Settling in to a new home

Change is always hard but perhaps nothing is a bigger challenge than moving to a new place, whether it be a new school or in my case a new country. Two months ago I moved from the coastal Scottish town of St Andrews, where I am currently studying German and history at university, to Nuremberg in Germany, beginning a year-long adventure as an English language assistant in two primary schools in the city centre.

In the weeks leading up to my departure I became more and more nervous as I realised the size of the challenge in front of me. Not only was I moving to somewhere new but that new place was about 800 miles away from home.

However, here are five things that I have found that have helped me settle in to my new home in Germany which you might find useful if you have to move homes or indeed countries.

1. Bring a few home comforts with you, but leave enough room for new things. I only had one suitcase when I flew to Germany so I didn’t have much room to pack but I made sure my childhood teddy was in my bag.

2. Put up photographs around your new home. Being surrounded by happy memories always creates such a positive atmosphere and, in my case, acts as a reminder that I have such a happy and strong group of friends to return home to.

3. Create a routine. When I am in Scotland I love going to the gym and I try and go at the same time every day. So when I moved to Nuremberg naturally I looked for a gym to join so that I could try and continue some of the routine I had in place at home.

4. Keep in touch with friends and family. I am lucky in that I am very close to my family and have a wonderful tight-knit friendship group. I try and Skype them fortnightly to catch up on what is happening in their lives and fill them in on all my exciting adventures.

5. Make the most of every opportunity. I know I am only in Germany for one year so it is important for me to travel and explore my new home. I have visited so many other cities in Germany already and am always planning my next trip