last year, and you are missing loved ones.
You’re not alone, and what we know is that the first holiday after you move will be different, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! Take a look at our pointers for your first post-move holiday season.
1.) Make your Home Festive!
A new home could mean a few new holiday decorations! While we’re not suggesting to throw out all your old decor items (especially if you just located the moving box they were in), we are saying that a new strand of lights or festive garland could help you get into the holiday spirit. Have some fun with it! If you always wanted a 9 foot inflatable T-Rex for the front yard, here’s your chance! And don’t forget to ask the kiddos about their ideas. Having them pick out a decoration or two for you new home can help them feel more at home this holiday season. Maybe they could put some decorations in their rooms too? Those just-moved holiday blues won’t stand a chance!
2.) Meet the Neighbors!
Perhaps you haven’t had a chance to introduce yourself to your new neighbors. The holidays are a great time to get to know those living closest to you. Consider bringing over some cookies or even just a holiday card to break the ice. They could be a great way to hear about some of the neighborhood events this season, and this could be the start of your friendship with your neighbors!
3.) Time to Unwind
Holidays have a way of over-scheduling people and stressing them out. If in the past you’ve had too much going on during the season to actually enjoy anything, then this is the perfect time to savor the quiet this holiday season! Put on some fuzzy socks and watch a movie, or prepare the elaborate meal you’ve always meant to try. Next year could be hustle and bustle once again, so enjoy your slowed-down season. A year that included a professional moving company could be a blessing! As Clarence the Angel says in Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, “You’ve been given a great gift.”
4.) Start a New Tradition
Whether it’s a hot chocolate tasting around town at each coffee shop, impromptu cookie decorating with whatever you have on hand or a jaunt to your nearest larger-than life Christmas tree, finding new holiday traditions in your new location can be the start of something great! While you can’t celebrate in the ways you did years before, now that you have a new home, you have the opportunity to create new memories. If you have kids, ask for their ideas on what they’d like to do this year to enjoy New Years, Hanukkah or Christmas. Even if one of your new ideas doesn’t become a tradition and you only do it this year, you and your family will reminisce in years to come about “that one time!”
After the movers and boxes are just a memory, the reality of a cross country move may hit you during your first holiday season away from your old home. Missing people and traditions are both normal, but know all is not lost this time of year. Make the most of your new home during the holidays by considering the four points above. And remember to be easy on yourself! Holidays, like moving, can be stressful! From all of us at All Around Moving & Storage, we wish you a joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year!
Don’t want to move during the holidays? Read up on whether or not to tip your movers at our friends at American Moving & Storage.
