Moving into your first apartment is undeniably one of the most exciting experiences you can have as a fully functioning adult. This moment is the hallmark of the start of your path toward independence and self-support. It takes a lot of work to physically move into your new living quarters. While many rightfully highlight the exhilarating feeling of living in your first apartment, most forget to acknowledge what you have to do after moving in.
Your first week in your first apartment may be one of the most complicated weeks you may experience. You may feel terrified about the thought of being alone. You can even be happy for the very same reason. But as complicated as it may be, there are things that you can do to align your thoughts and get your independent living in order.
Settling In
As you are subjecting yourself to a new environment, your first week will be spent adjusting to your new surroundings. With that, it pays to be observant of this new immediate environment. During your first week, try to observe your environment as well as you can. This is only a precaution for you to stay aware and alert of your surroundings. You are new to the environment, so everything is unfamiliar and unpredictable to you.
Being observant can only help you cope with the happenings of your surroundings. So make sure to do this as well as you can during your first week.
Meet Your Neighbours (If You Can)
Your first week may also be the best time for you to at least know your neighbours. Note that they are the ones who are most accessible to you, especially in times of emergencies. With that, you should take measures to make decent relationships with them. Knowing them can also help you socialise, especially in a new neighbourhood where you still do not know anyone.
Apart from that, they can also help you adjust to your new environment, given that they have already lived in that area longer than you have. Although it is important to know who your neighbours are, you also have to respect their personal space and time. Make sure to meet them in the most organic way possible. You don’t have to make friends with them on your first week, but knowing them as early as you may be beneficial for you in the long run.
Know Where To Go
It is also important to familiarise your area during your first week. This means knowing the geographical makeup of your neighbourhood. Make sure you have an idea of where the streets lead and where they end. Knowing the ins and outs of your neighbourhood can help you navigate through it better. You can avoid being lost, and you can always find your way home.
Apart from that, knowledge of your area can also help you identify where you can get things for your home needs. When you try to explore your area, you will know where to go for groceries and medications, you will learn where to find home supplies, and you can identify where you can get food when you don’t feel like cooking.
Your knowledge of your area can ultimately affect your way of life and can influence your regular living routine. This is why it is important to know your neighbourhood. Of course, it is nearly impossible to memorise your area in your first week of staying there. But it does help to take regular walks around the area to help you familiarise its geography and the establishments that are near to you.
Ensuring Your Safety
Since you are new to the area, you may not know how safe it is. With that, it should always be a standard to have security measures in place. This is because break-ins are common and can endanger you and your apartment. To protect yourself from harm, make sure to install locks on all your apartment’s entry points on your first week of living there.
This includes your main door and every window of your unit. Make sure to check that these locks work. As an added precaution, you can also install security alarm systems and cameras. Your safety should always be a priority, no matter what neighbourhood you are in. Be sure to have security measures no matter where you live.
You may find that your first week is not the best week you can spend in your first apartment. It is a complicated and gruelling experience that everyone must go through. But it is also the start of a life of independence and freedom.